Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-09-16
BOLD BANDITS
"Hold Up" a Lake Shore & Mich
igan Southern Train.
The Engineer Shot and the Express Car
Wrecked by Dynamite Amount of
Money Stolen Unknown-Passen-
gers TerrOrized by Con-
stant Discharge OF
Firearms.

H. eastbound, was held up at o clock
Tuesday morning by masked robbers
at Kessler, Ind, small station $50
miles east of this city. The engineer
was shot and the safe of the United
States Express Company blown open
and robbed.
A few rods west of Kessler the engi-
neer j. Knapp, discovered a switch
open and put on the brakes to save the
train from destruction. The train
hardly came to standstill when
horde of robbers armed to the teeth
and masked made a rush for the ex-
press car They had come prepared for
action. The engineer OWNED their
motive and, grasping his coal pick in
his hands, made desperate resistance.
One of the robbers was struck down
and fell off the engine. Another came
over the tender and shot the engineer
in the chest, seriously wounding him.
The fireman saw a chance to escape,
and, jumping through the cab window,
ran for his life. Meantime the sudden
stopping aroused the train crew and
they peered out in the darkness to be
met with shower of bullets.
The robbers worked quickly. While
some were subduing the engineer and
trainmen, others produced dynamite
and blew open the doors of the express
car, where they expected to secure
valuable booty.
The doors were shattered. The aw
full blast shook the whole train. The
express messengers We're terrified and
were soon overpowered by the robbers.
The safe was next attacked, and it was
but short work for the desperate viii
lains to blow it open with dynamite
ard bag the contents and then they
hastily made their escape in the dark
ness
The passengers wisely. kept them
selves out of danger When the train
men became assured that all danger
was passed they crawled out and took
an inventory of the damage.
4 consultation was held and with the
conductor at the throttle and with the
wounded engineer in coach they
pulled into Kendallville, distance of
five miles. After a posse had been sent
In search of the bandits, orders We're
sent for another engineer and fireman.
Willard Hooley. who was stealing a
ride on the front end of the baggage
car. and who saw all without being
seen, said he counted in all twenty
masked men, and that they completely
surrounded the train with drawn re-
volvers.
The express company officials re-
ceived their first news of the robbery
from the Lake Shore officials. General
Manager Wygant at once hurried tc
the depot and after hasty consulta'
tion with the railroad men was driven
to the Central station. 1t was decided
to take immediate steps to capture the
bold robbers, and by ) o'clock special
train was being made up. Before il
was ready q number of the express
company's best and oldest detectives
special Pinkerton men and a squad ot
city Vidocqs were ready to proceed or
the man hunt. Thirty minutes later
the train pulled out and started for the
scene OF the robbery.
TOLEDO, Sept. 13.-Engineer James
Knapp, who was shot by the Lake
Shore train robbers, was taken to hi:
residence in this city upon the arriva
of the train and physicians were called
1t was found that the bullet penetrated
his right side near the shoulder He
had a very close call and the train rob
ber evidently shot to kill. Physician'
say that Knapp is not in danger anC
will be all right in few days.
The conductor and most of the crew
live in Toledo and left the train here
Asa Mcintyre, the rear brakeman, said
The gang numbered about twelv,
than that number, although the con
slant fusilade they kept up with thei
Winchesters would have led one to be
lieve that there were that many more
They had turned the switch, showing
the red danger signal, and Enginee
Knapp of course came to stop on see
ing the red light exposed. The switcl
was turned just before the train wa,
due there, SO that any of the employe
of the road at that station who nigh
have been about would not have no
ticed anything strange.
Two men boarded the engine AM
ordered Engineer Knapp and Fireman
James Butler to hold up their hands
The engineer disobeyed the order AM
reached for the whistle rope to war;
the rest of the train, but the movemen
was signal for the desperate to shoot
The rest of the gang stationed them
selves along the train and kept up
constant firing to keep the crew an,
passengers. frightened, that they nigh
not rush out and overpower them. A
soon as head showed itself down tn
train shot whizzed by as warning
to keep inside, Three men jumped int
the express car. Two held up the mes
senger, NJ, w. Weiss, while the ,othe
blew the safe open with dynamite.
started back with my lantern to tn
telegraph station two miles away, bu
was driven back into the train b.
shots. finally put my light under m
coat and sneaked away and walked t
the station, where telegraphed tn
train following to stop and inform tn
officials by wire"
The railroad and express official