The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-17
Part of q Train and the Engine De-
rallied, and the Fireman and O
Tramp Crushed to Death.
EXPRESS CAR DYNAMITED
Several Bags of Gold and Other
Treasure Carried Away.
Story of the Engineer, Who Escaped by
Jumping and Viewed the Robbery
While Hiding i'm the Cacti.

est robbery that ever occurred in southern
California, or, for that matter, in the state.
took place a little after midnight at Ros-
coe, a small station thirteen miles north
of this city. a train wrecked by
desperadoes, fireman .and tramp killed
and an unknown amount of treasure car
ried off.
The train was the Southern Pacific over
land No. 20, bound north. 1t was scheduled
to leave Arcade depot at 10:40 O'Clock last
night, 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 messenger, pos
tai clerks and trainmen were busily en-
gagged in arranging matters for the night.
Ever since the train robbery and wrecking
at Roscoe a few weeks ago the train hands
on the overland train have been apprehen-
sive about the place and appeared to ex-
pect repetition Of that outrage. Engineer
Thomas gave long blast Of the whistle as
the train approached the switch this side
OF Roscoe. His face blanched as he dis
covered a man standing beside the switch
with flaring torch, and his face assumed
a more livid hue when he discovered that
the switch had been left open. He put on
the air brakes, but it was OF no avail. The
train was going at an unusual rate and the
momentum it had acquired precluded the
possibility Of Immediately bringing 1t to
standstill to avoid disaster
About the time the engineer noted
the man with the torch he heard the sharp
cracking of revolvers and many bullets
whistled past him, breaking the windows
of the cab Almost instantly the engine
crashed over into the ditch. AT this point
there is fill which runs nearly fifteen feet
high. knowing the character of the place
engineer Thomas jumped and ran, escaping
injury. Fireman Masters was not so lucky,
however. being pinioned between the cab
and tender and horribly mutilated and
crushed
At the moment tie train overturned two
men wearing slouch hats and black masks
leaped from the heavy bushes alongside the
track. There are some differences of opinion
! among those who were the tram as TO
| the number Of men composing the robDer
| gang. At all events, the two men took po-
| sitions on eithzr sr!e os the train and com
| menced a furious fusillade from reviewers.
| After this wild and seeming purposeless fir
| ing, one Of the men went 10 The express
| car, pounded on the door and demanded
that it be opened. Upon the refusal of the
messenger to comply, the robber applied
| three four dynamite bombs to the sill.
| Then ensued terrific explosion, nearly the
| whole side of the car teIng torn INTO splln-
| ters. Harry Edgar, who expected this Pro-
cedure, got into the further corner Of the
| car, and even then narrowly escaped death
or injury from the flying splinters. Every
thing in the shaken up aud the det-
onation was most terrific.
| CAUSED y PANIC.
CONSERVATION prevailed among those on
board the train. Frightened men and Hom-
/ en- jumped from their berths. Conductor
| Odell and brakeman Foster thought the
| wreck due merely to accident 1T first, but
| when the pistol shot rang out and bullets
| began whistling through the car they imme-
| diately changed their opinion. Two tramps
| had gotten the pilot of the engine and
| were stealing q ride when the locomotive
| jumped the track. One of them was hurled
| fifty feet, and Tnarvelously escaped injury.
| The other, James Daly, was caught and
| buried beneath the debris of the engine. He
was instantly killed, MS body being horribly
Just after blowing up the express car the
| robbers, at the muzzle OF a revolver, COM
| PEELED the extra fireman VINO had been rid
| ing on the engine to get into the car while
| one of the robbers followed him. IIiis was
done in order to protect the robbor in case
| the messenger fred. Under the command
| of the masked robber Ihe extra fireman car
| ried the contents Of the local box, which
contained sacks Of gold. outside the car,
| where the other robbers were waiting. All
this time the robbers kept up a furious fu-
sillade, firing into the train and into the
| car. After gathering into portable shape
the supposed vaIuabes the hghwaymen
turned their attention TO the overland safe.
These safes are so constructed that it re-
| QuireS much time and patience TO open
| them, and the robbers reaiizel the futility
| of attempting IL, so they lett ii intact and
| vented their 1isapproval "f their inability
to take even that by volley from their
| revolvers.
After gathering together their booty, the
robbers placed 1t in gunny sacks, and
mounting horses, galloped off in the direc-
| ton OF the mountains 1t is not known
how much treasure of the Wells-Fargo
| is supposed TO be very large amount
Brakeman Foster, when he jumped from
light I'm one OF the windows. He ran to-
] ward it with all speed, got a horse and at
I once rode back to Burbank at furious speed
where he woke up the telegraph operator.
| who informed the authorities what had
taken place. Sheriff Cline and three depu-
ties at once started, at o'clock this morn
wrecking train followed, and Dr. F. X
Ainsworth went on light engine TO give
| cleared away, and to-day trains are run
ming as usual. No better place than Ros-
of a robbery Just before reaching the
station there is short spur. which runs
abruptly. AS the roadbed here is soft and
Insecure It follows that trail train suddenly I
| III
overturned and wrecked.
THE ENGINEERS STORY.
David w. Thomas, engineer of the train,
who was fortunate enough TO escape with
his life, tells the following story: 1--WE
were about seven minutes late as we ap-
preached Roscoe siding. 1t was bright
moonlight we approached that point.
| saw two men sitting on the station plat
form. Suddenly one OF the men arose and
lighted an oir-soaked ball OF rags or paper.
Then he swung the fire ball with his left
hand, and with the right held Winchester
| Iiie 1 then saw that they were not pas
sengers, but train robbers. prepared To at
tack. They opened with their guns as the
train approached, one using the Vinches-
| ter and the other man two revolvers, at
the same time yelling, Stop her. | made
up my mind to pull right on and try to get
| away from them. At that instant i discov-
cred that they had the Switch fixed 10
ditch us. 1 yelled TO the fireman. Masters.
| get in and crouch down away from
the flying bullets. and as l did so a Win
chester rifle was poked through the window
| at me and a gruif voice again commanded
| me TO stop. / thought / was gone sure
| when I looked into that muzzle, but took