The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-02-17
TWO BOLD BANDITS.
They Hold Up a Train on the
Southern Pacific Road.
A FIREMAN AND A TRAMP KILLED.

They Turned Switch and Threw fhe
Train from tho Track, and Then Looted
the Express Car by the Aid of Dyna-
mite.
Los ANGELES, Cal, Feb. 1.-THE bold
est train robbery that ever occurred in
southern California, or for that matter
In the state, took place little after mid
night at Roscoe, a small station thirteen
miles north of this city. The train was
the Southern Pacific overland No 90, bound
north. Many of the passengers We're fast
asleep before Burbank was reached. The
express messenger postal clerks and train
men were busily engaged in arranging
matters for the night
Engineer Thomas gave long blast of
the whistle as the train approached the
switch this side of Roscoe. His face
blanched as he discovered man standing
beside the switch with haring torch, and
his face assumed more livid hue when
he discovered that the switch had been
LETT open. He put on the air brake and
whtstled for brakes but it was Of no avail
The train was going mt an unusual rate
and the momentum it had acquired pre-
cluded the possibility of Immediately
bringing it to standstill to avoid dis
aster.
About the same time the engineer noticed
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 instantancously the
train crashed over into the ditch. At this
point there is a hill which runs nearly fif-
teen feet high. Knowing the character of
the place Engineer Thomas jumped and
1iyop I,,,tyI a.,
man Masters was not so lucky, however,
being pinioned between the cub and ten
der and was horribly mutilated and
crushed. He lived about an hour, dying
about ten minutes before his body
was released. In the midst of his suffer
ing he begged for pistol that he might
kill himself and end his misery
Two tramps had gotten on the pilot of
the engine and were stealing ride when
the locomotive jumped the track. One of
them was hurled fifty feet and miracu-
lously escaped injury. The other was
caught and buried beneath the debris of
the engine and was instantly killed His
body was horribly mangled and laeerated
His name is Harry DAILY.
At the moment of the overturning of the
train two men wearing slouch hats and
black masks leaped from the heavy bushes
ui'hS0l'tE lilt llHth. HtGt are some ulf-
ferences Of opinion among those who were
on the train as to the number of men com
posing the robber gang At all events the
two men took positions on either side of
the train and commenced furious ftisil-
ade from revolyers. After this wild and
seemingly purposely firing one of the men
went to the express car and pounded on
the door demanding that it be opened
Upon the refusal of the messenger to
comply the robbers placed three or four
dynamite bombs on the sill Then ensurd
terrific explosion, nearly the whole side
of the car being torn into splinters Harry
Edgar, who had expected this procedure
got into the further corner of the car, and
even then narrowly escaped death or in
jury from the flying splintcrs. Everything
in the car was shaken up and the detona-
ton was most terrific.
just after blowing up the expire 5 car
the robbers at the point Of n revolver com
PEELED the extra fireman, who had bcau
riding on the engine, to get Into the car,
while one rohbcr followed him This
was done In order to protect The robber in
case the messenger fired, Under the com
mand of the robber he extra fireman car
rcd the contents of the locked box, which
held many dollars in gold, outside the car,
where the robbers were waiting. All this
time the robbers kept up furious fnsil-
ade, firing into the train and into the car,
After gat athering into portable shape the
supposed yaluables the highwaymen
turned their attention to the overland
safe. These safes are so constructed thai
it requires much time and patience to open
them, aud the robbers realized the futil=
ity of attempting it, 80 they left it intact
aud vented their disapproval of their in
nh to tnl- bat !,
their revolVers.
After gathering together their booty the
robbers placed ii In gnnny sacks and
mounting their horses galloped off in the
direction of the mountains. 1t is not known
how much treasure of the express company
the robbers made off with, but it is sup.
posed TO be a very large amount There
were several bags OF bullion and money in
the ear TINT the robbers did not get.
Brakeman Foster leaped from the train
and ran toward hut near by, got a horse
and al once rode back to Burbank at flu
rious speed, waking up the telegraph ope-
rator and informing the authorities what
had taken place. Sheriff Cline and three
deputies at once started to the scene A
posse was quickly organized, and is now
on the trail
Striking Against Starvation Wages.