The Coconino weekly sun., 1893-11-30
FIGHT WITH TRAMPS
Trainmen Have a Running Battle
 with a Gang.
A DASTARDLY ATTEMPT TO WRECK.
The Villains Endeavor to Uncouple Freight Cars So That the Express Might Re Wrecked and They Could
 Rob Victims.

hOD tiCti"ss
 GOSHEN, Ind, Nov. 27. This city was thrown into fever of excitement by desperate attempt made, almost within the city limits to wreck the New York fast express on the Lake Shore road, which is due here at 1909 At l2 o'clock shrill whistling in the Lake Shore yards and from the water works plant, which is located very close to the Lake Shore freight depot, brought two of the night police and number of citizens to the scene. They found the first section of No. 60, the Chicago and New York meat freight train, in the yards and badly battered up train crew.
 It was soon learned from the ap- parently dazed crew that two attempts had been made to use the last ten cars of the train to carry out dastardly attempt to wreck No. 12, the New York fast express, on the Lake Shore road. The city was quickly thrown into a fever of excitement, as the attempt was made on plan singularly new in the annals of modern train robbery. It was, however brought to an unsuccess- ful end by the resistance of the train men who fought constant battle dur | ing the run of ten miles from Elkhari | here.
 The first of No 60 pulled out oi Elkhart at 10:S0, with orders to run to Ligonier without stop, All seemed we'll with the train, but wher about mile from EllShart the con ductor, John Hickok, and two brake men were attacked by gang composed of eight burly tramps, who it is since learned, boarded the train at Elkhar' and had yeen concealed between thu cars. They overpowered the crew an' were proceeding to disconnect the las ten cars when the crew, assisted by th' engineer and fireman, again secured control of the train. A second attemp was made five miles further on, ant from that point into Goshen, run O four miles, desperate fight was wage' between the eight robbers and the crew.
 Conductor Hickok, who knew tn imminent danger No i2 was in O running into the freight, encour aged the brakemen and an ex tra conductor, Campbell, who hap pened to be on the train, and the, waged successful fight until the trail reached the Goshen yards The battl for the control of the train was desper ate for the last four miles and Conducto Hickok was badly bruised and pun meled, as was also one of the brake men, who resides at Elkhart. The rot bers secured four watches and all tn money belonging to the crew. The CT gineer whistled for help and officer were quickly upon the scene.
 That the eight robbers who were III on the train when it arrived in tn Goshen yards should have escape seems incredible, but such is the fac
 Owing to the dazed condition of tn crew and the ignorance of those her as to the cause of stopping and alarn they all escaped. Two were subs'
 quently captured and the sheriff and
 posse are at present in hot pursuit ( another. Henry Zimmerman was a rested within the city limits, and late
 in the morning William Cone wa
 captured. These two are now in GU tody here. A posse of officers and Lax Shore detectives are securing the su
 rounding country for the remainin six.
 The plan of the robbers was or which, had it been successfully carrie out, would have incurred great loss
 life and money. They were eudeavo
 ing to leave eight or ten cars of u , freight on the track, into which tho :. expected No. 12, which was followir ' close after, would crash. In the col | seauent wreck it is surmised that tl . wreckers expected to get away vii
 considerable poodle from the expre
 car. The place where the first attem
 was made, one mile this side of Fl = hart was one singularly well adapte
 for that kind of work. It is sparse
 settled locality and one of the darke
 places on the road.
 Is The two attacks have aroused t
 Lake Shore officials and every mea Il possible is being taken to apprehel d the robbers in such summary ma j. ner as to discourage future attempts d the kind President John New o- came from Chicago and was in conf' 'f ence with the attorneys of the roa Il Messrs. Baker and Miller. A rewa 'e of s4, 900 will be posted all over the s, 2: rounding country for the arrest a It conviction of any one of them