The morning news., 1894-07-08
PISTOLS AND DYNAMITE.
Robbers Make an Unsuccessful A.
tempt TO Enter the Express Office.


Results on Either Side-The Robbers
Were Well Armed, but their Plans
Were Badly Laid-Three Men Sup
posed to Have Been the Miscrea nts
Seen Secreting Dynamite Bombs
Near the Bilbo Canal in the Early
Morning Made Their Escape.
The bold attempt to rob the Office Of the
Southern Express Company about 3:3O
O'Clock yesterday morning, a brief ac-
count Of which appeared in yesterdays
MoRNING News, turns out 10 have been
well premeditated, though the plan was
badly laid From subsequent develop
ments it is believed that would-be rob
bers were armed with dynamite, with
which it was perhaps their intention to
blow open the safe in case their plan to
get in the Office succeeded.
There are two night clerks at the office
who divide the time TO watch. Mr.. NJ.
NJ. Matthews was the clerk on duty at the
time, and in the Office with him was FIX
press Messenger Bacon, who was making
up his packages and lists for the morning
train on which he was to 20 out. The
two were stsuding behind long counter
near the money department in the south
ern side of the building The express
messenger was at the end Of the counter
near the window in the corner, while the
night clerk was farther back near the
money department.
CALLED TO A WINDOW
Mr.. Bacon heard a voice behind him
from man outside the window who asked
if he could ship package. The window
was raised, though it is not known
whether the men outside did it easily or
whether it was already up when they
approached. Mr.. Matthews, who was
reading a paper at the other end of the
counter, came up TO the window as he
heardIthe voice and asked the men what
they wanted. He says he could distinguish
only two white men outside, though it is
believed there three in the party. One
Of them replied to him that he wanted
to ship a package. Mr.. Matthews
told them it was too early in the morning
and that they would have to come back
later after the Office was opened. They
were perhaps aware Of the fact that the
express messenger was preparing 10 leave
on the early morning train, and one Of the
men said the package was an important
one and he wanted to get it off right
away.
FIRED AT The CLERK.
The night clerk told him he could not
come in, and as he did so one of the men
showed a large pistol. Mr.. Matthews
reached for his pistol on the counter near
at hand and as he did so the man on the
outside fired at him. The men then
started of, and Matthews fired after them
as they left.
The bullet fired from the robbers pis-
tol struck a thick iron railing Just over
the counter, pierced it and shattered a
glass sign hanging on the other side. The
ball ricochetted and bounded over into
the money department, where it was
| found,
The three men who were sleeping up
stairs heard the noise and came down.
At that time Policeman Pat Rahilly was
| talking with Robert Veach, the night
| porter at the Screyen house He ran
| over to the place where the shots were
heard, and shortly afterward Policeman
! York from the market came up, and an
other policeman from Bay street
AsEARCH BEGUN.
The matter was at once reported to DO
! lice headquarters, and these policemen
! began q search for the robbers Neither
/ of the three policemen who came up saw
/ them, which gives ground TO the belief
| that they turned down Whitaker street
| and then into the lane, through which
| they made their escape.
Ashton, the w2tChman at the Chatham
! bank, says there were three Of the men.
and that they ran across to Whitaker
] Ig+1 +1aa,- Ia i.6 rt,t
search for them ut that time developed
nothing.
THE FINDING OF THE BOMBS.
The sensation of the day was the find
! ing of three dynamite BON bs on the bank
Of Bilbo canal by Mr. w. T.. Clark, the
| superintendent of the dry culture DEPART
! ment in the eastern section of the city.
! Mr.. Clark was walking along the canal
| bank early in the morning when he no
| tlced three men acting very suSpiciously
as he thought They seemed to be trying
| to bury something at the roots Of tree at
/ the foot of Perry street lane. They seemed
/ apprehensive of interference, and one
/ OF the Inen seemed TO be standing guard
! Mr.. Clark walked toward the men and
when they saw him approaching they ran
/ on. lie went up to where thcV had been
and found some very suspicious articles.
/ IheS We're three long yellow pasueboard
/ tJlluutTS WIN long fuses attached and
/ We're evidently explosives of some sort.
From the appearance of the cylinders and
the suspicious actions of the men, Mr.
/ Clark concluded that the cylinders must
be dynamite bombs. He sent them later
to the city exchange by one of his men.
! who gave the account of their discovery.
THE FUSES REMOVED.
The bombs We're the objects of great in
/ tereSt at the city exchange as well as the
cause Of considerable apprehension.
+ The employees of the city exchange moved
around very giugerly while the bombs
were in the building, and exhibited a re-
ueVed appearance when they were re
moved. As matter of fact no one could
positively Identify them as bombs. until
Mr. w a. Dayton, the civil engineer.
came in. Mr. Dayton has had experience
with the use of suln explosives in his
/ line OF business and readily identified
the queerlookinR objects as dynamite
. bombs. and ready for business.
at that lie proceeded to render
them comparatively harmless by removing
the fuses and the caps. He then emptied
out portion Of the contents Of one Of the
cylinders and identified the material as
dynamite. As the city exchange officials
had no use for the bombs, they requested
Mr.. Dayton to take charge of them. which
ne dld, carrying them away with him.
The cylinders were of yellow paste
board, about one foot long and about an