Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-02-22
DARING HoLD-uP.

| A Southern Pacific Express Train Deran'
| ed Twelve Miles North of Los Angeles
| Cal, and the Crew Fired Ep0n by Traix
| Robbers-The Express Car BLOWN Open
with Dynamite and LOoted-Evans and
NIorrel Suspected-The Fireman and q
Tramp Killed.
| Los ANGELES, Cal, Feb. IA gang
of train robbers wrecked passenger
! train No 80 on the Southern Pacific
railroad at Roscoe station, twelve miles
| north of here, at l o'clock yesterday
| morning. The highwaymen blew open
| the express car with dynamite and
| fred several shots at the trainmen
| who attempted to escape.
The robbers escaped with several
strong boxes belonging to the Wells.
Fargo Express Co., but the total
| amount of cash is believed to amount
| to not more than $1,000.
| A Most Daring and Cool Piece of Work
None of the passengers, so far as
known, with the exception of tramp
named Granger, were injured. The
robbery was the most daring and cool
piece of work done in the west in
years, and it is believed that Chris
Evans and Morre1l, the outlaws for
whom California officers have been
searching for weeks. planned and ex-
ecuted the crime.
The train was late in leaving Los
Angeles. Besides the baggage, ex-
press and three passenger cars, there
were two cars loaded with fruit for San
Francisco. At Burbank, six miles
north of this city, Conductor Odell
telegraphed back, indicating that at
that time everything was all right.
Boarded by q Gang of Toughs.
Several rough-looking men boarded
the train at Burbank, and it is believed
they were accomplices of the robbers,
who were waiting further north to
throw the switch and ditch the train.
At Roscoe. six miles north of Bur-
bank, is short spur leading from the
main line to side-track used for
switching. AS the locomotive neared
the junction Engineer Thomas saw by
the glare of the headlight that
The Switch was Open.
He reversed the engine and tried to
stop the train, but the heavy load be-
hind was too much to be stayed in the
short distance and the locomotive and
two fruit cars left the rails and fell a
wreck into the dlCcn.
Before the passengers and Conductor
Oden could realize what had happened,
three masked men jumped into view
from the woods adjoining the tracks,
with rifles in their hands.
A Volley of Shots.
was fred at the engineer and fireman,
who were struggling to escape from
the tangled wreck. and then the gang
kept up fusillade of bullets to terrify
the passengers and prevent them from
leaving the 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 was badly hurt,
but managed to crawl into the brush
out of sight of the robbers.
Wrecked with a Bomb.
When the shock of the accident was
felt the accomplices who boarded the
train at Burbank left the rear coach
stood on the rails unframed. They
placed bombs under the car, and the
explosion tore the doors from the car.
uninjured. The thieves then rified the
car of all its contents, and mounting
horses, which were tied in the woods
near the railroad, galloped north.
Escaped to Give an Alarm.
Foster, the brakeman, was in one of
the passenger coaches at the time of
the accident, and realized that robbers
were at work as soon as he heard the
rife shots. He quietly slipped from
the train and made his way toward
light he saw across the country, which
proved to be farm house. Foster got
a team at the ranch and after arousing
the neighborhood, drove to Burbank
and notified the deputy sheriff at that
place.
A Relief Train Sent to the Scene.
The Southern Pacific andWells- Fargo
officials in this city were notified of the
robbery, and train was sent at once
to the scene. DIR. Ainsworth, the rail-
roads surgeon, was sent to Roscoe, but
found no one to care for but Engineer
Thomas.
The bodies of Fireman Masters and
Granger were brought back to this
city. None of the passengers ventured
to move outside to see what caused the
stop, as the highwaymen kept up
continual fusilade of shots.
Bears the Stamp of Evans Work,
The belief that Evans and Morrell,
who escaped from the Fresno Jail sew
eral weeks ago, participated in the
robbery is shared by many railroad and
express officials.
The job was such a cold-blooded and
desperate piece of work that officers
familiar with the two desperadoes,
agreed that it bears their trade mark.
A Previous Attempt Frustrated.
It is not over six weeks ago that
previous attempt was made to hold up
a Southern Pacific train at Roscoe sta
ton. BY a mere accident the plan was
frustrated. The fact that the train
which left Los Angeles Thursday night
was late proved to be of value to the
robbers, for the engineer, in trying to
make up the lost time, was running at
q fast rate, and could not therefore
stop his train when he came in sight of
the open switch. Engineer Thomas
prompt action in reversing his engine.
however, saved many lives, for had the
heavily-loaded passenger coaches fol-
lowed the locomotive into the ditch,
many people would have been killed or
exposed to the shots of the highway
men.
Those who do not accept the theory
that Evans and Morrell had hand in
the robbery point to the fact that there
were five or six men in the gang and
claim that these desperadoes do not
hunt in SO large company; but the
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