Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-09-22
EARLY ACCOUNT.

kendallSville, Ind, Sept. 12.-Anoth-
er daring and successful train robbery
goes on record today. The New York
express train on the Lake Shore road
which left Chicago last night reached
the siding at Keslar, five miles west
OF here, at o'clock this morning. APP
preaching it Engineer Knapp noticed
a red danger signal light at the switch
and stopped the train.
AS he did so, about twenty men,
armed with Winchester rifles, sprang
out Of the woods and scattered along
the track, covering the trainmen, while
one fired at the engineer, int1icting Il
wound in his shoulder. With every
: thing in hand the robbers proceeded
to blow open the forward express car
Nth dynamite. Then knocking the OK
press messengers senseless, they eX-
ploded five dynamite cartridges in sue
cession against the safe before it yield
ed.
They then helped themselves to the
contents. The whole performance oc-
cupied less than an hour, when, with
out making any attempt on the other
! express cars or interfering with the
passengers, who remained i'll the
coaches panic-stricken, they fired u
the woods.
1t is rumored the robbers secured
S25OOOO in transit from one OF the
Chicago banks to New York. The train
came here, the alarm was given and
the sheriff at once summoned a posse
and started in pursuit
Engineer Knapp brought the train
here, but was unable to go farther on
account of his wound. 1t is believed he
will recover.
| There were two safes in the express
car, one for through matter, to which
| the messenger had no key, and one for
| local matter The robbers compelled
! the messenger to open the small safe,
| from which several thousand dollars
in currency were taken.
| They blew open the big safe with
dynamite. In the outer compartment
was $25O,OOO in gold, with which the
robbers loaded themselves, not stopping
| to open the inner compartment, In
which was lot more money.
| In their haste to get away the rob
! bers also overlooked two bags of gold.
The train is the heaviest for express
on the road and frequently carries
! S5OO,OOO. 1t is believed this fact was
known to the robbers.
When they left the train they went
~, nrlx mint 1f
which the robbery occurred is in deep
cut in the woods, but all the country
around is thickly populated, with little
! timber, and it is believed to be i'm
! possible for the robbers to escape. A
posse is out securing the country in
search of them.
Chicago, Sept. 12-As soon IS the
news of the Lake Shore robbery near
Kendallville was received here a
special train bearing the officials OF
the road and the United States Express
company, together with a strong de,
tail Of central station detectives, start.
sisted of two express cars, one baggage
car and ten coaches.
J IN the express car was the body OF
Mrs. Hallock, of Moriches, Long Island,
who committed suicide at the Gait
house a few days ago, after having
committed bigamy in New York.
i From 1867 to 1872 Kendallville and
the adjacent country to the northeast
twas the headquarters of one Of the
most desperate gangs of train robbers,
horse thieves and cut-throats which
ever infested the west. In the early
70's they had regular system of rob
bins freight cars of the Star Union
line, opening cars en- route and throw
, ing off plumber to confederates, the
plCLder in aggregate amounting to
vast sums.
! About that time they varied the
. monotony by robbing the kendallv;''o
baLk The gang had a strong pol1t:-
cal pull, and for long time escaped
justice. Finally the citizens took the
matter in hand, posses were formed
throughout the section, and work was
begun In the conflicts which fol
lowed a dozen robbers We're killed, a
number OF farmers wounded, and
twenty of the leaders Of the gang, In
Guiding the notorious Red Leary, were
landed in the penitentiary.
| General Superintendent Crosby, Of
the United States express, declares the
total loss is less than $4,000. He says
the robbers thought they were carry