The morning call., 1892-02-22
JESSE JAMES GANG OUlDONB.
Desperate Attempt to Rob a New York Gen.
trail Train,
LHERICAN EXPRESS MESSENGER SHOT.
Exciting Pursuit Of the Desperate Running
Fight From ElgineS-Captured By a
SheTIfS Posse.
sHERICsN EXPRESS MESSENGER SHOT.
srselal 10 rrr MoRxINs CALL

.rain. from which he had driven The crew
at The point If a revolver, a running fight
from the engine for miles followed By an
other engine filed with railway men, and
the final capture of the desperate by the
Sherid's posse in a swamp after q Wild pur-
suit across the country, are some Of the
sensational features of tie most desperate
attempt at train robbery in the history of
4 the Central Railway, and which casts in
the shade as an exhibition of coolnesS and
nerve the famous exploits OF the Jesse
James band OF other outlaws OF Western
fame
The American Express Company special
between New York and Buffalo carries only
goods shipped by that company. Nearly
all the ears run through TO Chicago and con-
tain most valuable express matter Oae
car is known as tie money car" and con-
talns specie from the United States Treas
ury for Western banks and money in pro-
cess Of exchange between banks Of New
York and the West The lead Of wealth
sent out from New York on this train is
usually greater on Saturday evenings than
on other days. and often amounts to more
than a million dollars, in addition to jew
elTy and other yaluables
Msssenger Shot.
IN charge Of this car. Only one messenger,
Daniel I. McInery, was assigned TO the
money-car Saturday night, as the work Of
billing was light The otner cars had two
passengers. The train left Syracuse al .
o'clock this morning in charge of Conductor
Emil Laas, With Caleb Gerry as engineer.
The coach was In the rear Of the train and
the money-car just ahead. When the train
was near Weedsport the conductor thought
ne heard the aiT-Whlstle sound very family
i aroused him TO the belief that something
was wrong on the express car. Going out
on the platform he climbed onto the car, and
looking through the hole which the bell
cord comes through, he saw the upper part
OF a man whose face below was concealed
10y red flannel mask. The messenger lie
could not see he went back, set the air
brake and called his two traIumen Sud
denly 2 mans fo1m appeared at the side OF
the door OF the express car. Revolver Oul-
LET'S Vhistled past their ears and a voice
was heard commanding them to signal the
engineer 10 g ahead or take tue c0nse-
Cueuce The tTainmen were armed. The
conductor told one of his men TO jump of,
run back to J Jordan aud telegraph along the
line to Rochester that they had tTaln-rUD-
beTs on board.
Disappearance Of the Robber.
This was done, and the conductor sig
nailed the engineer to 60 ahead al fu-l speed,
and lie would be captured al the GeXt stop.
The train went 10 Fort Byron. Here the
brakes we're set again aud the conductor
and trainmen went TO the express car. IRe
car showed signs Of desperate struggle.
Money packages and lrwelTy were lying
scattered about, everything IN the car was
stained with blood, and Messenger Nc
IueTy was lying bleeding from several
wounds and almost unconscious. The rob-
beF was nowhere 70 be seen, ana X was sup
posed be jumped and made bis escape. The
train vent on to Lyons. The news Of the
robbery had spread all along the line by this
time and the station at Lyons was all alive.
Among others In the crowd was q we'll
dressed young man wearing gold eyeglasses
and carrying q satchel slung over his shOul-
der. Ii happened that the tralDmen had
noticed the young man at Syracuse before
the train started and they had not seen him
since, and the question OF what he vas
doing at Lyons az once suggested llseIL
Running Fight From Engines.
An attempt 70 arrest him. was made, but
he pulled two IevOlvers, held tie crowd
back and backed across the yard until he
reached a coal train, the engine Of which
lad steam up and ready to pull out for the
West He pulled tie pin holding the ten
Ger TO the first car, climbed over tie coal
intO tie cab, drove the uglDeer and fireman
cut wiki a revolver, pulled open the throttle
and started the engine. Conductor Laas
ald one Of the sWltchmen procured shot
gun freed the engine Of the express and
with the fireman and engineer started IN
pursuit Of the fugitive. Ine Central and
Hudson IS f0uT-tTaCked road, aud the en-
glnes, though going west were not on the
same track. The express engine soon over
took the robbeT, who suddenly reversed bis
engine and let his pursuers pass him, pour
ing perfect shower Of bullets into the cab
as the puTsueTs went by. Then the pursu-
ers stopped aud the pursued went ahead.
Another artillery duel ensued, shotgun
taking part this time. No one was hurt in
either battle.
Took to the Road.
About seven miles farther on the robber
found the steam going oat Of the engine
He dropped off at crOSsTOad and started
across the country, going south. lie man.
aged to terrOriZe a farmer into letting him
have a horse, and rode on about two miles.
Il here procured another horse. The party
In the express engine bad returned 10 Lyons,
where the Sheriff Of WAYNE County organ
lied a posse, which under command Of
deputy, started in pursuit Meantime, the
farmers along the ROBBERS line Of retreat
also turned out fully armed in pursuit. The
runaway was sighted about five miles south
Of Newark. The roads were very bad and
he made very poor speed, lie abandoned
his horse and ran across lots 70 BeniOn's
Swamp. But the swamp proved too full OF
water TO be penetrated and the fugitive
took up a position behind a stone wall and
faced his pursueTs. After some DaTley he
surrendered to Deputy Sheriff Collins. He
was taken back 20 Lyons and lodged in jail.
He gave the name Of William Cross, said he
was from New Mexico, and had been board
ing in Syracuse for some time lie admitted
that he was the man who had attempted
the tTain-TObbery to Detective Hayden of
this city, who had been wired for. He is
believed 10 be The muCh-wanted Oliver
Curtis Perry, who robbed Express Mes
senger Moore near Utica last fall
The Attack on the Messenger.
rto Of hot m ra1 In, tH,a
car, as far as it can be gathered, is as fol-
lows: Cross boarded the train when it
pulled out Of Syracuse, climbing On the top
of the express car. He was provided with
hooked rope. Fastening the hook In the
roof on one side of the car he let himself
down 90 the other side, and resting his toes
on the ledge that runs across the car, looked
through the glass Of the side door and saw
the mes. enger in front Of one of the safes,
which was opeD Smashing the glass with
8 revolver he covered the messenger order
ing him to hold up his hands. Instead,
McInery reached for the signal cord with
one hand and for a revolver with the other.
a bullet smashed the messengers hand, but
not before the signal was given that aroused
the conductor. Then McInery fred on the
TobbeT, putting bullet through his coat.
The Tobber shot the messenger twice, once
In each leg. aud elm bed into the car, where
a desperate struggle took place, which did
not end until the train was stopped for the
first time, near Weedsp0Tt. II is evident
the TObber then climbed out on the top of the
car, remaining there until the stop at Lyons.
As far as learned the TObber secured abso-
lutely nothing.
1t has been learned that the robber was
formerly cowboy and later worked as a
railway brakeman.