Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-02-27
A MODERN JESSE JAMES.

AWAY rOiIOWeu Dy n POse on auOtnCr
Engino--stcam Giving ont He Deserts
His Machine and Is Finally Caught in q
Swamp.
ROCHESTER,, N. Y, Feb. 22.-The
shooting of an express messenger on
Central Hudson train; the rifling of
valuable safe; the fight of the
robber on the engine Of another
train, from which he drives the
crew at the point of revolver; run
ming fight from the engine for miles
followed by another engine filled with
railway men, and the final capture of
the desperate by n sheriffs posse in a
swamp after a wild pursuit across the
country arc some of the sensational
features of 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 cool
ness and nerve the famous exploits of
the Jesse James band or other outlaws
of western fame.
Train No 81 on the Central Hudson
is known us the American Express
Company's special 1t runs every day
in the year between New York and
Buffalo and carries only goods and
property shipped by that company.
The train leaves New York at 0 o clock
each evening, and is due in this city at
T:O5 in the morning. Nearly all
the cars are run through to Chi
,cago and contain the most valuable ex-
press matter. One car is known as
the money" car, and in it is sent the
specie from the United States treasury
for western banks as well as the
money in process of exchange between
the banks of New York and the west
The load of wealth sent out from New
York on this train is usually greater on
Saturday evening than on any other day
and amounts to more than $1,000, 900,
in addition to jewelry and valuables.
Daniel L. McInerny, of this city, was
in charge of the money car on the trip
Saturday night. The train was made
up of eight express cars and one day
coach for the accommodation of the
regular train crew. Only one mes
senger was assigned to the money car
as the work of billing was light
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 some
thing was wrong on the express
car. Going out on the. platform
of the coach he climbed upon the rear
of the express car and. looking through
the hole which the bell cord comes
through, saw the upper part of man
whose face below the eyes was con.
cculcd by a red flannel mask. The mes.
senger he could not see. 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 mans form appeared at the
side door of the express car.
Revolver bullets whistled past theil
ears and voice was heard command
ing them to signal the engineer to &c
ahead or take the consequences. The
trainmen We're unarmed The con
ductor told one of his men t,
jump off, run back to Jordan
and telegraph along the line to Roch
ester that they had n train-robber OF
board. This was done and the conduc
tor signaled the engineer to go aheat
at full speed, thinking that the robbe
would not dare jump and would b'
captured at the next stop.
The train went to Fort BYRON. Herr
the brakes were set again and the con
ductor and trainmen went to the ex
press car. The car showed signs of n des
.perate struggle. Money packages ant
jcwelry were lying scattered about
Every thing in the car was stained will
blood and Messenger McInerny wa
lying bleeding from several wounds ant
almost unconscious. The robber wa!
nowhere to be seen and was supposed
to have jumped and made good his es
cape McInerny wanted to be brough
on to Rochester. A telegram for al
ambulance was sent On to Rocheste
and the train went on to Lyons, tn
next stop
The news had spread all along tn
line by this time and the station a
Lyons was all alive. Among others IL
the crowd was well dresse,
young man wearing gold eye
glasses. Now it happened tha
the trainmen had noticed tn
young man at the station at Syra
,cuse before the train started out an,
they had not seen him since, and tn
question what he was doing at Lyon
at once suggested itself. An attemp
to arrest him was made, but he pulle
two revolvcrs, held the crowd bacl
and bacl1ed across the yard un
til he reached coal train, the en-
;gne of which had steam up read
to pull out for the west. He pulled tn
pin holding the tender to the first car
climbed over the coal into the cab
drove the engineer and firemen ou
with his revolvers, pulled open tn
throttle and started the engine.
Conductor Laass aud one of tn
'switchmen procured u shotgun, free
the engine of the express and with tn
fireman and engineer started in pun
asut of the fugitive. 1t will be remem
bered that the Central Hudson is
four tracked road and the en-
.gines, though they We're going west
were not on the same track. Th
express engine soon overlook the rot