St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-19
PLOT OF The ROBBERY.
LiBERTE, A FIREMAN, GIVES UP TIE
WHOLE SCHEME
OF THE HALLWAY ROBBERY.


General Manager PhiIbin, of the
Mesaba Road, Tells an Inter
esting Story = Several Train
men Implicated-The Missing
Money Located and the Thieves
Arrested Twelve Implicated.
DULUTH, Mimi, Sept. 19.-General
Manager Philbin. of the Mesabe road,
returned this morning from Marquette,
and tells an interesting story of the
capture in Marquette Sunday evening
of the robbers who held up the Mineral
range train Friday morning. The case
against the robbers, says Mr.. Philbin.
was worked UP from clue furnished
10y the engineer OF the train. The man
who covered hun with revolver while
the robbery was going on showed a
familiarity with the working of the
engine that proved that one of the rob-
bers, at least, was an old railroad man.
The engineer was unable to see the
mans features for the mask which COW
cred them, but recognized the mans
voice, and i'll his report stated that he
hso quiz ItiO ldu OOC
employed on the road. Suspicion fell
upon young Frenchman named
Liberte. who was formerly fire.
man on the Mineral Range road.
1t was discovered that he had
been missing from his home in
Marquette for two days at the time of
the robbery, and that Wednesday he
borrowed a revolver which he returned
Saturday. Saturday search was made
for him, but he could not be found.
When the officers inquired at the house
they were told by his mother that she
did not know where he was. The man.
ager of the South Shore evolved the
plan by which Liberte was captured.
The young Frenchnan only week or
two before had applied for position on
the ROAD as brakeman. and the call boy
was sent to his house as is done when a
man is wanted for any
TRAIN CREW.
The boy left word that Liberte was
wanted to go out on train and that he
was to bring his dinner pail ready for
work, Liberties mother denied he was
at home when the boy called, b ut a few
minutes before the time set for the de-
parture of the train Liberte came to the
office of the general manager and was
arrested by the marshal, who was in
waiting.
Liberte at first denied all knowledge
of the affair, and it was decided to take
him to H0ughton. A special was made
up and he was put on it with the Off
GERS, but before the train was out of the
yards Liberte weakened and said that
if the officers would take Kim back to
Marquette ne would make full con-
fesslon. In jail at Marquette he told a
tale which implicated the express mes
Senger Hogan, who was in charge of the
money, Jack King, the wrestler, a
brother of Hogan's who was formerly
all express messenger, the baggage mas
ter of the South Shore road at Mar
quette, Marquette saloonkeeper and a
liveryman of the same place. The two
latter were not present at the time of
the robbery, put knew Of it and gave
aid to the gang. According to the story
told the express messenger was one of,
If not the ringleader of the plot. 1t is
believed that he furnished the informa-
ton as to the train the money was on,
and pointed out the place where it could
best be tagged and then robbed. He
made a pretense at resistance to de-
ceiVe the rest of the train crew, but gave
up the money willingly.
Liberte stated that after the money
was taken from the car it was put
=s-s INTO a TRUNK
and checked as baggage from HoughtOn
to Marquette. The baggage master at
Marquette, while not originally in the
plot, knew of the contents of the trunk
very shortly after its arrival, and in this
way was made party to the crime.
Liberte. after he had made his con-
fesSion. showed the officers where the
trunk was to be found, but when it was
opened the contents had been removed
and Secreted in some other place.
Liberte declared that he knew the
money was in the trunk when it left
HoughtOn, but that he did not know
what became of it. Afterwards he told
the officers where portion of it was
likely to be found, and some of it was
recovered last night. There was good
reason to suspect that the remainder
quette depot. and when Mr.. Phil
bin left Marquette at midnight
three places were being watched.
and Llberte said that the money
would be found in one of the three
places. Although he did not admit it,
the hints he gave the officers as to the
probable location of the money lead
them to believe that he knew all about
the removal of the money from the
trunk after its arrival at Marquette, and
they had no doubt of their ability to
induce him to tell where all of it could
be found. The officials of the South
Shore road believed that of the money
they had not yet recovered when Mr..
PhiIhIn left that mt than 90 rOn
would be entirely lost.
The developments of Sunday night
were kept a secret i'll Marqu ette and
nothing was known of it there until
today. There are altogether about
twelve men Implicated in Liberties con-
fession, and up to midnight all but one
of them were under arrest. The story
was kept secret SO that all might be
captured before they could be alarmed
by any of the arrests or by the news of
Liberties confession.