Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-09-15
THAT TRAIN ROBBERY.
Some Further Details of the Ex-
press Robbery On the Lake
Shore Road.
Eye Witnesses Tell the Story of
the Trains Hold Up By the
Robbers.
Engineer Knapp Seriously but Not
Fatally 1njured-A Bigger
Haul Expected.

CLEVELAND, sept. l3.-An excited
crowd of several hundred people was at
the Union depot when Lake Shore train
IA pulled in at 9:l5, an hour late. The
gatemen had trouble in keeping them
off the track when the engine ceased
putting, and the long line of mail, ex-
press and sleeping cars came to stop.
The train was crowded with pas
sengers and they all seemed relieved
when they were safely on the depot
platform. G. H. Wood, porter on the
sleeping car Riga, was singled by
United States man, and he told an in
telligent and interesting story:
Saw the Whole Thing.
II saw the whole thing" said Wood,
''and don't mind saying that I was
pretty badly scared. We were running
at a pretty lively rate of speed near
Kendallsville, when the train came to
sudden stop. l was in the vestibule
at the time and Immediately opened
the door and looked out. have made
the run hundreds of times and never
knew the train to stop at that point
before, SO you can imagine my surprise.
Before the train came to full stop the
conductor rushed up to me and said in
an undertone, 'lower your lights little
and don't make any noise; the train is
held up and the devil is to pay. Don't
alarm the passengers, and keep the
doors locked and we may be able to
keep them out of this part of the train
He had scarcely stopped speaking when
there were
Half Dozen Pistol Shots,
followed few moments later by two
loud explosions. I afterwards learned
that the safe had been blown. There
must have been at least 25 men and
they took complete possession of the
train. We conld hear them running
over the top of the train and fitting
past the windows. tried my best to
keep the people in their berths but the
news soon spread and everyone, men
and women, We're rushing about. hid
ing their valuables and losing their
heads. There was not shooting iron
in our car and if any of the robbers had
got in we would have been completely
Il, their mercy. An elderly lady in the
r ga, by the name of Thompson,
tainted"
q. II. Green of Pittsburg, was one of
the passengers in the front coach, just
back of the mail and express cars. He
verified Porter Woods story regarding
the number of the robbers. 1T was
one of the most exciting times ever
experienced" lie said. lit came so sud-
denly that we could scarcely real:z,
(! what was happening until we heard the
shooting. The trainmen all behaved
splendidly and did eve rything possible
to quiet the passengers. AS soon us the
train stopped one of the brakenen
| jumped from the train and hurried back
through the dark to "torpedo" the track
for the next train. Several shots were
fred at him, but as far as I could learn
he was not hurt.
The robbers were in such numbers
that armed resistance on the part of
either the passengers or tlainmen was
impossible, even had we been armed.
The Messengers Story.
Milton NJ. Weiss, the express messen-
ger who was in charge Of the express
car at the time of the attack, said:
''Tl,e first l knew Of the attack was
after the train had stopped, when I
heard two shots outside fired in rapid
succession. My helper, B. B. Hamlin,
then yelled to me that one of the shots
came through the door. 1t came near
hitting him. A moment later the car
was almost lifted from the track by a
terrific explosion. and at the same time
both Hamlin and myself were knocked
violently to the floor on our backs. l
was stunned tor the moment and could
hardly realize what had happened.
When regained my senses l found
myself under large heap of baggage
and shattered woodwork, and two men
wearing masks close by, one having a
WINCHESTER Aimed ut My Head.
and the other fellow covered my helper
in n similar manner. One of the men
spoke telling US not to move or they
would blow the brains out of US. That
is about all can remember of what
was said. There was not much talking