Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-02-21
WRECKED BY TRAIN ROBBERS
Missouri Pacific Express Deraed Several
Persons Hurt ard a Big Sum Taken.

P0rS0nS HJPC ara q Big sum ak0n.
Los ANGELES, Cal, Feb 16.-Southern
Pacific train No 20 was robbed at Roscoe
station this morning about l o'clock.
This is the place that the same train
was robbed about six weeks ago. The
train was delayed in leaving here and
did not get away until about II 80 last
night. 1t was heavily loaded with pas
sengers and the Wells-Fargo Co s ship
ments were unusually heavy.
The train reached Burbank, about six
miles north of this city, and reported
back all right At Roscoe, four miles
north of Burbank, there is no station,
but siding. AS the train approached
this switch, Engineer Thomas saw, too
late, that the switch was misplaced.
He vainly tried to stop the train, but he
could not do it and the engine and two
fruit cars of oranges went into the ditch,
the engine turning over and burying
the engineer and fireman. Two fruit
cars were total wreck.
AS soon as the wreck occurred, three
masked men sprang up out of the
bushes and commenced fusilade, and
everyone knew that the mission of the
desperadoes was robbery. In a few
minutes a dynamite bomb was placed
under the express car. The messenger
refused to open the car and the whole
side was blown off.
Brakeman Foster rose to the emer-
gency as soon as he heard the shots and
made run for a neighboring ranch
house where he saw a light. Here he
got team and drove back to Burbank
and gave the alarm. He cannot
tell how much the robbers got,
but it is probable that they cleaned
out the express car, as they
said that Engineer Thomas was badly
hurt as we'll as the fireman and DR..
Ainsworth, the company's surgeon
here, left on light engine for the
scene. Foster could not tell whether
any passengers were hurt, but thought
they were only badly shaken up.
Two posses of deputy sheriffs have
just left for the scene and a wrecking
train is now making up to clear the
track. Foster has an idea that Chris
Evans and Morrell may nave partici-
pated in the atfray, but as there were
three men it is hardly deemed possible
A fusilade of pistols, he, says,
was continually kept up, and it is
not unlikely that some of the train
crew of passengers may have been hurt
before they found out what the matter
was.
The wrecked engine went down the
embankment ten feet. Engineer Thorn
as jumped and ran, but Fireman Mas
ters was pinioned between the cab and
died as he was taken out. Harry Ed
gar, the express messenger, in charge
of the WellsFargo car and the
only person in it, gave a version
of the affair as follows: 1.-THE first thing
l knew was a terrible shock and | at
once knew there was a wreck, but of
course did not know what was the mat
ter. The explosion of dynamite
bomb was the next thing heard at the
right hand door. | was standing near
the center of the car when the
bomb exploded. 1t shattered the
door into splinters and the
whole car was soon filled with smoke.
The robbers then began shooting, warn
ing me in the meantime to open the
door quickly. They showed rife in
the door. | obeyed them under the
penalty of death. Two robbers came in
and got all they could. | opened the
Wells-Fargo box and took what little
silver there was. / saw only two men,"
Besides Arthur Masters, the fireman,
an unknown tramp was killed. The
Wells-Fargo express car was rifed Of
its entire contents.