Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-12
A Lake Shore Train Held Up by
Masked Men.
ENGINEER SHOT FOR NOT YIELDING.
Safe Blown Open by a Dynamite
Explosion.
PURSUIT OF THE BANDITS.


the 18th street depot Of the Illinois Central
road at 7:45 last evening. 1t reached Ken
dallville, a small station I'm Indiana. little
short Of four hours later. Ii went past the
town and had hardly gone a mile through
a stretch Of timber land when the engineer
slowed up near curve As the engine
ratified round the turn the engineer saw a
red light ahead.
When the train came 10 n stop a dozen
men sprang into the cab and leVeled rifles
at the heads OF the engineer and fireman.
The two railroad men stood stupefied as
the rifles CLEANED in the Pickering light
and the robbers said: Throw up your
hands,
The fireman was peaceful enough and
lifted his arms at once.
But the engineer was not timd. lie
paid no heed to the men nor to their arms
and, with a cry of warning on his lips.
turned toward the passenger coaches.
dozen rifles were quickly turned toward the
plucky fellow and a dozen shots startled
the passengers who had been awakened by
the sudden stopping Of the cars.
How many of the shots struck the poor
engineer was not determined, but he fell
with the blood gushing from an immense
wound.
Dynamite Under the Express Car.
As the train came to pause there was
terrible explosion. The robbers had put
dynamite under the train, and the still
ness Of the lonely place was broken the ex-
press car cracked and split and showed
a huge cash in its side. The conductor and
the brakemen hurried TO the platforms only
to be covered by Winchesters in the hands
of men who said they would shoot to kill
II move We're made.
The railroad men became mOtiOnleSs and
dumb. A guard Was put at the end Of each
car and the express car was attacked. The
messenger behind the barricaded door re-
fused TO obey the command Of the robbers
TO open the express car entrance. Shot
after shot was fired at the car. but the rob
bers soon saw they could gain no entrance
by intimidation. They 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 leveled on the floor senseess. Half a
dozen of the twenty men looted the express
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 were called
off. few parting shots were fred-perhaps
in the air-to warn those on the train that
pursuit meant death. and the band Of rob
bers disappeared in the wooded stretch OF
land that skirts the railroad.
Alarming the Country.
AS fast as legs could carry them. mes
sengers ran to Kendallville to 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 to
the scene of the hold-Up. They secured the
vicinity, beat through the brush and trav-
eled miles through the woods, but they
could find nothing.
Guessing that the robbers had come from
Chicago, the sheriff routed out a telegraph
operator and telegraphed TO the Chicago
police the story of the robbery
The train held up the New York eX-
press on the Lake Shore road, which reaches
Kendalville about midnight. 1t was made
up last night OF ten coaches, two express
cars and one baggage car. The dynamite
having wrecked only the express car. the
robbers contented themselves with looting
this alone and made no effort to force an
entrance to The second.
1t was 3:3O this morning when the special
officer at the Lake Shore depot rushed into
the Harrison street station and told the
lieutenant in charge that No. II had been
held up and robbed while rolling over the
Indiana marshes. Lieut.. Shepard at once
sent half dozen officers 10 intercept the
bandits IL they came toward Chicago. The
officers were given orders TO go 10 South
Chicago and 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.
a tramp WHO WIS SledllilS rue On lnf
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 standstin the men ran along the
train TO the rear end. and when the train
men came out on the platform to what
was the matter they were confronted by
Winchesters. 1t is said that none of the
passengers We're 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 attempted 10
start the train. One Of the desperadoes
pushed a big revolver against his shoulder
and fired. The bullet passed through, tear
ing hole in which a lead-pencil could be
laid. The noise caused by the crashing OF
the express door when the dynamite bomb
was hurled against il was the first intirna-
ton that the passengers had that the train
was in the hands of robbers There was a
lively scramble among the passengers TO
crawl under seats and secrete what valua- |
bles they had in sight, such as watches and
other jewelry. The express car robbed was
one used by the United States Company
and is supposed to have contained a large
sum of money.
At 4 o'clock this morning the officials of
the road had not heard the details of the |
robbery. The only Information had been
the mere announcement that the train had
been robbed. One of the Lake Shore ofi- |
cials hastened to the home of Manager Wy
CANT who started at once for the train
"A
special train was being made up for the
officials Of the railroad. At o'clock this
train left the 18th street depot to make a
quick trip to Kendallville.
The Amount of the SpOfls.
1t is said that the safe Of the Unitei
States Express Company contained s950eo0
in gold, being shipped east by Chicago
bank. 1t is not known how much Of the
coin the robbers carried away.
Engineer Knapp made a plucky fight
when the robbers climbed into the cab. He
struck one with the coal pick and knocked
him senseless. Another opened fire and
shot the engineer in the chest, seriously |
wounding him. The fireman saw a chance
to make his escape. and. Jumping through |
the cab window. ran for his life.
ALBION, Ind, Sept 12-The bandits who
dynamited and robbed the Lake Shore .x-
press. succeeded in getting about $50 90 of |
a consignment that was being shipped from |
Chicago.
At O'Clock this morning a telegram was
sent to Sheriff Shauck at this place re-
questing him to report Immediately with an |
armed posse and capture the robbers lie |
is in hot pursuit of the thieves. The men |
who did the work are members Of a we'll |
organized gang, and have confederatcs |
throughout this section
WATERLOO, Ind, Sept l2-Cnited
States Express Messenger II. n weist OF |