The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-10-19
BOLD TRAIN ROBBERY
BANDITS GET AWAY WITH $4,000
IN GOLD COIN.

600 Reward for the Capture OF the Rob-
bers and Recovery of the "Swag"-The
Crime welI-Plnnned and Carried Out.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 13.-Tho bandits
who held up a Southern Pacific overland
train few miles west of Sacramento late
Thursday night, and looted the Wells.
Fargo company express car, secured over
$4,000. They seem TO have eluded the of.
flcers and escaped with their plumber,
which was nearly all in gold and conse.
quently heavy burden Beyond the
mere supposition that the bandits are rail-
way men who have been in the employ of
the Southern Pacific-and the supposition
is based only on their apparent familiarity
with railway methods and their ability to
successfully handle locomotive-the
pursuing officials have very little to work
upon. The astounding success of the hold
up was not known until this writing.
Earlier reports of the robbery gave the
amount of money taken at 81 500.
When inquiries were made at the gen.
eral offices of the Wells Fargo company in
this city, Manager Cooper declined to state
how much plumber the robbers secured,
declaring that it was simply matter be-
tween tho express company and the con.
signees of the treasure. He refused posi-
lively to give any information to the point
The truth came out however, when tho
Southern Pacific issued u circular offering
a reward of $4,000 for the arrest of tho
two robbers and the recovery of the plum
der. In this circular it is stated the
bandits plundered the express car of over
$4,000 in gold The circular announces
that the Southern Pacific company and
the Wells Fargo company will pay S., 500
for the capture of each robber and $1,000
for the recovery of the money or II pro-
portionate amount for any part of the
whole.
Details of the Robbery.
Details of this robbery show it to have
been well planned by men who knew just
what they were about and who were de-
termined that little thing like dilling q
man in cold blood should not interfere with
their scheme. AS soon rs the train stopped
the robbers covered the engineer and fire.
man with guns and compelled them to ac-
company them to the express car. Mes
senger Jack Paige shot twice at the ban
dts and came near losing his life. The en-
gineer and fireman called to Paige to open
the door, as the train robbers were going
to shoot them if he did not and were pre-
pared TO blow up the car with dynamite.
He complied with their request and the
robbers looted the car of gold, which they
loaded on the locomotive and steamed
away in the direction of Sacramento
starting the engine back wild" when
they had done with it.
The robbers waylaid the track walker
on his tricycle. about o'clock, tied him
I..x a.x1 g. II I-RA II
helpless at the side of the track. The track
walker was just pulling out of Sheep
camp and the overland was already in
sight. With the track walkers lantern
the robbers signaled No. to stop. Scott
slowed up, but did not come to full stop
until the explosion Of dynamite bombs
under the engine warned him that it was
useless to proceed further. By this time
the two robbers were on the engine. They
sprang on from opposite sides of the track,
and began shooting at once. The pas
sengers and train hands say quite a num-
Der of shots were fired before anybody
knew what it was all about.
Was n Case of Saving Life.
The robbers forced the fireman to I'M
couple the express car from the train and
then ran that much of the train about five
miles before they stopped and went on
with the robbery. The rest of the train
remained at Sheep camp in imminent
peril of being telescoped by the Oregon
train in the rear. When the captured
cars were halted Engineer Scott and the
fireman were marched back to the ex-
press car, where the robbers made de-
mand on Messenger Paige to open his
door. He refused.
well shoot the engineer and fireman
m in hI1r coiH
of the robbers, the tallest of the two, while.
the other masked man held two dynamite
bombs up TO view in the clear moonlight
and threatened to blow the express car to
pieces unless it was opened at once.
Still Paige hestated and some shots
were fired through the glass door at him,
one of which grazed his temple and filled
it with broken bits of glass Then the en-
gineer called out to Paige to open the
door. Were covered with guns and they
will kill us II you don't open," said Scott.
Still Paige resisted and began to fire
through the door, but his aim was wild,
and again Scott, in fear of his life, called
on the messenger to open, saying that the
robbers would surely blow him up unless
he gave up. The messenger finally opened
the door. One robber then covered the
messenger and the engineer and fireman
coin.
Finally Opened the Door.
1t was soon found. ~ was about out Of
ammunition" said Messenger Paige, land
Scott was so badly frightened that i
opened the door to save his life. / am sure
they would have killed him if had held
back moment longer" The engineer
and fireman were ordered to jump into the
car. The robbers followed them. Train
No. 10 was close behind and the bandits
evidently knew that their time was pre-
cious. The engineer and fireman were
made to carry the booty to the engine and
deposit where directed.
The robbers mounted the engine and
rode off, leaving the engineer and fireman
behind. They went down the read toward
Sacramento and then they reversed the
lever and sent the engine back TO the
stalled train. Low steam was all that pre-
vented n smash-up as the result of this
part of tho game. Train No. 10, the Ore
gon express, came along and pushed the
three detached sections of train No. 3 into
Sacramento, where they arrived at 1890