The Coconino weekly sun., 1893-09-28
ROBBERS FolLEp.
An Attempt to Hold Up an Illinois Central Express Train Defeated by the Bravery of the Conductor and Express Messenger Two of the Robbers Captured.

| of the Conductor and Express Messenger | Two of the Robbers Captured. ! CENTRALIA, H., Sept. 22.-The train robbing epidemic reached this placA shortly before 12 o'clock Wednesday night, when three men attempted to hold up the Chicago New Orleans lim- | ited express train on the Illinois Central, which arrived here from Chicago two hours late. The attempted robbery occurred at the coal chute just south of the city. The robbers were given a warm reception and were finally beat en off One of the robbers was badly wounded and three of the trainmen. two of them seriously.
 | Wednesday afternoon three strangers were noticed lounging about the Illi- i nois Central depot here as if waiting for train. It is supposed that these were the robbers. It is believed that when the train pulled up here the rob- bers got on the front end of the ex- press car. When the coal chute was reached, where coal was taken on, they climbed over the tender. As the train was about to start, after coaling, two of the men confronted Engineer Ben Young and Fireman Mccullough and commanded them to stop
 | Don't move for your life," cried one of the robbers, but the engineer and fireman paid no heed to the command, and made a spring for the robbers. They were met with shots from the re- volvers in the hands of the robbers, which laid them low for the time being. Engineer Young was seriously wounded. He was shot twice, one of the bullets entering his shoulder and blowing through the arm down to the elbow, where it made its exit, and the other penetrating his back and lodging in his left hip. The fireman received a shot in the forehead and one in the leg.
 The two robbers then proceeded to the express car to demand admittance, but they were met with volley from the express messenger and Conductor Odum, who had gone to the express car to sec the messenger. Volley after vol ley was fired by both besieged and be- siegers, until the door was shot full of holes. Finally, the bandits, with a sledge hammer, broke in the door. The trainmen had erected barricade of boxes and express packages, and reg ular fusilade began.
 The robbers introduced novel tactics in gaining an entrance to the car. When the men in the express car had emptied their revolvers and were reload ing them, the robbers tried plan for which they had prepared They had grab hooks. These they fastened on | r,f+ +la nd lowered themselves from the roof to the top of the door. This was done to avoid being tar get for the bullets that soon began to pour through the door from the inside. The railroad men were aiming low, while serenely above them the two robbers were yielding heavy sledge. The door did not withstand the assault and soon an opening large enough for the robbers to enter showed itself Through this they leaped and, revolv- CTS in hand, faced the conductor and messenger, both similarly equipped. Then followed the battle royal.
 In the meantime one of the brakemen had gone to the rear and aroused the passengers and asked those who had arms to come to the assistance of the trainmen. Among the passengers was an old time brakeman named Jake Sanders. He had been out hunting and had shotgun with him He imme- diately proceeded to the express car, shotgun in hand, and on arriving there began firing on the two robbers in the car, who were slowly gaining supre- macy over Conductor Odum and the ex- pressman. One of Sanders' shots took effect on one of the robbers and he sank to the floor of the car.
 While Sanders was doing yeoman service the third robber, who had kept in the shade up to this time, came out and began firing at Sanders from the shadows of the coal chute. His aim was bad, however, and Sanders escaped unhurt.
 When the wounded robber fell to the floor the two others, seeing the game was up, started on a run and disap- peared in the darkness.
 The wounded robber is known as D. l.. Jones. He carries card from the order of Railway Trainmen, issued by one of the Chicago lodges, and he also I ison, Topeka x Santa Fe at Kansas City.
 The wounded bandit was threatened with lynching unless he made full confession. Jones is Catholic and priest was introduced and Jones then gave the names of the members of the gang as ODwyer and Harding. He also implicated a man by the name of Martin, from DuQuoin, whom he claimed was not with the gang at the time of the robbery.
 | O'Dwyer's home is in this city and his house was immediately surrounded and his surrender demanded. His mother denied admission to the search ing party and they kept guard over the house until daylight, when ODwyer gave himself up and is now in jail with | Jones.
 One of the escaped men was badly wounded by shot from the hunters | gun fired into the car where Conductor |