Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-03-03
A Bold Bandit

revolver; a running fight from the engine
for miles followed by another engine filled
with railway men; and tine final capture
of the desperate by a sheriff's posse in
q swamp, after a Wild pursuit across the
country, are some of the sensational
features in the most desperate attempt
at train robbery In the history OF the
Central Hudson Railway, and which cast
In the shade as an exhibition'of GOODNESS
and nerve the famous exploits OF the
Jesse James band or other outlaws OF
Western fame.
Saws a Rochester, N. Y, telegram:
Train No. 81 on the Central Hudson is
known as the American Express Com
pany's special. 1t runs every day In
the wear between New York 'and Buffalo,
and carries only goods and property
shipped by that company. The train
leaves New York at go clock each even
ing and Is due in this city at 7:O5 in the
morning. Nearly all the cars are run
through 10 Chicago and contain the
most valuable express matter. One car
is known as the money" car and in 1t is
sent the specie from the United States
Treasury for Western banks, as well as
the money in process ,of exchange be-
tween the banks, of New York and the
West.
Daniel T. McInerney was in charge of
the money car on the trip Saturday
night The train was made up OF eight
cars and one day coach for the accom-
mediation ,Of the regular train crew.
When the train was near Weedsport the
conductor, who was in the coach with
his two trainmen, thought he heard the
air whistle sound very family. 1t was
enough to arouse him to the belief that
something was wrong on the express
car.
Going out on the platform Of the
coach, he climbed onto it, and, looking
through the hole which the bell cord
comes through, he saw the upper part Of
aman whose face below the eyes was con-
cealed by;a red flannel mask. The mes
senger he could not see, and he went
back, set the air brakes, and called his
two trainmen. The three stood leaning
out from the platform looking forward
along the sides of the express car. Sud
denly form appeared at the side door
Of the express car. Revolver bullets
whistled past their eyes, and a voice
was heard commanding them to signal
the engineer to go ahead or take the
consequences. The trainmen were un-
armed. The conductor told one OF his
men TO jump off, run back to Jordan,
and telegraph along the line to Roches-
ter that they had a train robber on
board.
This was done and the conductor sig
nailed the engineer to go ahead at full
speed, thinking that the robber would
not dare jump and would be captured at
the next stop. The train went to Fort
Byron Here the brakes were set again
and the conductor and trainmen went to
the express car.
The car showed signs of desperate
struggle. Money packages and jewelry
were lying scattered about, everything
stained with blood, and Messenger Nc
Inerney was lying bleeding from several
wounds and almost unconscious. The
robber was nowhere to be seen and was
supposed to have jumped and made good
his escape. McInerney wanted to be
brought ON TO Rochester, and the train
went on to Lyons, the next stop. The
news had spread all along the
line by this time, and the sta
tion at Lyons was alive. Among
others in the crowd was a well-dressed
young man wearing gold Eyeglasses. and
carrying a sachel slung over his sboul-
der. Now, 1T happened that the train
men had noticed the young man ut the
station at Syracuse before the train had
started out. An attempt to arrest him
was made, but he pulled two Tevolvers,
held the crowd back, and backed across
the yard until he reached a ooal-train,
the engine OF which had steam up ready
to pull out for the West. He pulled the
pin holding the tender TO the first car,
climbed over the coal into the cab, drove
the engineer and fireman out with his
revolvers, pulled open the throttle and
started the engine.
Conductor Laas and one of the switch
men procured shotgun, freed the en-
CINE of the express, and, with the fire
man and engineer, started in pursuit of
the fugitive. The Central Hudson Is a
r-tracked road, and the engines,
though they were going west, were not
on the same track. The express engine
soon overlook the robber, who suddenly
reversed his engine and let his pursuers
pass him, pouring pistol bullets into the
cab as his pursuers went by. Then the
pursuers stopped and the pursued went
ahead. About seven miles further on
the robber found his steam going out OF
his engine. He dropped of at a cross
road and started across the country. He
managed to terrorize farmer into let
ting him have a horse, and rode on about
two miles farther south, where he pro-
cured another horse. The party in the
express engine had returned TO Lyons,
where the Sheriff of Wayne County had
organized posse, which, under COM
mand of Deputy Sheriff Collins, started
I'm pursuit. Meantime the farmers along
the robbers line of retreat had also
turned out, fully armed, in pursuit.
The robber was sighted about five
miles south of Newark. The roads arc
very bad and he had made very poor
speed. He abandoned his horse and ran
across lots TO Benton's swamp, but the
swamp proved TO be too full of water
TO be penetrated and the fugitive took
up his station behind a stone wall and
faced his pursuers. After some parley
he surrendered to Deputy Sheriff Col
Inns. He was taken back to Lyons and
lodged In jail. He gave the name OF
William Cross; said he was from New
Mexico, and had been boarding In Syra-
cuse for some time. He admitted he
was the man who attempted the train
robbery to Chief of Detectives Hayden
of this city. He is believed to be the
much-wanted Oliver Curtis Perry who
robbed Express Messenger Moore near
Utica last fall. The story of the at
tempted robbery, as far as can be gath
cred, is this:
The express messenger will not talk.
Cross boarded the train when it pulled
out of Syracuse and climbed on top Of
the express car. He was provided with
a hooked rope. Fastening the hook In
the slight cornice of the door on one
aide OF the car be let himself down onto