The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-02-16
DYNAMITED
A Southern Pacific Passenger
Train Robbed.
The Express Car is NearlyBl0wn
to Pieces.
MAKES al BOLD RUN.
Express Messenger Hurriedly
Gets a Team
MAKES A BOLD Run.
And Drives to Next Station to
Give the Alarm.

Los ANGELES, Cal, Feb. Southern
Pacific train No. 20 was robbed at Ros-
coe station this morning AT o'clock
This is the place that the same train was
robbed about six weeks ago The train
was delayed ia leaving here and did not
get away until about 11.3O last night
1t was heavily loaded with passengers
and the Wells-Eargo c0mpany's ship
ments were unusually heavy The train
reached Burbank, about six miles north
Of this city, and reported back aH right
AT Roscoe, four miles north of Burbank,
there IS no station, butt a siding
As the train approached the switch,
Engineer Thomas saw, too late. that the
switch was misplaced, AND vainly tried
to stop the train, but he could not do If,
and the engine and two fruit cars went
into the ditch, the engine turning over
and burylng the engineer and fireman.
Two two fruit cars were q total wreck.
AS soon as the wreck occurred the
masked men sprang up out of the bushes
and commenced fusIlade, and every
body knew that the mission of the das-
peradoes was robbery. al few seconds
later couple Of dynamite bombs were
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 neigh boring 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 ear, as they had their
own way when he left. He said that
Engineer Thomas was badly hurt as we'll
as the fireman, and DR. Ainsworth, the
company surgeon here, left on light
engine for the scene.
Foster could not tell whether any pas
sengers were hurt but thought they
We're only badly shaken up. Two posse
of deputy sheriffs have just left for tho
scene and a Wrecking train IS now maxi
ing up to clear the track. Foster has an
idea chat Evans and Morrill, may have
participated il the affair, but IS there are
three men, TINS Is hardly deemed proba-
bic.
A fusilade Of pistol shots was contin-
uou5ly kept up and it is not unlikely
that some Of the train crew or passen-
gers may have been hurt before they
found out what the matter was II IS
almost certain the express messenger
was hurt, ais the two explosions of dyna-
mite bombs were said to have been ter
rifle.
al o'clock this morning surgeon
was dispatched on an engine to attend
to the injured, wrecking train follow
ing
The wrecked engine went down the
bank ten feet Engineer Thomas
jumped and ran, but Fireman Masters
who was pinioned between the cab and
tender died as he was taken out. Harry
Edgar the express messenger in charge
of the Wells-FargO car and the only
person in it, gave version Of the affair
as follows.
"Ihe first thing / knew was a terrible
shock, and I at once knew there was
wreck, Of course did not know what was
the matter. 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 eX-
pl0ded
"It shattered the door into splinters
and the whole car was soon filed with
smoke. The robbers then began shoot
ing, warming me in the meantime to open
the door quickly. They showed a rifle
under the penalty of death The
they could opened the Wells Fargo
box and they took what little silver there
was 4 saw only two men"
Besides Arthur Masters the fireman,
an unknown tramp was killed. The
Wells-Fargo express car was rihed Of its
contents.
one report has it that Fireman Arthur
Master was killed by the robbers bullets
as he was extricating himself from the
wrecked engine, and that tramp named
Granger, who was stealing q ride, was
also killed by the volley from the rob
bers. The express messenger, according
to some reports was buried under the
ru ins IF his car.