The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-10-19
EXPRESS ROBBERIES

EXPRESS ROeBERIES
/ susee-sfui IIauls Ia California and Viz
gints Large Amounts ~ Booty Cap
tured Tn. Robbers la Both Cases Hcsng
Men Who Thoroughly Understood the
Rusin.s~ frightened rrsinmrn surrcn-
der AT Discretion.
san FRANCISCO, Oct. l3.-A report
from Sacramento states that the east
bound overland train due there al p
m. was held up by two men about
miles below that city Thursday night
The track-walAcr was first robbed ana
then forced 10 start 20 town. The train
robbers then covered the engineer and
fireman with guns and compelled then
to accompany them 10 the express ear
Messenger Page shot twice at the
bandits. The engineer aud fireman
called upon Page 10 open the door, as
the train robbers were going 10 shoot
them II ne did not. and were prepared
10 blow up the car with dynamite.
lie complied with their request in
order 10 save their lives. and the rob
hcrs looted the ear of four bags Of
gold. the amount Of which j. not
known. Then they cut the engine
loose. boarded il and ran toward the
city. The engine was then reversed
and set on n wild run toward the train.
but by the time it had reached its dcs-
tination the steam had run - low that
the collision caused little damage. The
robbers made their escape. The train
arrived AT Sacramento at 1880.
The story of an Eyewitness of the Rob-
berry.
SACRAMENTO. Cal. Oct. iS.-Iames
Cotton. who was beating his way to
Sacramento from >ui>un. probably
saw more Of the robbery than anyone
else. Ills story j. as follows
THE first thing | knew about any
trouble was when the torpedo went
off l; seemed to light the car. said
To i.anley. tramp who was riding on
the forward platform Of the blind bag
gage. where | was riding: There
goes a torpedo: something's wrong.
! swung out on the step and looked
ahead and saw TWO figures on the
track, swinging lanterns. one had
red and the other white lantern.
As the train slowed up climbed
up in the back end ~ the tender
and lay down, while Hanley went
inside the storm doors The next thing
! saw the two robbers. who ran up. on
each side ~ the engine They were
dressed in clo>c-fitting white suits,
wore high-pcaked white caps. exactly
like the pictures | have seen of the
whitecap,' in the east. They looked
like clowns in circus. They had
Winchester rifles but no pistols or
cartridge belts that | could see. The
big one fired his rifle off. and said to
the engineer, ''Get down out of that,
and he quick about it, The en-
ginecr replied i will. will;
don't kill me. I'll mind YOU The
engineer and the fireman accompanied
the robbers. who kept poking them
with their guns. The tall one said.
Get a move on you They went back
AMI uncoupled the four forward ears
from the pa >>enger coaches and brought
the fireman and engineer back to the
engine The tall man stood on the
platform of the first car. and said to
the engineer: Pull out now. -
lively, and 20 till tell you to stop
lone of the robbers kept his gun
aimed at the engineer. and rested it on
my leg, without seeing me. II was an
old gun. with SO large bore that /
thought il was musket at first. After
we had gone about mile the big man
told the engineer to stop.
The big man climbed on the tender
and saw me for the first time. lie
pointed hi> rifle at me and said: who
in -- j. thi>?~ ] said: Don't shoot,
mister. I'm only a tramp
Then the men compelled the engi-
neer and fireman 70 60 back To the ex-
press ear and call the messenger. The
messenger began to shoot at once. but
was implored not to by the engineer.
saw the four come back presently
bearing a sack each. and heard the
\ large man say the sacks weighed about
seventy-five pounds. though the two
carried by the railroad men were larger
than the other two. They put the
sacks on the engine. told US to get
away from the machine. and then they
pulled out
AS they were bringing the sacks 70
the engine the messenger fired two
shots at them and the engineer said
THAT - fool will kill us yet" The
big robber laughed and said: mo he
won't. he can't hit the side of q
house" They Were the coolest men
ever saw. The mouth opening in the
big fellows mask was very large and
could see that he had dark nous
tache"