The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-03-02
HOW HE ROBBED THE TRAIN
STORY OF THE COOL DESPERATE AT
LYONS, N. Y.
He Wore Kid Gloves and Was Heavily
Misunderstanding on the side of n Train
Going At the Rate of Fifty Miles an Hour
The Battle with the Express Messenger.

ALBANY, n. Y, Feb. 25.-A Rochester
special gives an interview with Oliver
Curtis Percy, the train robber, in jail at
Lyons. He told the story of both robber-
les. OF the last one he said:
-Four days previous to the last lob 1
was in Syracuse, where l had boarded ut
different places. On the evening of the
robbery | went to the theater and enioved
myself as we'll as / could. About mid
night went down to the depot and hung
around until No. 81 came in. This is the
train 1 robbed. 1 watched the messen-
gers car and saw there was safe in each
end, partly under the freight, and one
nearer the door. l knew the safes in the
ends contained money, and was sure there
was some money in the other. 1 did not
know Messenger McInerv, although l had
seen him once or twice.
"As the train was ready to pull out 1
made a circle around the tracks and got
away up in the freight yard out OF the
electric light and on the opposite side of
the train from the depot. The express
pulled out lively that morning, and when
1t reached the freight yard was going ten
or fifteen miles an hour. jumped on the
car ahead of the messengers car, as l did
not care to wait for his. | strapped my
valise to the railing and attached my derby
| hat through q hole in the sWeatband
to the railing. Then | took from my
sachel my mask and tied it tight around
nv neck. l took out my rope ladder a
kind of fire escape invention, attached
the hook to the car on the opposite eide.
l strapped the big revolver, which 1 al
ways carry with my cartridge belt, around
my overcoat. The other revolvers l put
in my overcoat within easy reach in case
dropped the big one.
81 got upon the platform railing and
putting my hands on the top swung to the
/ car. l attached the hook on the roof of
the car and peeped over the edge to see if
the messenger had taken any alarm. He
was all right and swung down my rope
saddle over the edge Both hands
were free and I tried to hold to
| the edge of the car roof but
| the train was going fifty miles an hour
and the wind was so strong l was blown
away from the car several times and once
l narrowly missed striking a bridge. l
| looked ahead all the time though, and
/ could see distractions by the light from
the locomotive. l wore kid gloves and
my hands became so numed with cold
that when drew my big revolver found
| / could not cock it. | rubbed nv hands
for quite a while and slapped my sides.
| While doing so, L looked through the glass
| panes of the door and saw the messenger s
face was near the door. He did not see
me.
when I got inside the car I levelled
my gun at McInery, and as / did so he
raised his revolver and held it levelled at
me with both hands at arms length. He
! ducked his head as 1 fired and the ball
| grazed his forehead. He dropped his re-
volver and rushed for the bell-cord. When
he tried to pull it a third time l fired and
shot him in the arm. He stepped
over to where his gun lay
on the floor, and as he reached
for it, paying no attention TO my command
| to throw up his hands, fired again, the
ball striking him somewhere in the leg. l
stopped down, and feeling around on the
| floor, gathered up some loose way-bills and
! putting them inta pile struck match
and throwing it upon the pile of paper
| quickly stepped to one side, expect
! ing him to blaze away and 'biff
me-" But as the papers blazed up
and looked around I could not see the
messenger anywhere. On the floor lay his
revolver half cooked. He had not fred a
shot l took more express bills and threw
them on the blazing pile, and then climb
ing over the express matter found the
messenger hiding near the end of the car.
l saw there was blood on his hands and
on his face where he had wiped it with his
hands. The moment sighted him, COM
manded him to light the lamp. Yes he
said; 'Pll do anything you say, if you will
not kill me-
He said he was poor boy aud thought
good deal of his position and had tried