The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-02-22
ADESPERATEROBBER
His Attempt to Crack" an Ez-
press Train Checkmated.
STOLE AN ENGINE IN HIS FLIGHT

Robbcr and His Pursuers Engage
in a Flying Duei-FinaiIy Sur
rounded and Captured by Quar-
tet of Officers.
ROCHESTER, n Y, Feb, 2e.-Daniel
T. McInery, messenger in the employ
of the American Express company, lies
at his home ON Waverly Place, in this
city, with three bullet wounds on his
person, the result Of an encounter with
o most desperate train robber. The
American express train, which reached
this city at 7.15 on the New York Cen
tral railroad, left Syracuse yesterday
morning at 8 o'clock, very nearly on
time, in charge of Conductor Emil
Laass and Engineer Caleb Cherry.
About half an hour after the train left
Syracuse Messenger McInery was
startled by the sound of breaking glass.
Before he could discover its cause
masked man sprang through the broken
window and confronted him with re-
volver. McInery drew his weapon, alG
both men fired at the same time. Nc
Inery missed his mark, but the robber
did not. His bullet penetrated Nc
Inery's left hand, and it was followed
by two others, one of which entered his
beg and the other grazed his forehead.
The robber knocked him senseless with
the butt of his revolver and went at the
packages. in the car, while the messen-
ger lay unconscious.
Between Weedsport and Jordan the
conductor, Il. Laass, thought he heard
the air signal sound, but as no one else
had heard it he paid no attention to it.
In few minutes it sounded again, this
time unmistakably, and the conductor
said: "There is something wrong i'll the
express car ahead, where McInery is
alone" He and brakeman, II. A.
Culver, accordingly went to the plat
form between the two cars. The con-
ductor raped at the door, but received
no reply. Then climbing on to the
handrail he peered into the car through
the opening that the bell rope ran
through. He saw nothing of McInery,
but instead saw strange man standing
in the car, over whose head was thrown
red hood, which covered all of his
face except the nose and eyes, and fell
below his chin to his breast. Stepping
on the platform, the conductor said to
the brakeman, "There is something
wrong in there" and signaled for the
train to slow up.
off the platform on the south side of the
car and at the same time the red hooded
head of the robber protruded from the
door of the express car, and voice said,
&C d. you, shove her ahead,' and
before either could reply or dodge back
: aUuf1et wf1izzed past their ears. Both
sprang back into the coach and the brake
man locked the front door.
Thought the Robber Had Escaped.
The train was running very slowly,
and without stopping it the conductor
directed the rear brakeman to take both
the red and white lanterns and go back
to Jordan, signal any train he might
meet and telegraph to this city concern
ing the affair. The train then swung
rapidly ahead, but ON nearing Port
Y Byron again slowed up. Arriving at
the station the conductor set the brakes
on his train and jumped onto the depot
platform and called the telegraph
y operator. Presently McInery appeared
in the door of his Car and called for
help, saying that he was wounded and
was all alone i'll the Car. On hearing
this the conductor supposed that the
robber had become frightened and left
the train while it had been running
. slowly, but future developments went
] to show him how much he was mis-,
taken.
Another messenger was put in the eau
to care for the wounded man till they
- should reach Lyons. The conductor and
his crew returned to the rear coach, and
the train proceeded on its way TO Lyons
The train pulled into the depot of the
Hast named station. McInery was taltcu
off and cared for, and then tho train
backed up to take water The con
duceor remained on the depot platform
talking to the station agent and to some
dozen or fifteen others who happened al
the station, stating that he thought tht
robber had left the train before reaching
Port Byron, when the agent interrupted
with the remark that he had seen ma,
jump off his train while it was standing
at the depot
While Conductor Laass was looking
ever his train inst previous to its pull
ing out of Syracuse he had seen mat
lettering near it and had sharply scru
tiniZcd the face, as it was new on,
around the depot to him, but he sup
- posed that it was some one on duty
there and so thought nothing of it, Nov
as the agent made this rematk h,
turnfd around and found hillHelf fac,
to face with the same individual.
Kept at Bay with RevoIvcrs
Turning to the brakeman, who stoo,
near, Mf.LaasS said, Didn't we see thi
man in SyracuseI' to which the brake
man replied: YES, that's him; that
your man, boys"
All made rush for him, but tn
stranger pointed a brace of reyolvers a
the crowd, saying, "Oh. no, boys; keel
easy and don't be in hurry" He thei
backed up, keeping the crowd at ba,
with his threatening pistols, then turnet
and ran across the tracks to the expires
train, which was on track 9, and tried Il
nnconple the engine of that train. FL
could not do it, however, and crossed t,
track 3,where a coal train was standing
Leaping on the front car he uneouple,
the engine from the train, climbed owe
the tank and thrusting his revolver
into the faces Of the startled enginee
and fireman he hissed, with an oath, II
you prefer. your lives to this engine hide
d,n you, hide" and they hid. Then h
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