Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-13
HOLD UP YOUR HANDS, QUICK.
THE COMMAND GIVEN NY Tw6
IOWA TRAIN nonBERs.
The BurIington Held up In Nsstcriy
style ut Ottumwa, Iowa--ft is SURE
missed That They sinde mig Haul
Out OF the Express Car.

Omaha, Neb. Jan. IA special TO
the Bee from ottumwa, Iowa, says:
Highwaymen got IN their work tonight
acre. II was one OF the most daring
train robberles ever attempted, 1t was
executed on the burlington passenger
train No Z, near this city. No. is
the Burlington passenger train from
Denver and carries u large quantity
Of mail and baggage It was not known
that the train carried more valuable
cargo Of mall and express tonight than
usual. or II It was, 1t was kept quiet,
but 1t seems that the bold robbers
knew that tue express would make a
valuable haul. aud they planned 10
bag 1t.
They held up the train. but molested
nothing but the express car. though
after they had finished this job they
stood for ten minutes, and waited long
enough to have robbed mail cars or the
passengers.
The agent at Chllicothe. a small vii
lage, seven miles west OF here, says
he saw two men about the depot in
the afternoon and when No 4 arrived
at $3.50 they were not on the platform,
but they appeared while the train was
standlng at the station.
When the string OF cars began to
move out of the station the two eX-
press messengers and baggage man
smut the side doors, for the wind was
blowing strong.
Express Messenger John Page
stepped to the end door at tho front
Of the car. which, though usually
locked. was left unlocked by some one
passing through II. lie went to lock
It and was just stepping to do It when
the door opened and two men sprang
inside crying, Hold up your hands,"
one running TO the car Of the assistant,
Hawk, and Baggnscmsn Edward
Wright. The trainmen, taken by sur.
prise threw up their hands. The rob
bers compelled them TO bunch" IN
corner of the car ana one kept them
covered with two pistols while the
other bound and gagged them. lie
then turned his attention to the safe.
which he unlocked with the keys from
Pages pocket, sJutilns the contents
into Il big sack they had with them.
At this iuncturc the mnll clerk came In.
attracted by the noise, ana he immedi-
ately receivedsihe gag troa tmeut and
was thrown into tee corner with the
others After filling the sack the rob
bers quietly waited until tho train
whistled and slackened for the Mn
waukee crossing. a mile west of town.
showing by every action perfect III
mlllarity with the lay OF the land and
the habits OF the train.
When the train stopped Tor the cross-
ing they both jumped to the floor,
sprang out and started on a run across
the frozen Des MONIES river. BY this
time the baggagoman had NrorKen MIN
self loose from the thongs which bound
him and he released his companions
just as the train was pulling into OF
tumwa depot. The alarm was given
aud mn engine with posse sent out
TO ChilliCothe, where no agent is re-
talned by tho company. Another posse
was led by the Burlington detective. J.
Harrington who recently had des-
perqte fight with bandits at Batavia,
in which ono was killed. The express
officials in this city disolaim any kuowl-
edge OF the amount taken, but &; Is
said to be several thousand dollars,
Later-The eNpress officials in this
city, who prepared tho money packages
on the train held up declare thnt little
OF value was carried Off Most OF the
valuable express matter goes through
on the night express from omaha.
They said the loss would be very
small.
Local officials at a late hour estimate
the amount taken at 5000. II has been
habit OF banks In small towns to send
money to Chicago on Saturday and
Il Is believed the amount is much
larger