The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-09-13
Sum Secured by Lake Shore
Robbers Not as Large as
asigo Reported.
Two Boxes of Gold Billed to
New York Missed by the
nor Bandits.
Small Army Of Trained Detec-
l72 tives Already Put on
the Trail.

=
held up the Lake Shore train at Kes-
sler, Ind, early Tuesday morning.ibut it
can be positively stated that the total
value was $19. 1890. Two bars Of gold
valued at SIC, 900 were overlooked. The
express messenger saved the company
$4,000 in cash by secreting the money
before the entrance to the car was eff
fectsd. The number of highwaymen
WAS estimated by some of the
,trainmen at 20, but there were
probably not half so many. The pas
sengers on the train were not molested.
After the robbery the thieves fed into
the thick timber surrounding the place
where the robbery was done. The
train proceeded on its way. The rail-
road and express officials at once mott
fed the police in all cities from Chi
cago to Cleveland and the citizens of
the vicinity of the robbery formed
posses
To Hunt Down the Bandits.
Kessler, near where the robbery took
place, is a small station on the Lake
Shore road about 40 miles from Chi
cago. just this side of the stopping
place is sharp curve in the line that
here passes through q timbered dis
trict. AS the train was approaching
this point the engineer, James Knapp
of Toledo, O.. saw the switchlight
showing red, indicating that the switch
was open. He brought the train to
standstill, and at that moment men
leaped from the darkness, leveled rifles
at the heads of himself and his fireman,
and ordered them to throw up their
hands. The fireman obeyed, but Knapp
showed fight, and shot was fired at
him, the bullet
Tearing Through His Shoulder.
After getting control of the engine
the robbers at once proceeded to the
express car. The attack at tlis point is
thus described by B. B. Hamblin, the
assistant messenger:
IN. M. Weist, the express messenger
on the run, and myself had just about
finished checking up our way bills. It
was nearly midnight and we had just
passed the little station of Kessler
when we felt the train first slow up
and then stop. Just then there cams
heavy pounding on the door which was
closed. Thinking something had hap
pend about which the conductor de.
sired to inform us, opened the door,
n Az did an 7 eow tvuo ,no, o+op1;no ~,
the ground beside the Car. One of
them yelled,
- "Throw Up Your Hands,"
and before I could move he pointed
, rifle at me and fired. saw the motion
g Of the gun and threw myself to one
side and the fash from the gun almost
blinded me. I managed to slam the
doors shut and sbolted them. Then
some one on the outside commenc ed
smashing the doors with sledge. They
kept this up FOR q minute or two and
then stopped. Suddenly there came an
explosion that seemed to US inside as
though a bomb had been thrown
against the door. A moment later
there was another explosion that blew
the door to bits, almost threw the car
from he track and knocked Weist and
Idown, piling baggage all over us. Be-
fore4we could extricate ourselves sew.
eral men wearing masks had climbed
into the train. . One fellow covered me
with Winchester rifle and told me
9 that if moved he would
Z Blow My Head Or
Another fellow kept Weist covered in
the same way. They searched Weisr
and1me for keys to the safe, but could
not find any, and they seemed to be fu-
rious when when we told them that
the safe was opened at the end of the
run. Then they set to work to open
the safe. With a sledge they knocked
the knob off the door and they began to
drill holes in it. A small, stout man,
who seemed to be the leader, directed
the work. Finally they got through
drilling and forced the door open. The
man who seemed to be the leader of the
gang took the money packages and
handed them out to fellow who stood
outside of the car and who ran into the
woods when he got the money. Then
the fellows who had charge of us, told
Us not to move, and they
Backed to the Door and Leaped Out.
The rest of the gang that had been
around the engine and coaches ran
away, firing their guns as they ran.
saw probably 20 men altogether, but I
do not know that they all belonged to
the gang. The robbers missed the most
valuable article in the car. Behind a
coffin which was in the car and covered
up by6a lot of express matter were two
strong boxes which had been trans
ferred at Chicago from some Western
road. These boxes were filed with gold
being shipped to the East, and while
do not know just how much was in
them, it must have been large sum.
The men were rough looking fellows.
and. although did not see their faces.
would take them by their clothes to
be mechauieaea
Passengers Were Excited.
The robberyis considered one Of the
most daring, .terpetrated east of the.