The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-14
TEE BOLDEST ON RECORD.
MAsTERLY TRAIN ROBBERY ALMOST
INSIDE CHICAGO SUBURBS.
Some Estimate the Doodle at Three Hundred
Thousand Dollars-Floor Of the Express
Car Blown Out With Dynamite.
Not the Work of Amateurs,

Lake shore uepOU TuSceu INTO tne Hdr-
rison station aud told the lieutenant
in charge that train No. IA had been
held up and robbed while rolling over
the Indiana marshes. Lieutenant
Shepard ut once sent half dozen Off
GERS to intercept the bandits if they
came toward Chicago. The officers
were given orders to go to South chi.
cago and wait there until daylight.
The sheriff of the county 10 which the
train was held up telegraphed Sheriff
Gilbert of Cook county to be on the
lookout for the robbers, as they were
coming this way.
The express car robbed was one used
by the United States express company
and 1t is reported that the loss by the
robbery amounts to nearly $300,000
including shipment of $250,O0O from
Chicago to New York bank. The
crime is thought to have been the
work of gang of tramps. In the ex-
press car which was robbed was the
body of Mrs. Halleck of Maryches, L.
l., who suicided in the Gale house,
Chicago, after deserting her husband
and being in turn deserted by her
paramour
AT o'clock this morning, on an
nouucement that the train had been
robbed, one of the Lake Shore officials
fastened to the home of Manager
Wygant, who started at Oh ce for the
train pispatcher's Office where special
train vas being made up for the Of
ficials of the railroad.
The party of robbers numbered ac-
cording TO various accounts anywhere
from five to 20 and secured an amount
estimated anywhere between $4,000
and 100000. After the express car
had been shattered with dynamite the
safe was shivered with the same dead
ly explosive and Engineer Knapp of
the express train had gone down with
bullet in his shoulder and another
through his side.
The robbery was one of the boldest
and according to all who will give in
formation upon the subject, one of the
most successful eyer committed east of
the Mississippi river. The officials of
the United States EXPRESS company
claim that their loss is under 100000,
but will give no figures. The state
ment that the robbers secured 100000
was based upon the report that one of
the Chicago banks shipped $3.50, 900 in
currency to one of its New York
correspondents. This sum is now
said to be riding around
with the men who took it from the
broken express car. 1t is a well known
fact that the train which the robbers
despolled at the lonely hamlet of Kes-
Ter, Ind, has frequently carried as
much as $5O0,O00 in currency at one
time. If the robbers secured only
$4,000, as the express officials claim,
they will have hard luck story to
tell each other when they divide.
Railroad detectives and local police
claim the work was done by lnen mex
perienced and new to the business, but
on the face of the returns the figures
show that they knew what they wanted
and wasted no time or energy in going
Their plan of operations was carefully
considered and boldly and systematic
ally executed. They were all mounted,
as the tracks OF horses near the scene
of the robbery shows.
An Associated Press correspondent |
saw today the places where they lev
eled fences ketween the tracks and the
road over which they took their hasty
Everything had been as
prearranged as possible. The !
robbers had first turned the switch on |
the sidetrack at Keslar, knowing the |
red light thus shown would cause the |
engineer to stop. The calculation was
well made. Engineer James Knapp |
saw the danger signal and applied the |
air brake. The next instant he was
covered by revolver and told to
throw up his hands while half a doz- |
EN- men climbed into the cab to en-
phasize the order. Knapp instead !
made an attempt to start his engine |
forward but the next moment fell with |
two bullet wounds, one in his shoul |
der and one in his left side. He was
subsequently taken home to Elkhart |
and may not recover. This was the |
only opposi ion to the robbers, who |
according to the majority |
Of stories, IL or 10.
Leaving two men in charge of the |
engine the robbers went direct to the |
express car ard with a dynamite car
fridge attempted to shatter the car.
The first effort failed, but the second |
was more successful, and the robbers
rushed in on NJ. NJ. Weist and Byron |
B. Hamblin, express messenger aud |
who on looking into the |
muzzles Of iflrs aud half dozen re- |
obeyed and threw up their
hands. ODe of the robbers with a |
heavy sledge knocked the knob off the |
express safe while another procured a !
drill, and in moment had made a
hole through the strong box into |
which dynamite cartridge was in
serted. This exploded without ap- |
parent result, and another and |
another, but when the fifth was fired |
the door gave way and the robbers
seized the contents and running to- |
ward little grove, where their horses |
were concealed, fired volley into the |
air to intimidate possible pursueIs,
swung into their saddles and rode |
q way into the night with their booty |
The conductor and crew kept very |
1uiet, and the passengers we're not |