The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-13
SIX ATRAIN
Daring Robbery on the Lake
Shore Road in Indiana.
a BIG HAUL or TREASURE MADE.
Armed Bandits Halls the Cars, shses the
Knsiaesr. EIass IN Erprsss safe Open
with Dynamite and Escape.

tke most Caring fgAfu FoUU@IArs ~ sA-N k-@"
tory Of railroads occurred here last night.
Train No. IA on the Lake Shore road,
which left the Rock Island depot NJ 80
last evening, was held up by number OF
men some say sir. others twenfy-as u
neafed the switch at O'clock this morn
ing. As the train came towards town the
engineer noticed that the switch lamp was
turned, exposing the red light, indiesting
an open switch and danger. lie at once
applied the brakes and stopped the train.
As he did so the men, armed with WIN
chester rifles. sprang ont OF the woods
and scattered along the train. covering the
trainmen, while ono tired as the
engineer, INJECTING o wound IN his
shoulder. With everything IN hand,
the robbers proceeded 10 blow
open the forward express car with dyna-
mite. Knocking Express Messenger Weist
senseless, they exploded i've dynamste
cartridges IN succession against the safe
bsfore it yielded. The explosion rendered
weist totally deaf. They helped them
selves to the contents. the whole perform
ance occupying an hour. when, without
making any attempt On the other express
cars or interfering with the passengers,
who remained iu the cars panic stricken.
they fired few warning shots and disap-
peared IN the woods. II is rumored the
robbers secured 10000 In transit from
one Of the Chicago ranks 10 New York.
Tie rurnor has not jet been verified.
Engineer Knapp brought the train here.
but was unable 10 70 further on account
Of his wound. Ii Ia believed he will re-
cover. There were two safes In the ex-
press car. one for through matter, TO which
;he messenger had no key. and one for
local matter. The robbers compelled the
messenger 10 open the local safe. from
which several thousand dollars Ia currency
was taken, then blew open the big safe
with dynamite. In the outer compart-
ment vas, 10 Ii said. $50. 900 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 robbers also over
looked two gold bars.
The tram Is the heaviest for express on
the road. frequently carrying 10000. IL
10 believed this fact was known TO the
robbers. When they left the train they
went In a southerly direction. The point
ct which the robbery occurred is In q deep
cut In the woods, but all the country
around Is thickly populated, there being
but little timber, and IL is believed to be
impossible for the robbers to escape.
Posses are cut securing the country in
search of them.
Presiden, Newell, of the Lake Shore
road, has offered . reward of s., 900 for the
capture and conviction Of the robbers.
Gov. Matthews. of Indiana, has been re-
quested by the express company to offer q
reward.
A man giving his name rs c. A. Belden,
OF pocateilo. Idaho. was arrested at Peru,
Ind. ON suspicion. He arrived on Wa
bash freight train.
From 1861 TO 1872 Kendailville and the
adjacent country to the northeast was the
headquarters of one of the most desperate
gangs of train robbers, horse thieves and
cntthroats that ever infested the West In
the early seventies they had regular sys-
tenn Of robhing freight cars on the Star
Union line. opening the cars en- route and
throwing of plumber to confederates, the
piunder In the aggregate amounting to
vast sums. About that time they varied
the monotony by robbing the Kendaliyille
bank. The gang had strong political
pull, and for long time escaped justice.
but finally the citizens took the matter in
hand, posses were formed throughout the
section and work begun. In the conflicts
which followed . dozen robbers were
killed and number OF farmers wounded.
and twenty OF the leaders of the gang, in
ending the notorious Red Leary. landed
In the penitentiary.
CnrcAeo. Sept i2.-Tonight General
Manager Crosby. of the United States Ex-
press Company. said he had been looking
into the express robbery matter all day
and is satisfied the loss will not amount 20
10000. The story that the amount secured
would reach 500. 600 was based on the allie
cation that some bank In Chicago had
shipped to its New York correspondents
last night $4,000. Nothing can be
learned here. however. thar will bear out
the story. All the banks deny knowledge
Of such shipment. Express Messenger
Hamblin returned TO the city this after
noon and told a story of the affair no, diff
fcriuI In any essential feature from the
carrier stories except tina; he thought the
number OF men concerned In the affair not
more than sir at the outside. Engineer
Knapp received two bullets, one in the
shoulder and one in the left side. and /,
now in his home in Eikhart. lie is in a
critical condition.
Up to a late hour tonight there is no
definite information rs TO the whereabouts,
OF the robbers. -Four suspicious charse-
tiers have been arrested a, Woleottv,lle
Ind, and another at Peru, but there is no
positive information connecting them
with the crime.
ReFrate. Sept ia.--John Byrne. Of this
CITY. Superintendent OF detectives of the
United States Express Company. left TO-
night tor the scene OF the express rob
berry. Officials Of the company declare il
may be DAYS before the extent Of the rob.
berry IS known, and il may be SO ooa or II
may be $4,000. The robbed exprps. car
reached here early this evening. Its in.
seEior is pretty nearly torn 10 pieces