The herald., 1893-09-13
THEY GOT AWAY WITH THESWAG,
Particulars of the Kendallville
Train Robbery.
One of the Most Daring Crimes
Ever Perpetrated.
The Booty Secured Stated at Various
Sums Ranging From $4,000
to $500, ,00O-severaI sus-
pscts Arrested.
BY the Associated Press.

Dery goes on record. Inc new loIk OK
press train on the Lake Shore road
which left Chicago at 7:45 last evening
reached the siding at Kesler, five miles
west of here, at o'oclock this morning
Approaching it Engineer Knapp
noticed red danger signal light at the
switch and stopped the train. AS be
did 80, 20 men. armed with Winchesters
sprang out of the woods and scattered
along the train, covering the train
mon, while one fred at the
engineer, inficting wound in
the shoulder. With everything
in hand, the robbers proceeded to blow
open the forward express car with
dynamite. Then, knocking the messen-
ger senseless, exploded five dynamite
cartridges in succession against the
safe before it yielded. They helped
themselves to the contents, the whole
performance occupying an hour, when,
without making any attempt on the
other express car, or interfering with
the passengers, who remained in the
cars panic-strieken, they fired q few
warning shots and disappeared in the
woods. 1t is rumored that the robbers
secured quarter of a million dollars in
transit from one of the Chicago banks
to New York. The rumor is not yet
verified. The train came on here, the
alarm was given and the sheriff at once
summoned a posse and started in pur'
suit OF the bandits.
WHAT THE ROBBERS OVERLOOKED.
Engineer Knapp brought the train
here but was unable to go farther on &C.
count of bis wound. 1t is believed he
will recover. There were two safes in
the express csr-one for through mat
ter, to which the messenger had no key,
and one for local matter. The robbers
compelled the messenger 20 open the
small safe from which several thousand
dollars currency were taken then they
blew open the big safe with dynamite.
In the outer compartment was quarter
of a million dollars in gold with
which the robbers loaded them
selves, not stopping to open the inner
compartment in which was lot more
money. In their haste to get away the
robbers also overlooked two gold bars.
The train is the heaviest for express on
the road and frequently carries half
million dollars. tits believed this fact
was known to the robbers. When they
left the train they went in southerly
direction. The point at which the rob-
berry occurred is in deep cut in the
woods, but all the country around is
thickly populated, with little timber,
and it is believed to be impossible for
the robbers to escape. Posses are out
ha ~ aorob nf
FURTHER PARTICULARS
CHICAGO, Sept. 12.-It 10 reported that
the Lake Shore robbers. secured nearly
100000, there being considerable sum
in addition to the quarter of million
already reported. 1t ls believed the
robbery was the work of gang OF ftramps.
In the exbress car was the body of Mrs.
Mallock of Moriches, Long Island. who
committed suicide at the Gait house
few days ago, after having committed
bigamy in New York.
FORMER GANG's OPERATIONS.
Kendallville and the adjacent country
to the northeast was the headquarters
of one of the most desperate gangs Of
train robbers, horse thieves and cut
throats that ever infested the West. In
the early seventies they had a regular
system of robbing the freight cars of the
Union freight line, opening the cars en-
route and throwing off the plunder to
confedsrates, the plunder in the aggre-
gate mounting to vaBt sums. At that time
they varied the monotony by robbing the
Kendallville bank. The gang had q
strong political pull and for q long time
escaped justice. Finally the citizens
took the matter in hand; posses were
formed throughout the section and work
was begun. In the conflict which fol-
lowed dozen robbers were killed and q
number of farmers wounded. Twenty
OF the leaders of the gang, including the
notorious Red Leary, were landed in the
penitentiary.
THE LOSS COMPARATIVELY SMALL.
General Superintendent Crosby OF the
United Statea Express declares the total
loss is less than $4,000. He says the
robbers thought they were carrying
away bank notes, but secured mostly
papers worthless to them and overlooked
$4,000 worth of gold bullion. He en-
phatically denied the report that 1915,
900 was taken. The papers carried of
by the robbers consisted mostly of set
Elements with agents, receipts for monky,
legal papers, ETC., done up in packages
about the size and shape OF bank notes,
marked $1,000, $4,000. and so on, to indi-
cate the amounts receipted for, etc. He
says only five or six men were concerned
in the robbery.
President Newell of the Lake Shore
this afternoon offered reward of $1,000
for the capture and conviction OF the
robbers.
LESS THAN $4,000.
Tonight General Manager Crosby oi
the United States Express company said
be had been looking into the matter all
day, and is satisfied the loss will not
amount to $4,000. The story that the
amount secured would reach $500, 0,00C
was based on the allegation that some
bank in Chicago had shipped to its New
York correspondent last night $3.50. 900.
Nothing can be learned here, however,
that will bear out the story, all the
banks denying knowledge OF euch ship.
ment.
ONLY Six ROBBERS.
Express Messenger Hamblin returned
to the city thia afternoon and told o
story of the affair not differing in any
essential feature from the earlier story,
except that he thought the number
was not more than six at the outside.
Engineer Knapp received two bullets.
one in the shoulder and one in the left
side, and is now in his home in Elk