The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-27


shortly before u o'clock last night with
far different results, however, than the
recent robberies on the Lake Shore &
Michigan Southern at Kessler, Ind, and
Mineral Range road at Hancock, Mich.
The attempted robbery here-for the
bandits went away empty handed-oc-
CURED on the Illinois Central at the
coal chute Just south Of the city. The
train which was attacked by the out
laws was the Chicago-New Orleans
limited which left Chicago at Z O'Clock.
The train was a heavy one and could
not keep up to schedule time, arriving
here about two and half hours late.
Yesterday afternoon three strangers
were noticed lounging around the Illi-
nois Central depot, but nothing was
thought of it at the time, the belief
being that they were waiting for a
passenger train 10 go out of the city.
1t is supposed that these were the
would-be robbers. 1t is believed that
when the limited pulled up here the
robbers got on the front end of the ell-
press car, and when the coal chute was
reached, where coal was taken on, they
climbed over the tender ready to carry
out their plans of deviltry.
As the train was about to start after
coaling, two of the outlaws confronted
Engineer Young and Fireman McDon-
ough and commanded them to stop.
Don't move for your life" Kissed one
of the robbers, but the engineer and
fireman paid no heed to the command
and made a spring for the intruders.
They were met with the shots from the
revolvers in the hands of the robbers
which laid them low for the time being.
Engineer Young Shot.
Engineer Young was seriously
wounded. He was shot twice. one of
the bullets entering the shoulder and
blowing through the arm down to the
elbow, where it made its exit, and the
other penetrating the back and lodging
in the left hip. The fireman received a
shot in the head and one in the leg.
Two robbers then proceeded TO the ex-
press car where they demanded admit
lance, but were met with a volley from
the express messenger and the con-
ductor Of the train, Odum, who had gone
to the express car to see the messenger.
Volley after volley was fired by 10th
the besieged and the besiege-s, until
AAAN hoNA was NAibN Kun VI libAEes IlAld4Ag
the bandits secured a sledge hammer
and broke in the door and then began
another battle between the trainmen
and the robbers. The former had erected
a barricade of boxes and express pack
ages and q regular fusillaGe COM
menced. In the meantime one of the
brakemen had gone TO the rear and
aroused the passengers and asked those
who had firearms TO come TO the as
sistance of the trainmen. Among the
passengers was an old time brakeman
named Jake Sanders, Of DuquOin. He
had been hunting and had a shotgun
with him. He Immediately proceeded
TO the express car, shotgun in hand,
and on arriving there commenced firing
on the robbers in the car, who were
slowly but surely gaining the suprem-
acy over Conductor Odum and the eX-
press messenger. One of Sanders's shots
took effect on one of the robbers and
he sank to the floor Of the car bleeding
prOfusely. While Sanders was doing
Seoman service the third robber who
had kept in the shade UP to this time,
came out and commenced firing at
Sanders from the shadows of the coal
chute. His aim was bad, however and
Sanders escaped unhurt. When the
wounded man fell TO the floor the other
two, seeing that the game was up,
started on a run and disappeared in the
darkness.
AhC
AS soon as the outlaws had taken
their dparture one of the train hands
went back to Centralia and aroused the
marshal, who Immediately organized
searching parties These are now
securing the country. When the facts
became known generally, excitement
was at a high pitch. and there was
considerable talk of lynching; but, fortu-
nately for the wounded man, the cooler
heads in the party controlled, and he
was taken to jail, where a physician
dressed his wounds. 1t is not thought
he can survive. While the shooting was
going on in the express car Conductor
Odum was slightly wounded in the
hand.
The wounded robber, it is said, Is
known as d. l.. Jones. He carries a
card from the Order CT railway train
men, issued by one Of the Chicago
lodges, and he also has a switchman's
card from the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
F'e at Kansas City. The limited always
carried lot of valuable express matter.
While the express people will not talk
on the subject of the robbery, positively
declining to state the amount which
was on the train, 1t is learned from
reliable sources that one OF the safes
contained fully $4,000 in currency. 1t
is believed that the would-be robbers
naQ received information as TO the
amount OF money in the car, and it was
their intention to blow open the safe
with dynamite. AS soon as the passen-
gers on the train had been notified
that robbers were attacking the train,
they hurriedly secreted their valuables
as best they could. and stood about
the cars almost terror-stricken. II the
posse capture the other two robbers, il
will probably go hard with them as
excitement is at a high pitch.
Some Novel Tactics.
The robbers introduced some novel
tactics in their work. When the men
in the express car had emptied their re-
Volvers and were reloading them. the
robbers tried plan for which they had
prepared. They had graphing hooks.
These they fastened on the top of the
express car, and, with ropes, lowered
themselves to the door. This was done
to avoid being a target for the bullets
that soon commenced to pour through
the side of the coach from the inside.
The railroad men were aiming low,
while serenely above them the two rob-
bers were welding heavy sledge. The
door did not withstand the assault,
and soon an opening large enough for
the robbers TO enter showed itself.