The sun., 1895-01-06
TO ForL rRAIx RoBBERs.
Various Contrivanees OF Inventors 80 Meet
= Loag-felt want.

which Is a sort Of modified rat trap. IL not only
protects the valuables intrusted TO IL for trans
portatlon and safekeeping, but actually captures
any thieves who may attempt depreciation.
This ingenious device is the invention Of Mig
uel Morell of Santa Barbara, Cal. A part OF the
express car Ia fenced of and enclosed with strong
bars Of steel. In this cage the safe containing
money and all other valuables are kept-not
merely for the sake of safety, be II understood,
but for bait. In order TO see how this would
operate II Is only necessary to imagine the train
held up 10y gang of robbers .
"Openl" cries the leader OF the band. "or
we will blow up the car with dynamite"
press esny mssseaoE wiSn poey HwalE ls Fight Y n
50 saying he throws wide the door, and the
tion. In the cage which is lighted with cleo
tricity, if II be night; they seo tho safe, sur.
UPON e securing nj % The booty. they walk into tho
barred enclosure, while the messenger retreats
into a corner Of the car. There he touches
prisoning the bandits. "Foiledl Ha! hal"
Of his victims by the metal shield behind which
hc has stepped to pull the lever; From behind
and the thieves are left TO gnash their teeth in
impotent rage, while they are conveyed TO prison
| by the train they have attempted TO loot
has been newly WY; patented by ". d. Patterson Of
Keokuk, la. inside Of It Is built a box of sheet
top, with q peg at each, end, The pegs are piv-
OTIS, one of them being fixed In the roof and the
other in the floor of the car. Thus the box can
be made TO revolye so that the messenger who
seeks refuge within II can shoot In any direction
through openings provided for the purpose.
ress he gazes through peep holes at the bandits
supposing that they, have forced an entrance to
supposed TO be particularly well adapted for re-
sist ting explosives.
getting into the sheet-steel box, they do not
find the messenger. In some strange way the
9E% Faed hsS e the onety
as he hears the bandits take their Departure,
and thereupon emerges from small compart-
ment beneath the floor of the box. In this COM
partment there is just room for him to lie cured
up and concealed by an iron plate that fits the
hole In the floor through which he crawled,
The thieves are not likely to linger long and
there Is only a bare possibility that they would
ST Franeois ram 3 M sernaran % of Antwerp. o. has OBJ
tanned exclusive rights in a somewhat more
simple contrivance, which has the same pur-
shall itself be fort in miniature. When the
trail, Is held up, and the petulapt pop Of the
gets into the safe and locks It,. Thus securely
ensconced. he responds TO the "open sesame"
rope WRieS SrSoWs Vide the door Of the ear
The thieves rush in only to find themselves con-
fronted by II wall Of iron bars, which separates
the main part of the car from the end section
that contains the safe and other valuables.
While they are hesitntng as to what to do, the
Another inventor has devised most original
sort of iron box which is to serve as n fort to
the express agent. It Is perforated on all sides
with holes and is literally lined with revovers.
wall Of the cylindrical box by means Of a ball
ball surrounding the end OF It's barrel. and this
bail is he ID in socket, SO that the revolver may
messenger has a whole battery ut his command.
and; looking % out through peep holes. he pumps
erty of T. Keely of Memphis. Tenn.
A conception OF quite different character is
tnaI 0c H. H. os' at 9a bnr ~ he
beneath the express ear. the upper side of it
forming part of the floor of the vehicle. 1t is
so constructed. being hung on pivots that 1t can
only be opened when turned end upward-in
other words, when the receptacle has been re-
vertically, instead of horizontally. At the
terminus of the railway line is to be pit
isese tSis revoSton e ' % any ,D point
on on the road it would bh not ,,iS be h possible
trivance however. may perhaps have forgotten
the destructive power OF stick of dynamite,
which might be placed by the ingenious bandit
An iron picket box" to be constructed on
j. c. HAYS Of Rush. Ten It is perforated with
portfolios for the extrusion of guns, and inside
gude 10 10 st dred rn 70 & Inc bee seeth s9s
to revolve. The occupant OF the turrct has a
fair shot at anybody who may approach the car,
while himself safe from bullets.
To overcome the difficulty OF shooting with
accuracy at bandits who attack an express car
II patent on idea for equipping such cars with
searchlights. These are so arranged as to illu-
clearly visible. This invention is supplemented
by another which must be credited to +. w;
Koehler OF Chicago. IL provides pre- that part @ OF
of Steel hinged and SO arranged that in case Of
emergency they can be pushed out at a
bay window. projecting three or four feet
from the body Of the car, The steel sheets
look looking V ont pfihh of the bSy widow, eSsiHS will BE-
enabled to shoot the whole length Of the train.
Without the aid Of such device II he put his
would be apt to be killed by bullet. Holes in
the floor OF the bay window make it practicable
tempt TO crawl beneath the car with dynamite.
Lamps for the top and sides OF the express
of attack at night. are the invention of p. D.
Van peventer nj salisbury. Mo. They may be
insde Of the Tshicie and tIsy w are so proteeted
that they cannot be broken by bullets, y. +.
johnson of MoComb, Miss, has devised an iron
distinctive feature OF which is an arrangement
for ventilating II through the bottom OF the car.
pens that the express agent. in order TO save his
own life, is compelled to open the car and admit
OF a pistol, 70 give up. the combination Of the
safe. This difficulty Is over, ONE by an inven-
ton. for which b. j. Tegethof OF 81. Louis, has
drawings for an adjustable ladder, by means OF
which. when the train Is held up. the messenger
climbs out through the top OF the car and makes
his way unseen to the rear of the train, permit
ting the thieves to get at the plunder as well as
they can without any assistance from him.
Although train robbers of late have devoted
their attention mainly 10 the riding OF express
cars, they have not wholly abandoned the good
old practice of going through the passengers
for their valuables. Several recent instances,
where people in travelling have been obliged TO
contribute their watches and pocketb2oks to
sacks carried through the aisles by polite but
determined bandits, afford evidence on this
point. Bill Cook and his gang have pursued this
method on more than one occasion. To prevent
outrages OF this description, @. Klettner OF Gin
cinnati has invented a machine gun. consisting
OF q series OF wheels. which are loaded about the
periphery with cartridges. The apparatus Is in
tended TO be placed behind and underneath the
steps OF a passenger car. When the train is
halted by highwaymen the conductor pushes a
button, and this sets the gun machinery going.
The unsuspecting robber who puts his foot upon
the step causes n hammer TO pound the car
tridges as the wheels revOlve, discharging con-
tinuous volley of bullets.
There are many freaks among the railway in
ventions recorded in the Patent O1ice. One
patent is for bar that is 20 be fastened at the
rear of locomotive, collision being immi-
nent, the engineer steps upon the bar and IL ex-
tends itself automatically, swinging him out 10
a distance of sixteen feet from the side OF tie