The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-30
Three Masked Men Stop the Great
Northern Express Train in
Dawson County.
Several Packages, Worth Prob
ably $1,000, Takon From
tho Local Safe.
A Through Safe, Full OF Money, Couidn't
Be Opened, the Messenger Not
Having tho Combination.

| terday. was held up by three masked men
before daylight one mile west OF Malta,
station on tho main line between Chi
nook and Glasgow. The expre 81 car was
entered, tho messenger made to open tho
! locsl safe at the point OF gun, and q
number of packages taken. tho value OF
which will not axcseG 81, COO The through
safe. the combination Of which ia known
only to the agents of the Great
Northern Express company at di-
vision points, was not disturbed. IL came
near costing the messenger his life, how
ever as the leader of the robbers was evil
IDENTIFY in doubt for awhile as to whether he
was telling the truth when he told them
that he didn't know the combination and
conldn't open the big safe if he had to be
killed for not doing go. The failure to get
into the big safe lost the robbers what
might have made them wealthy men.
1t is evident that the three robbers board
ed the train at Malta in the darkness, and
took positions on the front or blind" end
of the express car and behind the tender of
the engine There they remained con-
cealed until the train had gotten about a
mile out of Malta. One of the men then
climbed on to the tender, and covering the
engineer with a revolver, directed him to
stop the train at once. The engineer did SO
With great suddenness. This robber re-
mained on the engine to watch the engineer
and fireman. while his two companions got
down from their hiding place and walked
toward the rear of the train. They met
Conductor Bywater, who was coming for
ward with his lantern to see what WAS the
cause of the sudden stop. He learned it
very quickly when two revolvers we're
brought on line with his head and he was
directed to hold up his hands.
Up they went lantern and all.
| The brakeman also wanted to know
what was going on, and went forward to
find out. He found out just as the con-
ductor had, and IN a minute after his
curiosity was satisfied he was also standing
with his hands in the air. The two rob-
> bers, with revolvers pointed at the con-
S ductor and the brakeman, ordered them to
, march to the door of the express car and
n request the messenger to open up. jacob
. Hauert who lives in Helena, was the ex-
press messenger. When Hauert got the
z request he wanted to know what was the
matter, too. Conductor Bywater told
/ him. Hauert recognized the logic
of the situation and pushed open
the door of the express car and looked
' down. Though it was rery dark, still by
g the light of the conductors lantern he saw
S he was looking down the muzzle of 40
q caliber revolver. One of the robbers. who
appeared TO be the leader, commanded
p Hauert to Jump to the ground. The mes
senger did SO. and the leader questioned
s him closely as to whether there were any
@ other occupants of the car. When assured
that there was no one else in the car,
Hauert was ordered to climb back. which he
did, and the leader followed him. At first
Hauert was ordered to stand SIX feet from
n the Safes Next he was told TO open the big
: safe used for through runs. Ihemessenaer
v said he was unable to do SO as he was not in
= | possession of the combination. The next
: order WAS to open the local safe. the one
J used for packages picked UP or to be distri-
It buted along the route between division
y points. With the revolver still pointed at
o him Hauert complied with the demand.
g The leader of the gang, telling Hauert not
" to move, began rummaging through the
d safe, repeatedly asking questions as to the
d contents of various packages. Among the
10 contents of the safe were three small pack
C ages of iewelty. As the tobber picked up
y each one separately he asked Hauert about
r its contents. Hauert replied In each case
case that they were ordinary packages. of
little value but that on account of the
small size they had been thrown INTO the
n safe for fear they might get lost If left
:, knocking about the car. After critical
u examination from the outside the robber
II took one of the packages and put 1t in his
II , ocket The other two he cast aside as
" wo thess He singled out half dozen
re loose cash in the safe, amounting to less
ts than $40.
y When through riding the local safe the
ly robber again demanded that Hauert open
'u tho large one. For second time Hauert
ct told the robber that he did not have the
rs combination, and explained tho eircum-
stances, which, III effect are that the express
company does not give the messengers any
information about how 10 open their
,r | through safes, which are locked by the
agent at one end of n division and can only
~ be unlocked by the agent at the other ond;
g. u provision doubtless made IN anticipation
h. of visits from Just suoh gentlemen as he
If and his two friends,
l. "l on open that safe, or yo1 dle' SAID the
10 man with the gun, quietly.
rs "Nety we'll, then, | suppose I've got to
I'd die" replied the intrepid messenger.
~ The robber looked ut the messenger for
IL q few moments us If dellberating az to the
N truth of his statement. Meantime Huueri
" was thinking hard OF the chances he stood
of taking central part III funeral
service Finally tho highwayman seemed
80 be convinced that the messenger was
ID telling the truth and began backing toward
"A the door of the car, still keeping Haueri
:" covered with his revolver. When he reached
* the door the man nodded pleasantly to the
IN messenger, and with good bye" jumped
of out. The robber who had accom- panied
re him to the car door WAS still there, taking
III care of the conductor and brakeman. The
II, thn Il one was still looking after the eli
IN gineer and the fireman. He was called and
Id with his two companions backed off with
levelled reyolvers and disappeared i'll the
darkness. AS the suppressed leader vanished
through the door of the express car, Hauett
sa reached for his Winchester Having gotten
- 1t, he cautiously approached the door and
III peered out. in the hope of getting shot al
ed the robbers. The darkness, however, wa,
to too dense. Tho train then started on it.
90 westward trip.
G. None of the passengers we're disturbed
ry the robbers evidently expecting to make
s. their big haul i'll the express car. In fact
as the passengers knew nothing of the rob
as berry until it was all over. One of them
Ed Goodkind, a Helena man. had $4,000 in
his pocket. He IL usually in the habit
when travelling with large sums OF putting
IA 1t In the express company's care tor safe
=; keeping. On this occasion he was pressed
III for time and neglected to do it, Had b,
da done 80 the money must have gone in the
ng local safe and fallen into the hands of the
cd robbers Two others of the passenger,
cd were English tourists. The brakeman was
IN sitting talking to them when the train left
u Malta. In order to carry out the prevailing