The sun., 1892-08-05
THE ROBBERS USED BOMBS.
TWO BUsINEssLIkE BANDITS HOLD
UP TRAIN NEAR FRESNO.


Hand Being Raised 10 Prevent Them
Tho Men Supposed 10 be the Same who
Hnve Taken Part In All the Successful.
Train Robberies in that Section OF Calf
fornis In the Past Two Years.
SAN FRAScrsco. Aug. 4.-The fifth bold train
robbery in the San joaquin Valley in three
years occurred carly this morning near the
small station OF Coils. fifteen miles from
Fresno. There were only the robbers. and
their method Of procedure was precisely as in
the previous cases. except that they had a
free field for work
They showed that they were experts. and
after rapidly breaking in the express car door
with dynamite bombs they secured between
$4,000 and $4,000. jumped into a wagon.
and struck OF across the plains. Although
the detectives were on their trail in few
hours. there is small prospect Of their cap
ture. as they selected one OF the loneliest
places on the line. and they showed such
knowledge OF the country that there Is no
doubt they belong near Fresno.
As tho train was pulling out Of Collis Just
after midnight the engineer and fireman were
surprised by seeing two men appear on the
tender and cover them with shotguns. at the
same time telling them to obey their
orders under penalty OF death. Whom tho
train passed Rolindo station the engineer was
ordered to STOP and the robbers touched of
the fuse OF n dynamite cartridge. which they
placed on the piston OF the driving wheel
OF the locomotive. The explosion was terrific,
breaking the piston rod and partially dis
abling the engine. The robbers ordered the
engineer to get of the train and walk short
distance along the track. while they proceeded
to lombard the two doors OF the express car
by exploding dynamite cartridges.
Tho robbers. masked and completely dis
guised. entered tho express car. and covering
Louis Roberts. the messenger. with double
barrelled shotguns. ordered him to open
Wells. Fargo h Co.'S safe. Roberts set
about doing this. but was SO excited
and nervous that he forgot tho COM
bination. and SO informed his captors
| who thereupon struck him heavy blow on
the head with a gun. and threatened to kill
him II no did not Immediately open the safe.
With trembling hands he did So and they took
| out the sacks OF coin.
When the desperndoes exploded the first
cartridge on the engine the passengers poked
| their heads out OF tho windows to sec what
| was going on, but they drew them back when
| they felt pistol bullets and buckshot whistling
| past their ears. There was panic. and the
passengers made a wild scramble under the
| seats to keep out OF range OF the flying
missiles.
Tho explosion OF the bombs employed to
wreck the express car rocked and shook the
train with all the force OF violent earth
quake. A window in front OF the passenger
coach Immediately beside the express car
| was shattered by the concussion.
For twenty-five minutes the train was held.
but only one passenger attemp pied to interfere
| with the robbers. and as he was armed only
unequal s Contest The EXPRESS safe contained
three bags %YH OF coin. eaoh it is supposed. hold
These tho robbers forced the, engineer and
to TaE9n whlGh Mb.t tfs. had
nde thu the
men jumped in. ordered the fireman and engi-
neer to return to their train. and departed on
hands were , still sreatly eIoised Ths sxpress
and and a fracture Of one OF the ribs, When tho
door was blown open he was hur!ed against
clearest story: He said:.
were abGqt na east o. G9s Tnen
na Ss aaS h Ss's Ssd hfn II
aa@n y9aS GrIsa enc ne d them; l. sSd I'd the other
we did IDA as S,S We were told Alter we were stopped
t 81 AID ET
they ordered us. The robbers tfren gave each
OF us cigar. and told US to SMOKE.
You BET we did. The engineer was then or
dered to put out the headlight, and to 70
ahead about quarter OF mile and nc y Esit; He
plank. % T and then fired several shots in ord or. I
suppose. to keep anybody In the cars from
1.-THE TSbbers then left the engine Sdn and
to tns snEess door, s far
know they began thr9winc b9mbs at the car m
| =, 1 w w rOhhAra
p4!i1t Ater Opening the safe and taking the treas
hsg dow tS e hs ngas ana Tth It,
some some distance down ths track. and hit M on
Ticd one, of tho bags; After walking several
rom mads on leaving RR }Rsy
placed a bomb on ono, OF the bars OF the left
side Of the engine and k skkplSdsd It BY Lighting
to tore repair the damages so that we could pro-
II can't give a description Of the robbers.
because their faces were entirely hidden from
cloth. They wore dark clothes. and one had a
wido-brimmed hat m and the other q narrow
Gns hs sey were rst basSess a"d
would stand no foolinG' so We did as we were
The engineer told substantially the same
siotik 81 Ike IS robbers Newton Brown. 4 % deputy putty
| EneTlU Ol COUNTY, N&S Oh llo
Whom the train stopped and the firing oc-
car clad only In his pajamas He started to
60 ahead. carving revolver in his hand. but
clHded discretion was the better part Of yaIor.
largo pouch. which buleed out with ammuni-
tion and dynamite cartridges. Both were
| them were Immediately convinced that train
robbers are people whom 1t Is unwise to dis
| turb.
The W.es-Fargo main ONCE wires were kept
hot to-day, The company learned that the
tracked nearly to Fresno. where the TRAN was
bSss bsrs live i've oGie' In The Vicinity. At and o that
they are the same men who are .responsibls
years. In this time Southern Pacific trains
have been STOPPED and locked at Pixley.
Of each other. This country is as leyel as a barn
| floor and is very sparsely settled. For miles no
| houses are seen: and as the desolate hills
Of Fresno and Tulare counties are only about
twenty. miles away. It furnishes an ideal place
| for train robbery. In mona of these rObbofiea