The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-22
All the Exploits of Jesse James Outdone
in "Civilized" New York State.
Lone Outlaw Attempts to Rob the American
Express Special on the Central Hudson
Railroad, and Shoots the Messenger.
Holds Crowd at Bay with Two Revol-
vers and Speeds Away on an Engine,
But Is Promptly Followed BY Trainmen on An.
other Locomotive, and Running Battle
Ensues, Ending In His Capture.
BEATS ALL THE JESSE JAMEsEs.

Daring Attempt at Train-Rob bbery, Followed
by . Fight and Capture OF the Outlaw.
ROCHESTER, N. Y, Feb. 2l.-The shoot
ing of an express messenger on q Central
Hudson train, the ritiing G q valuable
safe, the flight of the robber on the engine
of another train with the driver. . running
fight from the engine cab, for miles chased
and the final capture of the desperate by
sherifrs posse in q swamp after q wild pur.
SUIT across the country, are 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 tho shade as an exhibition of cool
ness and nerve the famous exploits of the
Jesse James band or other outlaws of West
ern fame.
Train No. 81 on the Central Hudson 10
known as the American Express Com
pany's special It runs every day in the
year 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
it runs on the same time and with the same
privileges as tho limited express. The
train leaves New York at o O'Clock each
evening. and 10 due in this city at 7:O5
o'clock 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 in it is sent the specie
from the United States Treasury for West
ern 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 eveping than
on other days, and often amounts TO more
than a million dollars, in addition to jew
elry and other raluableA. 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 OBJ
served In regard to the car and it's contents
that often the crew of the train do not
know in which car the money is carried.
THE TRAIN AND ITS CREW.
Daniel T. McInery, of this city. was In
charge of the money-car on the trip Satur-
day night. The train was made up of
eight express cars and one day coach for
the accommodation of the regular train
orau OnIy opo massan oor w q q 10; or "a f<,
the money car, as the work of billing was
light. The other cars had two messeng gers
The train left Syracuse at O'Clock this
morning 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-ca just ahead.
When the train was near Weedsporr, the
conductor. who was in the coach with his
two trainmen. thought he heard the air
whistle sounded very family. 1t was
enough to rouse 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 part of o man, whose face was con-
cealed by red flannel mask. The messen-
ger 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 exrress car.
Suddenly mans form appeared at the
side door of the express car. Revolver bull
let's whistled past their ears and q voice
was heard coming from the oar to signal
the engineer to 60 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 telegraph along
the line to Rochester that they had train
robber on board. This was done, and the
conductor signaled the engineer to 60
ahead at full speed, thinking that the rob-
ber would not dare Jump. and would be
captured at the next stop. The train went
to Fort Byron. Here the brakes were set
again, and the conductor and the train
men went to the express car.
LYING BLEEDING IN THE 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 McInery was lying bleeding
from several wounds and almost uncon-
scious. The robber was nowhere to be
seen and was supposed to have jumped and
made good his escape. McInery wanted to
be brought on to Rochester. A telegrsm
for an ambulance was sent on to Rochester
and the train went on to Lyons, the next
stop. 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 we'll
dressed young man wearing gold eye
glasses and carving o satchel slung by q
strap over his shoulder Now it SO hap
pened that the traipmen had seen this same
young man at the station at Syracuse be-
fore the train pulled out. and they had not
seen him since, and tho question of what
he was doing at Lyons and how he got
there at once suggested itself. An attempt
was made to seize him. but he pulled ont
two revoivers. held the crowd back and
backed across the yard until he reached
a coal-train. the engine of which had steam
up ready to pull out for the West. He
pulled the PIN holding the tender 10 the
firt car, climbed over the coal into the cab,
drove the engineer and fireman out with
his revolvers. pulled open the throttle and