Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-09-14
Twenty Masked Men Cover The Engine
Men With ReY0lYerS.
THE ENGINEERS PLUCKY FIGHT
An Express Car Blown Open
With Dynamite.
A REPORT THAT 1T HELD $25O,OOO

Bold Robbers Hold Up Lake Shore Ex-
press at a Little Indiana Town, About
14o Miles From Chicago--Tne Engineer
Badly Wounded, After a Plucky Fight
--An Express Car Blown Open and Its
Contents, Said to Include R25O,0O0 in
Gold, Stolen--Pronpt Pursuit of the
Daring Thieves.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, Sept. 12.-Twenty
masked men held up Lake Shore train
140 miles from Chicago, near midnight,
and after wounding the engineer blew
open the safe in the express car and
stole its contents.
The train was the one which drew out
of the Twelfth street depot of the Illi-
nois Central road at 7.45 last evening.
1t reached Kendallville, a small station
in Indiana, little short of four hours
later. 1t went past the town and had
hardly gone a mile through stretch of
timber land when the engineer slowed
up near a curve. AS the engineer ratified
round the turn the engineer saw red
light ahead. When the train came to a
stop dozen men sprang into the cab
and leveled rifles at the heads OF the
engineer and tiremen. The Two rail
road men stood stupetied as the rifle
barrels CLEANED in the Pickering light
and the robbers said:
"TmRow UP YOUR HANDS,"
The fireman was peaceful enough and
lifted his arms at once But the engi-
neer was not so timid. He paid no heed
to the men nor to their arms, and with
a cry of warning ON his lips turned
toward the passenger coaches. A dozen
rifles were quickly turned toward the
plucky fellow and dozen shots startled
the passengers who had been awakened
by the sudden stopping of the cars
THE ENGlNEER WOUNDED.
How many of the shots struck the
poor engineer was not determined, but
he fell with the blood gushing from an
immense wound.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
As the train came to a pause there
was a terrible explosion. The robbers
had put dynamite under the train and
as the stiffness of the lonely place was
broken, the express car cracked and
split and showed huge cash in its side.
The conductor and the brakeman hur-
ried to the platforms only to be
COVERED BY wINcHEsTERs
in the hands of men, who said they
would shoot to kill il a move was made.
The railroad men became mOtionless
and dumb. A guard was put at the
end of each car and the express car was
attacked. The messenger behind his
barricaded door refused to obey the
command of the robbers to open the ex-
press car entrance.
SHOT AFTER SHOT WAS FIRED
at the car, but the robbers soon saw
they could gain no entrance by intimi
datlon. They were prepared for resist
ance. The messenger pouring shot aftei
shot at the robbers, through an opening
was soon disarmed ard with blow In
the head, leveled on the floor senseless
Half dozen of the 90 men then looted
the express car. Dynamite was agair
used in opening the safe and the thieves
used their own time in taking every
i thing they thought worth carrying
4 away. The guards ut the doors of tho
4 passenger coaches were called off, a few
parting shots were fircd-perhaps in thu
air-to warn those on the train that pur
suit meant death and the band of rob
q bers disappeared in the wooded stretcl
of land that skirts the railroad.
GIVING THE ALARM.
As fast as legs could carry them, mes
sengers ran to Kendallville to spreat
tine alarm. The sheriff of the county
aroused from bed, called on all nea
him for help, and soon posse of resi-
"a dents of Kendallville were speedin!
along the highway to the scene of tn
holdup. They secured the vicinity, bea
81 through the brush and travelled mile
through the woods, but they could tint
nothing. Guessing that the robbers ha,
come from Chicago, the sheriff route
eAS telegraph operator and wired :
the Chicago police the story of the rob
berry.
Il ROBBED ONLY ONE CAR.
The train held up was a New Yor
express on the Lake Shore road whic
reaches Kendallville about midnight
It was made up last night of 10 0coachel
two express cars and one baggage ca
The dynamite having wrecked only th
q first express car, the robbers contente
themselves with lootng this alone an
made no effort TO force an entrance
the second.
POLICE MOVE PROMPTLY.
1t was $50 o'clock this morning whe
the special officer at the Lake Shol
depot rushed into the Harrison stree
station and told the lieutenant that tai
No. Ia had been held up and robbie
while rolling over the Indian marshe
Lieutenant Sheppard at once sent half
dozen officers to intercept the bandits
they came toward Chicago. The of
GERS were given orders to go TO Sout
Chicago and wait there until daybreaI
The sheriff of the county in whic
the train was held up telegraphed Sheri
n Gilbert of Cook county to be on II
lookout for the robbers, as they we
coming this way.
81 AS TOLD By A TRAMP.
II A tramp who was stealing ride {
the express car OF the train said the
&. might have been 90 or % men in u