The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-09-12
DARING TRAIN ROBBERS
An East Bound Train Held
Up by Masked Men
and Robbed.
s25O,OOO IN GOLD TAKEN.
The Engineer Shot in the Breast
While Defending His Car-Ex-
press Car Blown Open by
Dynamite.

o'clock this morning by twenty masked
robbers at Kessler, Ind. small station
$50 miles east of this city, the engineer
was shot and the safe of the United
States Express Company blown open
and robbed, it is said, of s25o,00 in gold
shipped east by Chicago bank. A few
rods west of Kessler the engineer, j.
Knapp, discovered switch open and put
on the brakes to save the train from
destruction. The train hardly came to a
standstill when a horde OF robbers, armed
to the teeth and masked. made a rush
for the express car. They had come pre-
pared for action. The engineer OWNED
the motive. and. grasping his coal pick in
his hands, made desperate resistance.
One OF the robbers was struck down and
tell off the engine without a groau.
Another came over the tender aud.
levelling his revolver by the dim light
shot the brave engineer in the Chest,
seriously Wouuding him.
The fireman saw chance TO make his
escape, and, jumping through the cab
WINDOW, ran for his life.
MET WITH BULLETS.
Meantime the sudden stopping aroused
the train crew and they peered into the
darkness to be met with shower OF bull
let's The robbers worked quickly. While
some were subduing The engineer and
trainmen others produced dynamite and
blew open the door of the express Car,
where they expected to secure the vaiu-
able booty The doors were shat
tered. The awful blast shocked
the whole train. The express
messengers were terrified. The
seport which reaches Chicago at four
o'clock this morning says they were soon
gerpawered by the robbers. The safe
Fas next attacked, and it was but short
work for the desperate villains to blow it
open with dynamite and TO bag the cou-
tents, and then they hastily made their
escape into the darkness.
The passengers wisely kept themselves
out of danger. When the trainmea be-
came assured that all danger was past,
they crawled out ssnd took an inventory
of the DAMAGE. A consultation was held
ana with the conductor at the throttle
and the wounded engineer iu coach,
they pulled into kendaIyiIle, distance
of oulv few miles.
After The engineer had received medical
attendance aud a posse had been sent in
search of the bandits, orders were sent
for another engineer and fireman.
DETECTIVE HENRY TO THE SCENE.
William Hooley. wEo was stealing a
ride on the front end of the baggage car,
aud Who saw all without being seen said
he LJanted in all twenty masked men,
apd that they completely surrounded the
train with drawn revolvers. The United
States Express Company official,
robbery from the Lake Shore
officials. General Manager Wygant at
ouce hurried to the depot, and after u
hasty consultation with the roadroad
men was driven TO the Central station.
1t was decided to take immediate steps
trrro fho hold ,tor. ut.d Hyy6 five
O'Clock a snecial tram was being
made up. Before il was ready a
numoer of the express company's best
aud Oldest detectives, several Pinkerton
men and a squad Of city Vidocq's were
ready TO proceed on the manhunt. Thirty
minutes later the train pulled out from
under the depot sheds and with clear
track before it started for the scene OF
the boldest robbery of the age.
THE MESSENGERS STORY.
CLEVELAND. Sept u. 1893-An excited
crowd of several hundred people was at
the Uuion depot when Lake Shore train
ii pulled in at 9:l5, au hour late, this
morning. The garemen had trouble in
in Keeping them off Che track when the
engine CT ased putting, and the long line
OF mail expires, AMI sleeping cars came to
stop. The train was crowded with
passengers, aud they all seemed relieved
when they were safely OF the platform of
the depot.
Milton NJ. Weiss. the express mess en-
ger who was In charge of the car at the
time of the attack. said:-"The first
knew OF the attack was after th 9 train
had stopped, when l heard Two shots on
the outside fired in rapid succession. NV
helpsr. Is. B. Hamin, then yelled to me
that Que of the shots cime through the
door. IL came near hitting him. A
moment later the car WAS almost lifted
from the track by u terrific explosion and
at the same instant Hamlin and myself
were knocked violently to the floor on our
backs. l WAS stunned for a moment aud
could scarcely realize what had occurred
When l regained imy senses
found myself under large
heap of baggage and shattered
woodwork, aud Two men wearing masks
stood close By. one having n Winchester
aimed at my head. aud tie other fellow
covering my helper in a similar manner
One OF the men spoke. telling US not to
move or they would blow the brains out
OF us. Tha. is about all can rene mber
of what WAS said.
..Tnere was not much talking done. One
of the robbers at once proceeded to drill
he safe. 1t took him over half an hour
to do the job During the time that the
fellow was working re the safe there
were several of his pals outside OF the
car also armed with Wfuchesters.
THE SAFE RIFLED.
''Some of them Kept their guns pointed
at US. while others kept shooting occa-
sionaily. When the safe WAS finally
bursted open the robbers at once began
rIfilng it of its contents. and carrying he
packages of money TO he door. where he
handed iL out 20 his pals.
s'No help arrived on The scene until the
roboers had made their escape. 1 could
not see whe her they bad horses or mol,
but suppose Lney did. The explosion
that Knocked us down blew the door off
the Car and would have douDtedly
killed US only for al ihe baggage and
cases which were piled up just inside
AS it was we were knocked down, very
heavily, aud can scarcely hear now.
sThe robbe. used dynamite in forcing
the door, Tney fa,feued it Ia some way
on board, ami, mailing the board To the
door exploded ii. The glass WAS broke y
ia ali the windows OF the car, and you
can see for Yourself what 4 hole IL blew
in the floor under the car"
THE EXPRESS CAR SHATTERED.
One side of the express car was badly
shattered by the TO- ce of the explosion.
J be bottom Of the door was spiintered as
If it had been pounded upon with neavy
battering ram, and tue door sflls were
badly shattered. When the train first
came TO a halt the baggageman stuck mis-
head out OF his car, ,aud snot from the gun
IT Que of the robbers grazsd his cheek.
tue bullet burying itself in the frame OF
the door. Before the train reached
Cleveland the bullet was dug out By q