The record-union., 1894-02-17
BOLD ROBBERY.
A North Bound Train Held Up at
Roscoe Station.
NEARLY THE WHOLE SIDE OF THE
EXPRESS CAR BLOWN OPEN.
The Robbers Believed to Have Sc
cured a Large Amount of Money
Account of the Hold-Up as Detailed
by the Engineer of the Ill-Fared
Train.
Special to the REcoRD-UNroS.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
Los ANGELES, Feb. 16.-The boldest
train n-robbery which has ever occurred IN
the State took place at a little after mid
night at Roscoe, a small station thirteen
miles north of this city. The train was
the Southern Pacific overland No. ~,
bound north. The train was scheduled
to leave the Arcade depot at l0:40 O'Clock,
but was slightly delayed. Owing to the
delay, most of the passengers settled
themselves comfortably for the night.
MANY of them were fast asleep before
Burbank was reached. The express mes
sengers, postal clerks and trainmen were
busiiy engaged in arranging matters Tor
the night.
Ever since the train-robbery at Roscoe
a few weeks ago the train hands on the
overland train have had a species OF ap-
prehensive dread about the place. and
appeared to expect a repetition OF that
outrage.
Engineer Thomas gave long blast OF
the whistle as the train approached the
switch this side Of Roscoe. His face was
blanched as he discovered man stand
ing beside the switch with tlarlng torch,
and his face assumed a more llVId hue
when he discovered that the switch had
been left open. lie put on all the brakes
and whistled Tor down brakes, but 1t was
OF no avail. The train was going at an
unusual rate. and the momentum 1t had
acquired precluded the possibility OF I'M
lnediately bringing it 10 standStlu TO
avert a disaster.
About the same time that the engineer
noticed the man with the torch, he heard
the sharp cracking OF revolver, ana
many bullets whistled past MIN, break
ING the windows of the CAB. Almost IN
spontaneously the engine crashed over
into ditch. At this point there Is I'LL IN
which the switch runs nearly fifteen feet
high knowing the character or the
place. Engineer Thomas jumped and ran,
and niraculously escaped injury. Fire
man Masters was pinloned IN between
the cab and tender and was horribly
mutilated and crushed.
At the moment of the overturnlng of
the train two men, wearing slOuch hats
and black masks, leaped from the heavy
bushes alongside the track. They took
positions on either side OF the train and
commenced a furious fusillade from re-
voIvers. After this wild firing, one of
the men went TO the express car, pounded
on the door and demanded that IL pc
opened. Upon the refusal OF the mes
senger to comply. the robber placed
dynamite bombs on the sill.
There enSued Il terrific explosion.
Nearly he whole side of the car was torn
into splinlers.
Harry Edgar, who had expected this
procedure got into the further corner of
car. and even then narrowly escaped
death and injury from the lying splinters
OF wood. Everything in the car was
shaken up. The detonatiOn was most
. terrific one. CONSERVATION prevailed
among those on board the train. Men
and women jumped from their berths
and began crying, praying and lndulg-
ing in all sorts OF lamentations.
Two tramps had gotten on the pilot of
the engine at Burbank, and were stealing
a ride When the locomotive jumped the
track one of then was hurled about fifty
feet, and in a most miraculous manner
escaped injury. The other was caught
and buried beneath the debris of the en-
gine, and instantly killed. His body was
horribly mangled and lacerated. His
name is Harry Daily.
Just after the blowing in of the express
car, the robbers, at the point OF a re-
Volver. compelled an extra fireman. who
was riding on the engine, to get into the
car, while the robber followed him.
Under command of the masked robber
the extra fireman carried the contents of
the local box, which contained many
sacks of gold, outside of the car, where
the other robber was waiting.
All this time the robbers kept up fu-
rious fusillade, firing into the train and
in the air.
After gathering the available portables
of supposed valuables, the highwaymen
turned their attention to the overland
safes. These safes are so constructed that
it requires much time and patience to
open them, and the robbers realized the
futility of attempting 1t, so they left them
intact, and vented their disapproval of
their inability to open them by u vOlley
from their revolvers.
After gathering together the booty they
secured. the robpers placed it in gunny
sack, and, mounting their horses, gal
loped oil in the direction of the mount
aims.
1t is not known how much of the treas
ure of Wells, Fargo IL Co. the robbers
made OF with, but 1t supposed to be very
large amount.
Brakeman Foster, when he jumped
from The train, ran TO house near by,
and getting a horse there at once rode
back TO Burbank. Sheriff Cline and three
deputies started at , O'Clock this morning
III a furious rainstorm TO the scene of the
wrecked train.
The wreck was soon cleared away, and
to-day trains are running usual.
No better place could be secured for the
0GrDeITdlkOB Vi d Q6iIiOnlCdl QSOQ do NUS
coe. Just before the station there is a
short spur which runs out four hundred
feet. and terminates abruptly. AS the
roadbed here is soft and insecure, 1t fol-
lows that train suddenly running on it
with great speed would be overturned
and wrecked.
Thomas, engineer of the train, tells the
following story: 81 was fortunate enough
TO escape the disaster with only the right
wrist sprained and some scratches about
the legs. 1t was bright moonlight, and
objects could be distinguished readily
quite a distance ahead. Roscoe is about
a mile north of Burbank. and as we
approached that point l saw two
men on the station platform. They
were sitting down. 1t made me mad
to think of having to stop on
that upgrade for two passengers Sud-
denly the men arose, and one of them
lighted an oiI-soaked ball of rags or
paper. Then he swung the tireball with
his left hand, and with his right held
Winchester rifle. 1 then saw that thew
were not passengers, but traln-robbers
opening an attack upon US. They opened
M with their guns as the train ap-
preached. one, l think, using the Win
chester and the other two reyolverS at
the same time yelling, stop! Stop herp
I made up my mind TO pull right on and
trv to get away from them, but at that in
slant / discovered that they had the
switch fixed to ditch us. l yelled to
Firetnan Masters to get in and crouch
down away from the flying bullets, and
as did so a Winchester rifle was pohed
through the window at me. and grutf
voice again commanded, Stop! Stop
uerI Hold her upp l thought | was
gone, sure. when looked into that muz-
zle. but | took chances. dropping down
as low as possible in the cab.
'.By this time the engine was off the