The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-01
Designs Invited for the Construc-
ton Of Cars for That Desired
Purpose.
General Belief of Express Men
That That Result Is Far
Removed.
soms Unique Plans Snbmitted-Tho Award
to he Made In April-Harvest
5 for RObbors
Written for Tar HELENA NpErENnENr.Y

s tNrlttGn Tor IHE HELENA INDEPENDENTLY
"HERE LIE IN THE DESK OF THE
-\I secretary Of the American Express
~ company, at 65 Broadway, 200 plans,
ono OF which will be adopted in a few DAYS
As aferdinR the safest means Of trans
porting yalusblss across tho country. The
designs are presented only by men who
have been or are in the service OF an OK
press company in the United States or Can
ada and cover every feasible idea from the
turretsd monitor car to the plain iron box
with a drop bottom and the double steel
cRaed car. %-~5 @@5" .5".@4- *~
Talking with Secretary Flagg, in whose
possession tine designs are, about the pros
poets Of a %succossful invention I waa rather
surprised to hear him express the view that
nothing absolutely satisfactory mad been
submitted. 5&
"While one of the designs will undoubt-
eddy be accepted and the prizs will Of
coulss b. awarded said Mr.. FlaRg. II still
have q hesitanoy in believing that We have
been able to overcome the ingenuity Of the
American criminal genius. After all We
must depend upon the watchfulness Of in
dividuals. It is not with us as with banks
and trust companies whose valuahles are
stationary, and where the amplest protec-
ton il provided by means Of iron walls and
armed guards. With as vsluablss are con
t~inually being moved from place to place,
and when We build an iron car in which to
transports money and other articles Of
worth it is moro for protection against fire
than against the train robbsr. Why, il wc
should be able to TRANSPORTS y forty-foot
wall across the country there il no ques-
tion in my mind but that some dynamit-
ing crank would get into it.
Take for instance the monitor design
that was submitted to us. That is really an
absurd pattern, for itB weight alone would
make it an impossible addition to our Ok
press faoilitiss. Then imagine m armed
guard on this turrst, and You have the com
plstion Of the most ridiculous idea pre-
scented to az.
ut il, As | say, the watohfuluess and the
discretion of individuals on which we de-
rsnd. believe that the highest tribute
paid to Malnerney, the messenger who was
shot by Perry in his attempt to rob q New
York Central express car recently, was by
the robber himself 'MoInerney.' said he,
was indiscreet; he didn't put up his hands
whom | told him to-"
It will b interesting in this connection
to read ths exact circular issued on the sub
ject Of q prize plan:
One bundled dollars will DO paid, sub
jsct to the following conditions, to any
man connected with any expross company
who will prepare and submit the best plan
for . messengers working o. office osr.
suitable FOR the carrying and handling of
monoy valuables and small parcel bust
ness. Size Of ear to be limited to fifty feet
long and eight feet wide. Plans to be
drawn to : scals Of o%ne-quartsr inch to the
foot. Each plan must be given q nAme on
face and accompanied by y sealed envel-
ope enclosing name OF party submitting
same. envelope to be Endorsed with name
of plan, also the name Of person nominated
by party submitting plan (who must be
connected with this company, to pass upon
the acceptance or rejection OF plans. the
two persons receiving the highest number
of such votes, with a third person to be
nance by the executive committee of the
con- will make the final decision.
This envelope shall not be opened until the
award of best plan shall have been made"
The decision will be reached sometime in
April.
The robbery on the New York Central
was the straw that broke the csmel's back.
1t was the climax in q year of the most dis
~astrous and successful train robberies the
country has known. Every state in the
union had q few to record. 1t IN known in
express circles rs the dynamite year, for mo
month passed in that memorable period
that had not a train robbery as paris of its
criminal history.
Bob Pinkerton. talking about tho pos
sibility Of breaking up these train robblnR
gangs remarked that they had really been
generally supposed. Perry, as You know
he said, "is under arrest, and out west we
caught Abort D. Sly and his woman con-
federate. Sly ia n much more dangerous
man and 9 much more daring criminal
than Perry #
able to connect Sly with three OF the most
daring robbsries Of the year. He is a man
who is skillful with the use OF dynamite,
md it is unquestionably he who, after
blowing up the Omaha car barns, did the
work at Glendale, Mo-, on Nov. 30
ton, between Chicago and Milwaukee, a
days before.
The chase for Sly, while longer than that
for Perry. was full of peril to tho men who
wore on his track. His record was traced
from 1883. when he stole $780, 900 from an
express company in St. Joseph, to his very
last eseapsde. He was captured in San
Diego after q most terrible resistance.
There ~ one thing that 1 should like to
said 4 high official of the American
Express company, after detailing to me the
inside story in connection with the Perry
There never was a Drawer man
in the employ of an express company than
Molnerney, ths messenger, who so success
fully resisted tho attempt at robbery.
ITS 4 fact that We knew of Perry's idsn-
Immediately after tho FIRST robbery at
Utica. Thu Pinksrton's had chased him
from town to town, and on the day of the
second robbery they were within IA few
miles of the whereabouts OF the rohber, as
they had followed him to Syracuse"
Manager Antisdel, OF the United States
company. believes that tho only feasible
,ar will be that which can prevent the de-
of valuables from the effocts of
nitro-glycariue or dynamite.
you see," said he, these fellows can
get into Il car as it ia built now, but
they 10 longer are able to get anything of
great value unless they dynamite the new
lime look safes which arc being put in ey- :
anywhere. These. as You know, are for
business and only mon ut the
know tho combination.
"Rsfore these criminals gotinto tho habit
IT blowing in car doors and onds our old
combination portable safes weto q feasona-
,le protection, but now ws realize that we
must fight tho dynamiters rs we'll as
mon with rsvolvera. | believe that
tho most feasible plan will, after all, be
he steel oar. You see we can mike a steel
in an express car and set within this
Iafs enclosure our big freproof and bur-
,larproof time lock safes. Some of the
will, of course, be so adjusted TINT
he looks can DO opened even at local points
" authorized agents. Dynamite may
tho steel partition, but it will not
,roak the safes"
One OF the unique ideas presented to the
Express companies came from st. Louis. IL
that of 4 crank who proposed to build
uBdnr Aha trnrLu NJ nvnrw n+.t;o,