The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-09-16
HELD I. 81 UP A TRAIN.
An Express Car on the Lake Shore
Road Robbed.
The Affair Occurred In Indiana and tho
Burglars Are Said to Have Secured
815O,OOO-A Bold aud
Daring Crime.
GOT A BIG SUM.


in the the history of Noble county has
there been such an atrocious crime
committed as the robbery of the United
States express car on the Lake Shore
& Michigan Southern train near Kess-
ler's sidetrack Monday night at mid
night The boldness and daring with
which it was carried out were equal to
the efforts of the James boys in their
palmiest days. The attempted murder
of the engineer and the blowing up of
the safe, from which $4,000 was OBJ
tanned, show that the bandits were
daring and skilled in their work.
THE THIEVES ESCAPE.
After the robbery the thieves fed
into the thick timber surrounding the
place where the robbery was DONE
The train proceeded on it's way. The
railroad and express officials at once
notified the police in all cities from
Chicago to Cleveland and the citizens
of the vicinity of the robbery formed
posse to hunt down the bandits. 1t is
reported that FIVE men suspected of
having been implicated in the crime
were under arrest.
THE ATTACK.
Kessler, where the robbery occurred,
is small station short distance west
of Kendallville, Ind. The train was
on time and slowed down before
rounding a curve, at which a clump
of trees obscured a view of the
track ahead. AS the curve was reached
Engineer Knapp saw that the switch
light on the Kessler siding was turned
against clear track, showing that the
switch was open. He applied the
brakes and easily brought the train to
stop before the switch was reached.
THE ENGINEER SHOWS FIGHT.
AS he did SO a number Of men board
ed the engine and ordered him and his
fireman to throw up their hands. Re-
volvers were leveled at the trainmen's
heads, but Knapp seized the throttle
and pulled it wide open, at the same
time striking the robber who covered
him in the face. This saved his life,
for as the desperate pulled the trig-
ger the bullet missed the engineers
head and only plowed a furrow in his
shoulder. This, however, felled him to
the floor of the cab and the robbers
shut off the steam, and, while two
stood guard over the engineer and fire.
men, the others attacked the express
car.
USED DYNAMITE.
Dynamite was used in gaining ac-
cess to the express car. AS the train
stopped Express Messenger w. II.
car and saw the gang climbing on the
engine. He and Ell. b. Hamblin,
his assistant, hurriedly barricaded
the doors of the car, but a mo-
ment later they were thrown to the
door by the force of an explosion
which shattered the end Of the car.
Before the express messengers re-
gained their feet they were looking
into the muzzles of revolvers in
the hands of half a dozen men,
while others of the intruding party
were busily engaged in getting the
express safe from the car. 1t was
dumped ON the side of the track and
blown open with an explosive supposed
to be dynamite. The robbers hastily
rihed the safe and then firing several
shots from their revolvers over the
heads of the train crew, as warning
against pursuit, left the scene.
THE AMOUNT STOLEN.
While Messenger Hamblin is of the
opinion that the sum secured by the
robbers is but $4,000, man who
claimed to have knowledge of the facts
said that the safe in the robbed car
held about $150,0o0 of Chicago currency
and specie which was being shipped
east. AS the.robbers got all that was
in the safe the reasonable theory is
that their nights work paid them $780,,
900. .-
REWARD OFFERED.
President and General Manager }.
Newell, of the Lake Shore railroad
ordered that 1900 posters be- printed
offering a reward of $1,000 for the
capture and conviction of the robbers,
and thai they be posted broadcast over
the country. He also ordered that
" advertisements offering the same re-
ward be published in all local news
papers along the line of the Lake
Shore railroad between Elkhart. Ind,
and Toledo.
The Caravels Are Ours
L