The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-06-07
Held UP IN HIS CAR.
a STORY OF THE KENDALLWLLe ROB.
Berry FROM THE INSIDE.

btN' INCW lFlE NNolbIs
An Express Messengers Thrilling Tale. .
The Robbers seemed to Be Pretty Good
Fellows at Heart-How They Got Into
the Burglar Proof safe.
Express Messenger NJ NJ Weist, who
was blown up by the train robbers near
keudallville, Ind, had just returned from a
trim over the Lake Shore road and very
readily told Of his thrilling experience in
ia, famous robbery He has lived in Buff
fal' about year and has been an express
me senger on the Lake Shore road for 10
years.
We were rolling along at a good lively
rat, My assistant, h. b. Hamlin, and my
self were alone in the car. 1t was about
1880 in the morning The lights were turned
low, and most of the passengers back i'm the
coaches and sleepers were asleep. just as
We were approaching the switch at kess-
Ter the emergency brakes We're suddenly
apr lied with great force, and the train came
to quick stop. I opened the door Of the
car and looked ahead | saw at once that
the red switch light was turned on us,
which caused the engineer to stop so sud
denly. Before had time TO look a second
time or shout to the engineer crack
bring" sounded a pistol shot by the en-.
glne, and | knew what was the matter.
They're after us, ! said to Hamlin, and
closed the door and fastened it as quickly
as possible. Then l went to the local safe
and took out bag of currency and all the
vallables | could get hold Of and threw
them over among the boxes and packages
ia e freight end of the car. That was the
last / knew for some time When ] recov-
ore' consciousness, | was lying on the floor
OF the car, and two of the robbers were in
sid at work
Immediately after stopping the train
they had placed dynamite bomb on the
outside sill of the car door, and the eXplo-
sion, the great conclusion, is what made
me unconscious. When | came to, ~
said, two of them were.iuside and had the
lamps lighted. The chimneys had been
broken by the shock, and as the car was
full Of smoke you can imagine that it was
something like a nightmare to rouse up
from Inconsistencies and see those two
masked robbers in there through that dim,
smoky light. The moment stirred, one of
them, the shorter one, covered me with a
winchester rife. Hamlin was guarded in
the same way. They had red handkerchiefs
tied over their faces up to their eyes and
tucked down around their necks.
We're here for business" said one of
them as staggered up to a half standing
position. 1t was the tall one-the leader
who spoke.
"a see you are, - said /.
Where is the money!" he asked.
IN the large safe, most of it, | replied,
What have is in the local safe"
well, | want it," he said. l threw the
door open and told him to help himself.
There is nothing in there To amount to
any hing but Niger jewelry and valuable
papers" | said as | opened the door.
well, I'll see, and id quick too" he
replied, and began to pull the things out
of the safe.
want to explain to you that there are
two safes in an express car. One is the sta
tiouary safe, which has all the greatest val
uables, and the local safe in which we carry
things of less value and small amounts OF
money We always call all jewelry mig
ger iewelry. The stationary safe we never
open. The dial is taken off the lock at one
end of the route and not opened until it
gets TO the other end-that is, say between
Chicago and New York or between San
Francisco and Chicago.
But to yet back to the robber. He pulled
out Two orthree packages, and after break
ing them open and finding no money in
them seemed to fly into a most furious
rage The jewelry he didn't want and
Threw IL on ine uOor. III some Oh tue pack
ages there was some railroad money but
he admit know where to look for iU and SC
didn't find it, Then he turned to me, and
with the most frightful oath that | ever
heard asked me, Where is the money!"
In there" | said, turning to the station
AIRY safe.
open t." he demanded.
~ can't" said l.
Then You open it," he said, turning TO
Hamin.
~ can't, said Hamlin, and then | ex-
planned to him that the dial was Off and we
had no way of opening it.
"Well, I'll open it ID quick" he
growled and ordered some one outside the
car 10 get him pickaX. At this point
asked him if | might pick up the freight
bills that he had thrown about on the floor,
and he gave me the privilege. gathered
them up, and we talked all the time. BY
that time he had got a sledge hammer and
told his partner to order us to the rear OF
the car and allow us to make a barricade OF
the .reight boxes. did not know what
this was for at first, but soon saw. 1t was
TO protect us from the explosion when ht
blew open the safe We made a little bar
ricade, and the watcher got behind it with
Us, .eeping us covered with winchester
rifle all the time.
Then the other man went TO work al
the safe He struck it twice with the
sled e and then, after STOPPING over anC
fussing about minute lighted fuse ant
sprulg back near where we were. TheI
came a discharge and Immediately he would
rush back again. He put four cartridges il
the safe before he blew it open sufficient!
to suit him. ! know that he must hav
been an expert safe blower because wa
told that the safe was burglar proof, but b