The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-27
DYNAMITE IN CALIFORNIA.
Green Hands Get Into the Express Car
and That Is All.


Los ANGELES, Cal, Dec. 24-The
railroad brigands have again appeared
in California and this morning attacked
a Southern Pacific train bearing the
treasure of the Wells-Fargo express.
Passenger train No. 20, which pulled
out of this city late last night, north
bound, was held up at Roscoe, a small
station twelve miles north Of here, early
this morning The train waS--stoiSissd.
Ia fEge,-rlsn. who gY.vr-ryl .sl.a -. -
men With revolvers and blew oDen the
door of the express car with dynamite
After the robbers had gone through
the express car the train was allowed
to proceed, after a detention Of about
thirty minutes.
IL is claimed that the robbers got
nothing. with the exception Of $40. which
was taken from the engineer. They were
unable 10 open the safe and everything
was locked up.
William Smith, Southern Pacific de
tectiye, who started out from here
about o'clock this morning with a
posse, returned about noon. He SAYS
the work was that of green hands who
went out from this city and returned
Immediately after the robbery. He
thinks they are local men, and this
evening officers are working on a clew
which promises 10 lead TO their arrest.
one of the robbers went out early in
the evening with horses and the others
followed on the train. At Roscoe the
first man built a fire by the track and
as the train approached poured oil on
the flames as a signal to his confed-
crate, who was on top Of a freight car
just behind the tender. The latter then
clambered down over the tender, and
covering the engineer with his revolver,
ordered him 10 stop the train which
ha ~, a
the cab and the hold-up was proceeded
with. Another story is that the rob-
bers went out on the train as passen-
gers, having purchased tickets to Bur-
bank, where they left the train, ostensi-
bly, but made their way forward in the
darkness and again boarded the train,
when they made their way 10 the en-
gine over the tender.
The Southern Pacific has announced a
reward of 81 600 for information leading
10 the arrest OF the robbers, in addition
10 the regular Wells-FaTgo reward. No
one was hurt and no damage done be-
yond the breaking open Of the express
car
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 25.-Inter-
views with trainmen and passengers
who were on board the train which was
held up near Los Angeles yesterday
elicit the following facts regarding the
robbery:
The train left Los Angeles in charge
of Engineer Stewart, or Rocky Hill
Stewart as he Is known by trainmen,
and Conductor Simpson. Near Roscoe,
a little station this side OF Bui bank the
engineer was shot at from the tender
and told to stop the train. He stopped
it, A lively fusillade followed 10 in
timidate anyone who might desire to in
terfere with the plans of the robbers.
The engineer and fireman We're made
prisoners and the engineer compelled
70 lfcrhf a hgn1h
against the door Of the express car,
three separate times. The first two at
tempts failed. At the third he was told
TO stay by the fuse till it fizzled and to
run afterward. He obeyed. The express
car door burst open and Express Mes
senger Potts was thrown from the cot
where he was asleep. The express mes
senger held up his hands and got out of
the car. Just what happened after that
Is a mystery, for Express Messenger
Potts has been cautioned not to speak
about il by the officers of the express
company. After the robbers left the ex-
press car they made the engineer, fire.
man and express messenger walk up the
track a quarter OF a mile, fired off a
fusillade and then let them walk back
TO the train.
Prior to bursting in the door Of the
express car with a bomb the robbers ter
rorized every head which showed from
a car window by taking a shot too con-
veniently near, and the San FernadO
constable who attempted TO reason with
them and assert his rights as an officer,
was driven back into the coach with
some pretty strong language and a pistol
shot. A shot was taken at the baggage
man and others were told to stay in and
keep quiet. 1t is reported that the rob-
bers did not get over $40 in booty, but
the mystery Of the affair, outside OF the
identity Of the robbers, is what they did
TO the safe, which the officials Of the
Wells, Fargo & Co. will not, for the
present at least, explain