Evening journal., 1894-02-17
WRECKED BY ROBBERS.
Gang Of Men Ditch a Train by
Opening a Switch.
RODE AWAY LADEN WITH GOLD.
AFTER Firing a Fusiiiade OF Bullets They
used Dynamite to Blow Up the Express
Car-Two Men Killed In the Wreck.
Detectives Close After the Gang.


Detectives Close After the Gang.
Los ANGELES, Feb. 1.-THE boldest train
robbery that ever occurred In southern
California OF in this state took place at
Roscoe, a small station 10 miles north of
this city. The train was the north bound
Southern Pacific overland No. 90
Most OF the passengers were fast asleep,
and the express messenger, postal clerks
and trainmen were busily engaged In ar
ranging matters for the night. Engineer
Thomas gave a long blast of the whistle as
the train approached the switch this side
Of Roscoe. His face blanched rs he discov
cred a man standing beside the switch with /
a fiaring torch, and his face assumed
more livid hue when he discovered that |
the switch had been left open. He put on
the airbrake and whistled for brakes but /
It was of no avail
The train was going at an unusual rate, |
and the momentum It had acquired pre-.
cluded the possibility OF Immediately bring |
ing IL 10 a standstill to avoid disaster.
About the same time that the engineer no.
ticed the man with the torch he heard the
| sharp cracking OF revolvers, aud many bull
lets whistled past him, breaking the win.
| dows of the cab At the next instant the
train fell over into the ditch.
The Train Ditched.
| At this point there Is a al which runs near
the track Knowing the character OF the
| place Engineer Thomas jumped and ran,
escaping injury. Fireman Masters was not
80 lucky, however, being pinned between
the cab and tender, and he was horribly
burned and crushed. At the moment OF
the overturning of the train two men wear
| ing slouch hats and black masks leaped
from the bushes alongside the track. There
are some differences OF opinion among
those who were on the train as to the num-
Der OF the gang. Al all events the men
commenced lively fusillade from revolv-
ers. After this wild firing one Of the men
went to the express car. pounded on the
door and demanded that it be opened The
messenger refusing to comply, the robbers
placed three or four dynamite bombs on
the sill.
Then followed terrific explosion. near
J ly the whole side Of the car being torn into
splinters. Harry Edgar, who had expected
this procedure, got into the further corner
OF the car and even then narrowly escaped
death or injury from the flying spllnters
Everything In the car was shaken up, and
/ the detonation was most terrific.
CONSERVATION prevailed among those on
board the train. Frightened men and
women jumped from their berths. Con-
ductor Odell and Brakeman Foster thought
I the wreck due merely TO accidental causes
; at first, but when the pistol shots rang out
, and bullets began whistling through the
a car they Immediately changed their opln.
!. ion. Two tramps had gotten on the pilot
OF the engine and were stealing a rid,
when the locomotive jumped the track
One OF them was hurled 30 feet and mirac
ulously escaped injury. The other wai
|. caught aud buried beneath the debris Of
= the engine and was instantly killed. Hil
r body was horribly mangled and lacerated
d His name is Harry Dolly.
z just after blowing up the express car th,
8 robbers, at the point Of a revolver, com
PEELED an extra fireman who had been rid
y ing ON the engine TO get into the car, Will,
4 one robber followed him. This was don,
! In order to protect the robber In case The
messenger fired. Under the command o.
!. the robber the extra fireman carried thl
a contents Of the locked box, which contain
4 ed many sacks OF gold, outside the car
where the other robbers were standing.
q Escaped Laden wi'h Gold.
g All this time the robbers kept up fusil
lade. After gathering into portable shapl
d the valuables the highwaymen turne,
, their attention 20 the overland safe. Thes
4 safes are so constructed that IL require
much time and patience to open them, an,
d the robbers realized the futility Of attempt
o ing Il, so they left it intact and ventel
n their disappointment at their inability 4
take even that by volley from their re
volvers.
After gathering together their booty th
robbers placed IL in gunnysacks, an
% mounting their horses they galloped of 4
$ the direction Of the mountains. 10 is nc
X known how much the robbery Of Wells
, Fargo & Co. netted the robbers but IL
le supposed to be very large amount.
A. Brakeman Foster, when he jumped froI
n the train, espied a light in a window. II
Q. ran TO it with all speed, got horse and d
N once rode back TO Burbank at furiou
ID speed, waking up the telegraph operate
lg and informing the authorities what ha
taken place. Sheriff Cline and three depl
ties at once started in furious storm
the scene. A wrecking train followed, an
NJ DR.. Ainsworth went out on light engir
AZ to give care TO the injured.
IA ofnoers Hot on the Trail.
IN The robbers apparently are going in Il
10 direction of Ventura. Detective Murd
4. says there were at least three robbers
"a the gang. Two Of them drove In bucl
AZ board aud one was on horseback. Mounts
n. officers followed the trail plainly sevs
is miles east Of Cahunga pass, then turnir
a. on the old Ventura road. When sevs
\ miles from the scene of the robbery,
n. binding sandstorm arose, putting a ST
70 further proceedings. Along the ira
the officers picked up quite collection
tags which the robbers cut of, the tai
"A showing that the robbers made quite
an haul. Besides the money packages carril
an of, two Wells-Fargo boxes filled with Vi
"a liable packages were taken. The posse
"a still In pursuit.
~ On reliable authority it can be stat
10 that Marshal Guard said TO his men tn
he will have the miscreants in "A hOul
Sheriff Cline states that he and his dep
ties tracked the robbers to a point sew
Ill miles west of Roscoe, where all trace "
IN lost Cline says all the parties implicat
ny in the affair rode together to the abo
on point and then separated.
be "
Gsrmany's Big storm.
RRRIIN Feb 17-It is estimated that [