The morning news., 1892-02-22
KING OF TRAIN ROBBERS.
CLOSE PRESSED HE STEALS AN
ENGINE AND FLEES.

a Shotgun as the Engines Came
Together-The Robber Finally Takes
TO His Heels and is Caught-The
Messenger Wounded Twice.
ROCHESTER, n. Y, Feb. 21.-Tralu No.
81 on the Central Hudson road is known as
the American Express Companys special.
II runs every day in the year between New
York and Buffalo and carries only goods
and property shipped by that company.
The express company pay the Central Hud-
son company many thousands of dollars
YEARLY for the use of this train, and it runs
on the same time and with the same privi-
leges as limited expresses. The train leaves
New York at o'clock every night
and is due in this city at 7:O5 o'clock In the
morning. Nearly all the cars are run
through to Chicago and contain most val
liable express matter. One car is known az
the ''money" car and in it is sent specie
from the United States treasury for west
ern banks, as well as money in process of
exchange between the banks Of New York
and the west.
OFTEN CARRIES A MILLION.
The load of wealth sent out from New
York on this train is usually greater on
Saturday night than on other days and
often amounts to more than a million dol
lars, in addition to jewelry and other val
uables. One of the most trusted messengers
Of the company, and sometimes several, are
placed in charge of this car, and so great is
the secrecy observed in regard to the car
and its contents that often the crew Of the
train do not know In which car the money
is carried.
ONLY ONE MAN ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
Daniel T. McInerney of this city was In
charge of the money car on the trip last
night. The train was made up of eight ex>
press cars and one day coach for the
accommodation Of the regular traih crew.
Only one messenger was assigned to money
car. as the work of billing was light. The
other cars had two messengers. The train
left Syracuse at 5 o'clock this morning in
charge OF Conductor Emil Laass of this
city. The train was drawn by engine No.
692 with Caleb Charry engineer. The
coach was in the rear OF the train and the
money car just ahead.
A RoBBER IN THE CAR.
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. It was enough
TO arouse him to 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 a hole where
che bell cord comes through he saw the upper
part OF man whose face below the eyes
was 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 looking forward along the sides
Of the express car.
THE RoBBER OPENS FIRE.
Suddenly mans form appeared at the
side door of the express car. Revolver bull
lets whistled past their ears and a voice was
heard commanding them to signal the en-
gineer to go ahead or take the consequences.
The train men were unarmed. The
conductor told one of his men
dan and telegraph along the line
to Rochester that they had train robbers on
board. This was done and the conductor
signaled the engineer to go ahead at 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 trainman went to the express
car.
DESPERATE STRUGGLE.
The car showed signs of desperate strug-
lying scattered about, everything in the
car seemed stained with blood, and Messen-
ger Mclnerney was lying bleeding from
several wounds and almost unconscious.
The robber was nowhere to be seen ana
was supposed to have jumped
aud made good his escape. Messenger
Mclnerney wanted to be brought on to
Rochester. A telegram for an ambulance
was sent on to Rochester, and the train
went on TO Lyons, the next stopping place.
The news had spread all along the line by
this time, and the station at Lyons was
alive.
FACE TO FACE WITH THE RoBBER.
Among others in the crowd was a we'll
dressed young man wearing gold eyeglasses
and carrying a sachel slung by strap over
bis shoulder. Now it SO happened that the
tralnmen had noticed this same young man
at the station at Syracuse before the train
pulled out, and they had not seen him since,
and the question of what he was doing at Ly-
ons aud how he got there at once suggested
iIseL. An attempt was made to seize him,
out he pulled out two revolvers, held the
crowd back and backed across the yard un-
I'll ne reached a coal train, the engine of
which had steamed up ready to pull out for
tne west. He pulled the pin holding the
lender to the first car, climbed over the
eoal into the cab, drove the engineer and
~ fireman out with his Tevolvers and started
the engine
ANOTHER ENGINE IN PURSUIT.
conductor Laass and one OF the switch
men procured a shotgun, freed the engine
VI tne express and with the fireman and
gTngiueer started in pursuit of the fugitive.
1ne Central Hudson is a 4-tracked road
Sua the two. engines, though both going
%mee1' were not on the same track.
tn tne express engine soon over
.ooA the robber, who suddenly
reversed his engine and let his pursuers
pass him, pouring perfect hail Of pistol
SuueIS into the cab as his pursuer5 went
~ Then the pursuers stopped and the
pursued went ahead. Another duel ensued,
~o shotgun taking part this time. No one
vas hurt in either battle.
TAKES TO HIS HEELS.
ABOUT two miles beyond the robber found
h. at !; MS engines steam was giving out, 80
Jumped of at cross-road and started
49, s,JSs the country, going south. He man
bAou 70 terrorize farmer into letting him
f~.. horse and rode on about two miles
tuer cn..ur south. Here he procured horse and
fssSsr, persuading the owner, q German
S-;uer to intrust him with them by
Mg OF him. The party on the express
sbs.iSe sbae had returned to Lyons, where the
n1sal I OF Wayne county had organized a
ntv which, under the command of Dep
sheriff Collins, started 10 pursuit.
IinaaSine the farmers along the robbers
arr0o9 aI retreat had also turned out fully
"Wed, in pursuit.