Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-22
The Exploits Of Jesse James
ct al. OutdOne.
A Young Mans Bold Attempt
to Rob a Train.
one of the Most Sensational Affairs
of the Kind ON Record.
Safe Rlfed and Express Messenger Shot.
The Desperate Captured After
Chase as Exciting as 1t
Was Novel.
Au ociated Press Dispatches.

Aa ociated Press Dispatches.
ROCHESTER,, N. Y, Feb. 81. - The
shooting of an express messenger on
New York Central train, the rihing of
the safe, the flight of the robber on the
engine of another train from which he
drove the crew at the point of revolv-
er, a running fight from the engine for
miles, followed by another engine filled
with railway men, and the final capture
OF the desperate by sheriff's posse in
swamp, after wild pursuit across the
country, are some of the sensational
features of the most desperate attempt
at train robbery in the history of the
Central railway, and which cast in the
shade, as an exhibition of coolness and
nerve, the famous exploits OF Jesse
James's band, or other outlaws of west
ern fame.
The American Express company's
special between New York and Buffalo
carries only goods shipped by that COM
pany. Nearly all the cars run through
to Chicago and contain most valuable
cA ADlCeo lhdbbCis OuC Ctf IL kuCHu aS
the "money carr and contains specie
from the United States treasury for
western banks, and 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 Saturday evening than
on other days, and often amounts to
more than $1,000,000, in addition to
jewelry and other valuables. The most
trusted messengers are placed in charge
of this Car. Only one messenger-Daniel
T. McInery-- was assigned to the money
car Saturday night, as the work of bill
ing was light. The other cars had two
messengers.
The train left Syracuse at O'Clock
this morning in charge of Conductor
Emil Laas, with Caleb Cherry as en-
gineer. A passenger coach was at the
rear OF the train, and the money car
just ahead. When the train was near
WeedsLort, the conductor thought he
heard the air whistle sound very faint
ly. 1t aroused him to the belief that
something was wrong on the express
car. Going out on the platform he
climbed onto the car, and on looking
through the hole which the bell-cord
comes through, saw the upper part OF
man, whose face below was concealed by
red flannel mask. The messenger he
could not see. He went back, set the
air brake and called his two train men.
Suddenly a mans form appeared at
the side door of the express car; re-
volver bullets whistled past their ears
and a voice was heard commanding
them to signal the engineer
to 20 ahead or take the
consequence. The trainmen were un-
armed. The conductor told one of his
men to Jump off, run back to Jordan
and telegraph along the line to
Rochester that they had train robber
on board. This was done, and the con-
ductor signalled the engineer to go
ahead at full speed, thinking the robber
would not dare jump and that he would
be captured at the next stop.
The train went to Fort Byron. Here
the brakes were set again and the con-
ductor and trainmen went to the ex-
press car. The car showed signs of
desperate struggle. Money packages
and jewelry were lying scattered about.
Everything in the car was stained with
bleeding from several wounds and almost
unconscious. The robber was nowhere
to be seen, and 1t was supposed he had
Jumped and made his escape.
The train went on to Lyons. The
news had spread all along the line by
this time, and the station at Lyons was
all alive Among others in the crowd
was well-dressed young man wearing
gold eyeglasses and carrying satchel
slung over his shoulder. It happened
that the trainmen noticed the young
man at Syracuse before the train started
and they had not seen him since. and
the question what he was doing at
Lyons, and how he got there, at once
suggested itself. An attempt to arrest
him was made, but he pulled two revol-
vers, held the crowd back and backed
across the yard until he reached coal
train, the engine Of which had steam
UP 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, pulled open the
throttle and started the engine.
Conductor Laas and one of the switch
men procured a shotgun, and freed the
engine of the express, and with the fire.
man and engineer started in pursuit of
the fugitive. The Central Hudson is a.
four-tracked road, and the two engines,
though going west, were not on the
same track. The, express engine soon
overlook the robber, who suddenly re-
versed his engine and let his pursuers
pass him, pouring perfect shower OF
bullets into the cab as the pursuers went
by. Then the pursuers stopped and the
pursued went ahead. Another artillery
deal ensued, the shotgun taking part
this time. No one was hurt in either
battle.
About seven miles further on the rob-
Der found the steam of his engine giving
out. He dropped off at a cross road,
and started across the country, going
south. He managed to terrorize far
mer into letting him have horse, and
rode on about two miles. Here he pro-
cured another horse. The party in the
express engine returned to Lyons, where
the sheriff Of Wayne county organized a
posse which, under command of a
deputy, started in pursuit.
Meantime the farmers along the rob-
ber's line of retreat also turned out,
fully armed, in pursuit. The runaway
was sighted about five miles south Of