Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-09-28


| Orleans limited train on the Illinois
| Central road was held UP shortly after
| II O'Clock last night just outside the
| city, and in the battle which followed
/ between the three robbers and the
train hands, one of the robbers was
MORALLY wounded and three OF the
train crew were badly hurt. The
/ thieves got nothing in the way of
| booty, and all the grown inhabitants
/ of this place are on the hunt for the
i two who got away.
! Those who We're hurt i'll the shooting
incident to the attack were LugIAtrr
! Young, Conductor Odum, Fireman Nc
DOwel, and a robDer, name not known.
| The train held up left Chicago at ,
/ O'Clock yesterday afternoon and reach
ed this city at 11:O5 o'clock. Its stop
was very short, but in that time three
men, heavily armed and carrying tools,
| boarded the front end of the express
car. The lights of Centralia'S streets
had scarcely disappeared from view
and Engineer Young had hardly pulled
open wide the throttle, when both Fire
man Mcdowell and the engineer heard
a noise on TIE tender behind them. Both
turned, and staring them in the face
were two big revolvers.
Keep your mouths shut, and stop
the machine, or We'll shoot" the rob
bers cried.
The engineer and fireman both
sprang at the robbers. There was Il
clear track ahead. The two railroad
employees had hardly reached the foot
Of the coal heap, when both fell wound
ed One of the masked robbers sprang
over the forms of the bleadiI g men,
and putting his hand on the lever,
stopped the train. One of the robbers
then ran back to the coaches and, re
volver in hand, stood guard over bag
gage Master Armstrong and Brakeman
Stacey. The two other thieves climb
ed to the top of the express car, in
whic.- were the messenger Of the Amer
lean Express company and Conductor
Odum. They were just beginning to
get curious as to the stopping of the
train when they heard furious pound
ing on the express car door.
open the door, or Wen blow you
up they heard a man say.
Their reply was a shot from a re-
yOIyer. This was followed by another
and another. The men outside also
| took part in the fusillade. The attack
! took Il new turn. The men in the car
| had emptied their revolvers and We're
| Tolf inc Tn nj n
! berS tried 4 novel plan, They had
graphing hooks. These they fastened
on the top of the express car, and with
ropes lowered themselves to the top
of the door. This was done to avoid
being targets for the bullets that soon
commenced to pour through the sides
| Of the coach from the inside. The
railroad men were keeping low, while
serenely above them two robbers were
welding a heavy sledge. The door did
not withstand the assault and soon
an opening large enough for the rob-
bers to enter showed itself. Through
this they leaped and, revolvers in hand
| faced conductor and messenger, both
similarly equipped. The messenger
and conductor, partly barricaded by
boxes and packages, fired at the rob-
bers as fast as they could shoot The
thieves fired too. The conductor re-
ceived a slight pistol wound in the
hand Neither side seemed to be able
to conquer, when help came to the
railroad Employees.
On the train was P j. Sanders,
brakeman on the road. He came to
the rescue of the conductor and mes
Senger, armed with a shotgun. He at
tackled the robbers from the rear, and
shot one Of those in the express car
through the body. The others, seeing
their companion fall, fed and got
away through the trees and fields.
One of the train hands hurried back
TO Centralia with the news and the
town was aroused. In half an hour
posses of men were beating the country
near the place where the train was
held up in a hunt for the fugitives.
The officials Of the American Express
company were notified early this morn
ing of the attempted robbery and two
of them left for Centralia. 1t is not
known how much money was in the
express messengers care, but it is
said that the amount would exceed
$4,000. The express company officials
received a message early this morning
saying that the wounded robber would
not live.
The wounded robber who gave his
name as George Jones was carried to
the station. On his person was found
passes under the name of Dan l.. Jones,
and a travelling card from a Chicago
order of Railway Trainmen. issued
Aug a, also a sWitchman's card is
sued by the Santa Fe route at Kansas
City. He gave the names of the other
two robbers as Martin Nichols and J.
Hardin There was some talk by the
passengers of hanging Jones to a tel
egraph pole, but Centralia officers pro
tected him.
Engineer Benz. Young was shot in
the shoulder and in the center of
the back The fireman was hit in the
chin and forehead, one ball lodging in
the neck. Conductor Odum received a
painful wound in his right hand. All
of tie train crew live at Centralia.
Martin Nichols and James Hardin
We're captured early this morning in
4 cornfield not far from the scene of |
of the ''hold-up." A fourth man, whose |
name is yet unknown to the railroad /
officials, was caught about 6 O'Clock this !