The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-22
A BOLD TRAIN ROBBER
Shoots an Express Messenger in Wild
Western Style,
AND ESCAPES ON AN ENGINE,
But Is Aferward Captured In q swamp
He Doesn't Seem to Have secured Any
flight and Chase With Iron
Monsters on the Rail.

fnQ OF an express messenger on Central
Hudson train, the riAing OF a valuable
safe, the flight Of the robber on the en-
gine of another train from which he
drove the crew at the point of a revolver
a running fight from the engine cab for
miles, chased by another engine filled
with railway men and the final capture of
the desperate by sheriff's posse in
swamp after a wild pursuit across the
country, are some of the sensational feat
ures OF the most desperate attempt at
train robbery in the history OF the Cen
trail Hudson railway.
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 express company
pays the Central Hudson many thousands
OF dollars yearly for the use OF this train
and IL runs on the same time and with the
same privileges as the limited expresses.
The train leaves New York at o'clock
each evening and is due in this city at 7.05
in the morning. Nearly all the cars are
run through TO Chicago and contain the
most valuable express matter. One car is
known as the "money" car and i'm il 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 other days, and
often amounts to more than a million
dollars in addition TO jewelry and other
valuables. One of the most trusted mes
sengers OF the company, and sometimeA
several, are placed in charge of this car,
and so great is the secrecy observed in re-
gard 10 the car and its contents, that Of
ten the crew of the train do not know in
wfkch car the money is carried.
Daniel McInerny OF this city, was in
charge of the money car on the trip Sat-
urday night. The train was made up of
eight express cars and one day coach for
the accommodation OF the regular train
crew. Only one messenger was assigned
to The money car as work of billing was
light. The other cars had two messengers.
The train left Syracuse at o'clock in
charge of Conductor Emil Laass OF this
city. The train was drawn by engine 692
with Caleb Cherry engineer. The coach
was in the rear of the train and the money
Car Just ahead.
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. Ii was enough
to arouse him TO the belief that something
was wrong in the express car. Going out
on the platform of the coach, he climbed
on the rail and looking through the hole
where the bell cord comes through, he
saw the upper part of man whose face
below the eyes were concealed by red
flannel mask. The messenger he could
not see.
He went back, set the air brakes and
called his two train men. The three
stood leaning out from the platform look
ing forward along the sides of the express
car.
cna5anJ, N man o,Daorad NJ .ha .;do
door of the express car, revolver bullets
whistled past their ears and voice was
heard commanding them to signal the
engineer to go ahead or take the conse-
quences. The trainmen were unarmed.
The conductor told one of his men to
Jump of, run back to Jordan and tele-
graph to Rochester that they had train
7obber on board.
This was done and the conductor sig
nailed the engineer to go ahead full
speed, thinking that the robber would
not dare TO jump and would be captured
at the next stop. The train went to Port
Byron.
Here the brakes were set again, and the |
conductor and the trainmen went TO the
express car. The car showed signs of |
desperate struggle.
Money packages and jewelry were lying |
scattered about, everything in the car
seemed stained with blood and Messenger |
raj wounds and almost unconscious.
The robber was nowhere to be seen and
was supposed to have jumped and escaped.
McInerny wanted to be brought on TO
Rochester. A telegram for an ambulance
was sent to Rochester and the train went
on TO Lyons, the next stop. The news
had spread all along the line and the sta
tion at Lyons was alive with people.
Among others in the crowd was a we'll
dressed young man wearing gold eye
glasses and carrying satchel slung by a
strap over his shoulder. The trainmen
had noticed this young man at Syracuse
before the train pulled out and they had
not seen him since The question OF what
he was doing at Lyons and how he got
there at once suggested itself An at
tempt was made TO seize him, but he
pulled out two revolvers, held the crowd
back and backed across the yard until he
reached a eoal train, the engine of which
was steaming up, was 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 and
started the engine.
Conductor Laass and one OF the switch
men procured shot gun, freed the engine
of the express and with the fireman and
engineer started in pursuit OF the fugi-
tive.
The Central Hudson is a four-track
road and the two engines though both !
going west, were not on the same track.
The express engine soon overlook the
robher, who reversed his engine and let
his pursuers pass him, pouring perfect
hail OF pistol bullets into the cab az his
pursuers went by. Then the pursucrs
stopped and the pursued went ahead.
Another artillery duel ensued, the shot
gun taking part this time. No one was
hurt Two miles beyond the robber
found his engines steam was giving out, /
SO he jumped OF ats cross road and start /
ed across the country, going south. He |
terrorized a farmer into letting him have /
y horse, and rode two miles further south.
Here he procured horse and cutter by |
firing on their owner, German farmer
the party on the express engine re-
turned TO Lyons, where the sheriff OF /
Wayne county had organized a posse,
which, under Deputy Sheriff Collins,
started In pursuit.
The farmers along the robbers line OF
also turned out, fully armed.
rhe runaway was sighted five miles south
)f Newark. The roads are very bad and
he had made poor speed. He abandoned
lis rig and ran across lots 90 Benton's
swamp. But the swamp proved too full