The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-20
A BRAVE OLD MAN.
He Wanted to Go After the Robbers
but Got No Assistance.

but Got No Assistance.
CLEVELAND, Sept, 12.-When the
New York and Boston express on the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern rail-
road, due here from the West at sos
a. m, pulled into the Union depot this
morning two hours late, the pa ssengers
had wonderful stories to tell of the rob-
berry which occurred about 1 o'clock this
morning at Kesler, Ind. Rumors of the
robbery had already reached Cleveland
and a big crowd was at the station
awaiting the arrival of the belated train.
The New York & Boston express is the
favorite evening train out of Chicago,
and it is always loaded with passengers
for Cleveland and northern Ohio cities
and towns. When it left Chicago last
evening it carried about three hundred
persons.
An old man in one car rolled up his
sleeves, pulled out a revolver from his
pocket, saying: Come on men, ill
head party to 60 forward and stop
those Cd id towards"
Nobody was willing to join him in the
hazardous undertaking and he gave it
up. One of the ladies in one car went
into spasms when she heard what was
going on and all heaved a sigh of re-
lief when the train pulled out Of the
cut. Little is known here of the at
tempts to capture the robbers. 1t is be-
lieved that the gang went across the
country toward Albion, the county seat
Of Noble county, which is on the Balti-
more & Ohio railroad, a few miles
south of Kendallville.
A dispatch from Albion this afternoon
announced that the robbers had been
surrounded near Waterloo, a village
near that place, and that they would be
captured. A special from Waterloo,
however. says that there is nothing in
the story and another special from Al
bion states that nothing is known there
about the robbers. An unknown man
has been arrested at Millersburg, but
there is no indication that he is one of
the gang.
While the robbery was in progress a
few passengers who had been awakened
by the explosion were warned not to
leave the cars and rifles were discharged
in the air at frequent intervals TO en-
phasize the warning. No attempt was
made to go through the train but it re-
quiTed the combined efforts of the crew
to quiet the nerves Of the timid passen-
gers Several ladies became hysterical
and screamed loudly when they heard
the exploding firearms. Asa Mcintyre,
the rear brakeman, managed to get
away from the train and ran back aong
the track without a lantern to place
torpedoes on the rails. He then made
his way to the telegraph office at Kesler,
from which place the train following the
express was notified Of the robbery and
word was sent to the officials Of the
road.
When the robbers had secured all the
booty they cared to take permission was
given for the train to proceed and IL
pulled out of the cut one hour and fifteen
minutes after it had been stopped, the
desperadoes standing on the banks of
the cut and firing a parting volley as 1T
steamed away toward Kendallville. The
charge of dynamite which was exploded
in the express car shattered the door and
tore big hole in the floor. The car was
brought through to Cleveland and sent
from here to Buffalo in charge Of another
messenger. The officials of the United
States express company in this city are
unable to give the Xact amount of money
stolen. but they say it is less than 3d.,
600. The through safe from which the
money was taken, was locked and sealed
in Chicago. The local safe, the officials
say, contained more money than the
other but that was not molested. Nearly
every day during the past week large
amounts of money have been carried on
this train and officials think the robbers
miscalculated the time for the raid.
Expressman Vests story.
Milton NJ. weist. the express mes
senger, tells an interesting story. He
says: 1.-The first 1 knew of the attack
was after the train had stopped, when 1
heard two shots on the outside fired in
rapid succession. A moment later the
car was almost lifted from the track by
a terrible explosion and at the same
time HamIin, my assistant, and myself
were knocked violently to the floor. L
was stunned for moment and could
scarcely realize what had occurred.
When l regained my senses | found my
self under a large heap of baggage and
shattered wood work and three men
wearing masks stood close by, one hav-
ing a Winchester aimed at my head.
One Of the men spoke telling not to
move or they would bloy the brains out
of us When the safe was burst open
the robbers at once began rifiing 1t Of
its contents and carrying the packages
of money TO the door, where they handed
ii out to their pals"
Weist declined to give any informa-
ton as to the amount taken by the rob-
bers. saying he would leave that for the
company to do.
Il know that the cusses took all they
could get, anyhow" said he land when
they got it they fled. 1t was an awful
experience. 1 can scarcely describe it.
Just imagine yourself crowded into a
corner by two bloodthirsty ruffians
head. We di not know but the gang
outside was numbering everybody on the
train. AS it was 1 understand a num-
Der of the trainmen narrowly escaped
being shot. / do not want another ex-
perience of the kind in mine"
Weist was taken to the company's
office to make a report Of the matter.
other Experiences.
w. L. Jordan of Chicago was asleep in
the second coach and was awakened by
the shock of the train coming to sud-
den stop.
1.-The shock was so sudden and pro-
nounced." said he, that my first
thought was that we had met with some
accident. 1 got up and walking to the
front of the car, stepped out on the
platform. A man with black whiskers
and wearing a mask over the upper part
of his face pushed a revolver under my
nose and told me to go back into the
car and stay there or he would put a