The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-17
ROBBERS DITCH A TRAIN.
7HEY sHooT TWO MEN DEAD AND
WOUND THIRD.
The- They Blow Open The Express csr
with Dynamite Bombs snd Get Away
with About Twenty Thousand Dollars.


with DTnsmits Bombs and Get Away
with About Twenty Thousand Dollars.
Los ANGELES. Cal. Feb. 1e.-A gang Of rob-
bers wrecked passenger train No. 20 on the
Southern Pacific Railroad at Roscoe station.
twelve miles north OF here. at l o'clock this
morning Thehighwaymen blew open the ex-
press car with dynamite and fred several
shots at the trainmen who attempted to es-
care. Those shot By the robbers or injured in
the wreck are:
Fireman Arthur Mastora SHOT and Killed while ex-
Treating himself from the wrecked locomotive.
- Granger. who was stealing . ride on the train,
shot and killed by robbers
Engineer David Thomas. probably fatally injured by
falling on his locomotive
Brake msn Foster. cut on head and BADLY bruised
The robbers escaped with several strong
boxes belonging to the Wells Fargo Express
Company. None Of the passengers, so far as
known with the exception OF the tramp.
Granger. was Injured.
The train was late in leaving Los Angeles
last night Besides the baggage. express, and
three passenger cars. there were two cars
loaded with fruit for San Francisco. At Bur-
bank. six miles north OF this city. Conductor
Odell tolegraphed back. Indicating that at that
time everything was all right.
Several rough looking men boarded the
| train at Burbank. and 1t is believed they were
! the accomplices OF the robbers. who were
| waiting further north to throw the switch and
| ditch the train. At Roscoe. ak miles north OF
| Burbank, 10 a short spur leading from the
main line to a side track used for switching.
| As the locomotive neared the junction, En-
Glnser Thomas saw by the glare OF the head
| light that the switch was open. He reversed
| his engine and tried to stop the train. but the
| heavy load behind was too much to be stayed
| in the short distance. and the locom olive and
| two fruit cars left the rails and fell wreck
| into the ditch.
| Before the passengers and Conductor odell
| could realize what had happened. three
| mask cd mon iumpe into view from the woods
adjoining the track with rifles In their hands.
| A vollay was fred at the engineer and
G-emen. who were struggling to escape from
tho tangled wreck. and then the gang kept
on shooting to terrify the passengers and pre-
| vent them from leaving tho cars Fireman
Masters was Instantly killed at the first fire.
A tramp named Granger was also struck by
bullet and died on the spot. The engineer
S brush SH out Of sight s Of the robbers INV '"'
=, When the shock Of the accident was p felt
BANK e isit tho rear coach and hurried to the
express car. which stood on the rails unnamed.
Slo e.: do 1ar ih Hs @:
HT EdEs WAS ~ E nss
woods. near the railroad. gal oped north.
Foster. the brakeman. was in one Of the pas
a %oft H as soon as 'f he heard the ride
s snIts and % msae ' his way coward lishf
he saw across the country. which proved to pc
ransn ana ss T The dS n
drove to Burbank and notified the deputy
sh fSe s g the p4Ff scao and w.Farco off,
cials In this city Were notified Of the robbery.
A.nsworth. the railroad CONF any's surgeon.
was sent to Roscoe. but found no one to care
The bodies OF Firemen Masters and Granger
were brought back to this city. None OF tho
tse op s R. 10
up q continual fusillads.
The San francisco authorities were notified
COMPANY and the wsIs-Fargo Express COM
pany sent men south to work on the case. A
the track. and traffic was resumed within a
few hours after the accident,
port that they followed the trail Of the robbers
to / ,ankershim. four miles toward Ventura:
| and several tags used by tho express company
| on sacks Of coin These had evidently been
torn OH and dropped on the way by the
Engineer Thomas prompt action in reycrs-
| ing his engine undoubtedly saved many lives.
for had the heavily loaded passenger coaches
followed the l0e0motiSe tnfo , ihe ditch man. ~
tsS pshots the sSn s0u
The robbery Is ono OF the boldest and most
successful crimes perpetratsd In the state for
years. The three men engaged in 1t secured
| not less than $4,000
Tho remarkable feature OF the hold D. which
makes the EXPRESS and railroad detectives
| train was stopped at precisely the same place
as one In Dece mber and that the robbers then
were only dissuaded from ditching the cars by
| the appeals OF tho engineer.
Roscoe is a little siding In tho centre OF q
great plain which has, very few inhabitants
| About ten miles away is the Cahuenga Pass
| in the San Fernando Mountains, which con
tains many sale hiding places for criminals
Given a few hours start. and any man who
knows the country could elude pursuit
| This makes the country better field for
train robbery than the San Joaquin plains
where Evans and Sontag operated for several
years From the desperate actions OF these
robbers, as well as from their systematic way
Of attack, they were at first thought to be
Evans and Morrell hut II is scarcely credible
that Evans would allow third man TO travel
with him and his partner for fear OF betrayal
Rewards OF $1,000 have been offered for the