Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-13
AN EXPRESS ROBBED.
LAKE SHORE TRAIN HELD UP BY
TWENTY MASKED MEN.
The Engineer shst for Making Resist
ance-Ths Messenger Downed-The
Safe Dynsmited-The "Swag."
Qy telegraph to the DIspatchl


of the Twelfth street depot OF the Illinois
Central road at 745 last evening. 1t
reached Kendallville, small station In
Indiana. little short of four hours later
IT went past the town, and had hardly
gone a mile through 4 stretch OF timber
land when the engineer slowed up near
curve. As the engine ratified round the
turn the engineer saw red light ahead.
When the train came to stop, dozen
men sprang into the cab, and leveled
rifles at the heads Of the engineer and fire.
man. The two railroad men stood stupc-
fled as the rifles cleaned in the nlckerng
light, anu the robbers said: Throw up
your hands"
The fireman was peaceful enough, and
lifted his arms at once.
But the engineer was not so timid. He
paid no heed to the men nor 20 their
arms. and, with a cry 0. warning on his
HIPS turned toward the passenger coaches.
a dozen rifles were quickly turned TO-
ward the plucky fellow. and 4 dozen shots
startled the passengers, who mad been
awakened by the sudden stopping Of the
cars.
How many of the shots struck the poor
engineer was not determined, but he fell
wound.
DYNAMITE UNDER EXPRESS CAR.
AS the train came TO a pause there was
a terrible explosion. The robbers had put
dynamite under the tram, and as the stjll-
ness of the louely place was broken the
express-car cracked and split and showed
a huge cash IN its side. The conductor
and the brakemen hurried TO the plat
forms, only to be covered by WincheSters
in the hands OF the men, who said they
would shoot to Kill If a move were made.
The railroad men became motlOnless and
dumb 4 guard was put at the end OF
each car. and the eXp-e5s-car was at
tackled. The messenger, behind TIE bari
caded door. refused to obey the command
of the robbers to open the eXpress-car en-
trance. Shot after shot was fired at the
car, but the robbers soon saw they could
gain no entrance by intimidation. Tney
were prepared for this resistance.
The messenger, pouring shot after shot
at the robbers through the opening, was
soon disarmed, and with a blow on the
head leyelcd to the floor senseless. Half
| a dozen of the twenty men looted the eX-
presS-Car.
Dynamite was again used in opening
| the safe, and the thieves used their own
| time in taking everything they thought
worth carrying away The guards at the
doors of the passenger coaches We're
called off, a few parting shots were fired
perhaps I'm the air-to warn those on the
| train that pursuit meant death, and the
band of robbers disappeared in the wooded
stretch of land that skirts the railroad.
ALARMING THE COUNTRY.
As fast as legs could cary them, mes
| sengers ran to Kendalville II spread the
alarm. The sheriff Of The county, aroused
| from bed, called on all near him for help,
| and soon a posse Of residents of Kendall
| vile were speeding along the highway 10
| the scene Of the hold-up. They secured
| the vicinity. beat through the brush, and
| Travelled miles through the woods, but
| they could find nothing.
| Guessing that the robbers had come
| from Chicago, the sheriff routed OUT tcle-
| graph OPERATOR and telegraphed to the
| Chicago police the story of the robbery.
The train held-up was the New York eX-
press on the Lake Shore road, which
| reaches Kendallyille about midnight. 1t
| was made UP last night of ten coaches,
| two eXpress-cars and one baggagc-car.
| The dynamite having wrecked only the ex-
| press-car the robbers contented them
| selves with looting this alone, and made
| no effort TO force an entrance to the Sec
| ond.
| 1t was $3.50 this morning when the spe-
| cal officer at the Lake Shore depot rush
| ed into the Harrison-street station and
! told the lieutenant IN charge that No. II
| had been held up and robbed while roll
ing over the Indiana marshes. Lieutenant
| Sheppard at once sent half dozen or
| fcers 10 intercept the bandits If they
| came towards Chicago. The officers were
| given orders TO go to South Chicago ana
wait there until daybreak. The sheriff
| Of the county in which the train was
| held up telegraphed Sheriff Gilbert OF
| Cook county to be on the lookout for the
robbers, as they were coming this way.
| DETAILS OF THE ROBBERY.
4 tramp who was stealing a ride on the
| express car of the train said there must
| have been twenty or twenty-five men IN
| the gang He says that as soon as the
| train came to a standstll the men ran
| along the train TO the rear end, and when
the trainmen came out on the platform
to see what was the matter they were
| confronted by Winchesters. II Is sald
that none Of the passengers were ROBBED
Engineer Knapp and his fireman were
ordered to throw up their hands by the
| men who climbed on the engine. Knapp
| had one hand on the throttle and he at
tempted 10 start the train. One OF the
desperadoes pushed big revolver
| against his shoulder and fired. The bui'
| let passed through, tearing hole III
| which a lead-pencil could be laid. The
| noise caused by the crashing or the eN'
| press door when the dynamite bomr
| was hurled against 1t was the irst lnl
| nation that the passengers had that tht
| train was in the hands of robbers. Ihert
| was a lively scramble among the passeh
| gers TO crawl under seats and secret'
| what valuables they had in sight, such as
gI,.3y fha
car robbed was one used by the Cnlte'
| States Company and is supposed to have
| contained a large sum of money.
Al o'clock this morning the officials o
| tbo road had not heard the details of th'
| robbery. The only information had peer
| the mere announcement that the tran
| had been robbed. one OF the Lake Shor'
| officials hastened to the home of Mana
ger Wygant, who started at once for tn
| train dispatchers office at the depot
| where "a special train was being made vi
| for the officials of the railroad. Al
| o'clock this train left the TwelIth-stfee
depot to make quick trip TO hehu"ii
Vile.
THE AMOUNT OF THE sPOIl-s.
1t is said that the safe Of the Unite
States Express Company contained Szy'.
900 I'm gold, being shipped east by en-
| CagO Dank. IL Is Iul hHvNiA HN" i~
of the coin the robbers carried away.
, Engineer Knapp made plucky heh
when the robbers climbed into the cap
He struck one with the coal PICK an
knocked him senseless. Another opene'
fire and shot the engineer in the ches'
ssriously wounding him. The nreihai
saw n chance to make his escape and
Jumping through the cab window ran 10
his life. s,.
: ALBION, IND, Sept l2.-The bandit
who dynamited and robbed the i+ak A
! Shore express succeeded In getting aoou
$4,000 Of consignment that was Dem
shipped from Chicago.
At 4 O'Clock this morning teiesrai
was sent 10 Sheriff Shauck at TINS place
requesting him to report Immediately VII
an armed posse, and capture the rooper'
He is in hot pursuit of the thieves. IN
| men who did the work are members .
, | a well-organized gang, and nave cohleu
crates throughout this section.
WATERLOO IND, Sept. R.-Umte
States Express Messenger NJ. nj. Weis'
OF the train which was held up ana ron
bed was kept In his car at the poih'
| Winchesters while the through safe wa
| blown open, wrecking the car ana ren
rendering Weist totally deaf.
! IL is asserted that the bandits secure
/. 400 600. The train was held thirty MN
|, | utes while the looting and firing were &c
! ing on