The Red Cloud chief., 1893-09-22
THE TRUST BETRAYED.
THE TRAIN ROBBERY NEAR HAN
COCK, MICH, EXPLAINED.

the Leader Of the Gang, = Dozen Men.
bcrs of which Are Now in the Clutch
Of the Law-Ono Of the Robbers Con-
fcsses the Plot.
DULUTH, Mimi, Sept. 19-General Man.
ger Philbin, Of the Messaba road, has re-
turned from Marquette and tells an in
teresting story Of the capture in Marquette
Sunday evening Of the robbers who held
the Mineral Range train up last Friday
morning. The case against the robbers
says Mr.. Philbin, was worked up from q
clue furnished by the engineer Of the train.
Tit man who covered him with q revolver
while the robbery was going on showed a
familiarity with the working Of the engine
that proved that one OF the robbers at
least was IN old railroad man. The en-.
glneer was unable to sec the mans feat-
ures for the mask which covered them,
but recognized the mans voice and In his
report stated that he was sure the man
had formerly been employed on the road.
Led to u Well Grounded suspicion.
Suspicion fell on n young Frenchman
named George La Liberte, who
WINS formerly a fireman on the
Mineral Range road. 1t was discovered
that he had been missing from his home
In Marquette for two days at the
time of the robbery, and that on Wednes.
day he borrowed a revolver which he re-
turned on Saturday. On Saturday search
was mado for him. but he could not be
found. When the officers inquired at the
house they were told by his mother that
she did not know where he was. The gen.
eral manager Of the South Shore evolved
the plan by which Liberte was captured.
The young Frenchman only a week or two
before had applied for a position on the
road rs a brakeman n n call boy was
sent to the house, as IL lone when a man
Is wanted for any train crew. The boy
left word that Liberte was wanted to go
out on n train and that he was to bring his
dinner pail ready for work.
Liberties mother denied that he was at
home when the boy called, but a few min
uteS before the time set for the departure
OF the train Liberte came to the Office Of
the general manager and was arrested by
the marshal, who was In waiting. Liberte
at first denied all knowledge Of the affair
and 1t wal decided to take him to Hough-
ton. A special WAS made up and he was
put oil 1t with the officers, but before the
train was out Of the yards l.iberte weak
ened and said that IL the officers would
take him back to Marquette he would
mike a full confession. In Jail at Mar
quette he told n story which implicated
the express messenger, Hogan, who was
in charge Of the money; Jack King, the
wrestler; q brother Of Hogan, who was
formerly an express messenger; the bag
gage master Of the South Shore road at
Marquette; a Marquette saloonkeeper and
a liveryman Of the same place.
Headed by the Express Messenger.
The two latter were not present at the
time Of the robbery, but knew Of it and
gave aid to the gang. According to the
story told the express messenger was one
of, II not the ringleader Of the plot. 1t ID
believed that no furnished the informa-
ton as to the train the money was on and
pointed out the place where it could best
BIZ tagged and then robbed. He made q
pretense at resistance to deceive the rest
Of the train crew, but gave up the money
willingly. Liberte stated that after the
money was taken from the car IL was put
into a trunk and checked rs baggage from
Houghton to Marquette. The baggage
master at Marquette, while not originally
In the plot, knew of the contents of the
trunk very shortly after its arrival and in
this way was made a party to the crime.
Liberte after he hRd made his confession
showed the officers where the trunk was to
DO found, but when II was opened the con.
tents had been removed and secreted In some
other place. Liberte declared that he knew
the money was in the trunk when II left
Houghton, but he did not know what be.
came Of IL. Afterwards he told the Officers
where a portion Of It was likely to be
found and some Of it was recovered. There
was good reason to suspect that the re.
mainder was concealed in a cellar near
the Marquette station and when Mr.. Phil
bin left Marquette at midnight, three
places were being watched and Liberte
said that the money would befound in one
Of the three places.
Although he did not admit II the hints
he gave the officers az to the probable loca-
ton Of the money led them to believe that
he knew all about the removal OF the
money from the trunk on its arrival at
Marquette, and they had no doubt of their
ability to induce him to tell where all Of 1t
could be found. The officials OF the South
Shore road believed that Of the money they
had not yet recovered when Mr.. Philbin
left not more than 5000 would be entirely
lost.'
Up to this writing only $4,000 Of the
stolen money has been recovered. The
men now under arrest are A. S. Cannon,
Of Hancock, a young man Of good family,
whose trunk was used to carry away the
money; John King, An athlete; - Chel-
lew, a s~aloonkeeper Of Negaunee; Michael
and John Shea, saloonists at
Marquette; Tom Winters. baggage
man; Moses Lotgtin, brakeman
Oh the train robbed; ID. w. Hogan,
the messenger on the robbed car; Ed Ho-
gan, saloonist; w. Shoup, hack driver. and
- Butler. a habitue Of Chellew's place,
Also, Of course, Libcrte. This man had
lost his place in the reduction OF hands on
the railroad and has been associating with
some Of the tough characters who had
been suspected Of the train robbery.
The part each played in the robbery IL
stated as follows: La Liberte covered the
engineer aud fireman while the others
looted the train. King, the athlete,
smashed the express car door with a
sledge hammer. Chellew and Butler
riled the safe and the rest carried away
| a, ,lAo. Tl. AZ Dnn -on,. $40.