The herald., 1895-03-09
A Central Pacific Overland
"IeId Up" by Bandits
OFFICERS IN HOT PURSUIT
The Robbers Got Nothing For All
Their Trouble
Just the Other Side of Stockton a Man
Crawled Over the Engine Tender and
Stopped the Train

Stockton, March s.-The train known
as the European Mail, which comes
through this city as special No. 3, was held
mp near Castle switch about four miles
from this city at 1030 o'clock tonigh t.
The robbers, of whom there were three,
got nothing.
The first news OF the hold-up was
brought to Stockton by F. L. Sedgeley,
brakeman on the train. He came on the
Oregon express, which passed through
Stockton shortly after the European mail
and backed into Stockton from the scene
of the robbery. Sedgeley said:
1T was 1920 O'Clock and in the neigh
borhood OF Castle switch that the train
came to stop. was i'll one of the rear
cars and thinking it was hold-up got
off Immediately. When l reached the
ground, heard several shots ahead and
instantly started back to flag the Oregon
exp ess which l knew would be coming
along soon. l met the express short
distance from the city limits and came
back aboard it. I don't know whether
the robbers got any money or not.
The express was held until posse of
officers could be formed. Sheriff Cum
ningham was in Sacramento and Deputy
Robinson assumed charge. He was ac-
companied by Police Officers Carroll and
Burnham and Deputy Sheriff Black. The
train pulled out shortly after midnight
with the officers, who intended to get of
in the neighborhood of the robbery and
scour the country for the robbers. Word
had already been received by the tele-
graph that the robbers, after making their
attempt had detached the engine and
started toward Lodi on it and had aban-
doned it before reaching that town.
Full particulars OF the robbery were
ceived from Lodi by telephone after the
express train had left there. The engine
OF the European mail rolled into Lodi at
II :O5 o'clock, going very slowly with no
one aboard, and registering but forty
pounds of steam. George Andews, the
engineer of a freight train that was lying
there waiting for the overland to pass,
got aboard and stopped her. A stick of
dynamite was found ON the seat in the
cab and it was apparent that there had
been hold-up. Lodi officers took the
engine of the freight train and went
after the train that belonged to the un-
manned engine, which is No. 17lS They
got back to Lodi with the tain at 1915
and it proceeded north with its own en-
gine.
The story Of the holdup as told by En-
gneer Ingles of the European Mail is as
follows:
"a short distance south of Castle
Switch myself and Fireman House were
startled by man who crawled over the
tender and pointing pistol at our heads
ordered US to stop the train. He was
masked. stopped the engine and the
fellow then ordered us to get off, which
we did. Two other masked men were
standing on the ground waiting to re-
ceive us. They ordered us to walk back
to the express car, which we did. After
we had reached the express car the men
told me to instruct the messenger to open
the doors, as they had dynamite and
would blow it up if the door was not
opened. told the messenger this and he
opened the door, and then shut it again,
after which he fired two shots at the
robbers. A passenger stuck his head out
of one of the windows and one of the
robbers fired shot at him."
1.-The men threatened again to blow the
car to pieces with dynamite if it was not
opened, and the express messenger then
complied with their demand. The men
got inside, taking us with them, and ran
sacked the car. All the money was in the
big safe and they did not try to open it.
They got nothing whatever. After salts
flying themselves that there was nothing
of value outside of the safe and that it
had been securely locked they jumped
out of the car and went ahead to the en-
CINE again, taking us with them.
Reaching the engine the men uncoupled
it from the train, and firing some shots
in the direction of the passenger cars, to
scare the passengers, l suppose, pulled
the throttle and the brake and started
toward Lodi. A brakeman was sent back
to Stockton by the conductor to flag the
Oregon express, which was soon to come
along, and we waited until the engine
came from Lodi
A tramp who was stealing ride on the
blind baggage is the only person who can
give description other than general OF
any of the robbers. He stated at Lodi
that when the train stopped he saw one
OF the robbers without his mask on. The
fellow spoke to the tramp and told
him if he opened his head he would lose
it. The tramp wisely kept still but he
noted that the robber who had issued the
warning was about five feet ten inches in
height and that he wore black coat
woolen shirt and blue necktie. The tramp
was made to walk to the express car with
the engineer and fireman. He heard one
OF the robbers say that they had buggy
in which they could ride off after leaving