The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-11-21
"A TRAIN is HELD Up.
BAD MEN WITH WINCHESTERS ON
|. THE GREAT NORTHERN.

BAD MEN WITH WINCHEsTERs ON
|. THE GREAT NORTHERN.
Stopped by Masked Men Near clear
Lake and the Express Car Is De-
tached From the Train.
st. Cloud, Nov. 20. = The waking
portion of st. Cloud was electrified
last night by the report that both the
Great Northern through passenger
and the local Fargo express on the
Northern Pacific had been held ND
shortly after 10 o'clock just west Of
Clear Lake.
Forty minutes behind it's regular
time Of arrival, locomotive and
single baggage car pulled into the de-
pot with three thoroughly frightened
men on board. They were Engineer
Michael Maloney, his fireman, William
Curley, and the messenger Of the
Winnipeg express car, e. D. Woods.
The train had left Clear Lake, twelve
miles east, on it's regular leaving time
-lOO5-and was due here at 1920.
Supt. Rice and the dispatchers waited
IN wonder that the train did not come
In, and when it dashed up to the depot
with single baggage car, they were
prepared for anything. They were
not disappointed, for it was truly
wild and Woolly story they had to
tell. Though all were frightened
nearly to hysteria, they told their
story.
The Ho1d-Up.
In substance the story of the engine
nc thn%
miles out from Clear Lake the fire.
mann, who was putting in coal, turned
and looked squarely into the muZzles
of two Winchester rifles, backed by
the ugly physiogs Of two men. The
fireman was badly frightened. but
obeyed the injunction to tell the en-
gineer to stop the train. He was so
frightened that he failed to under
stand for the moment. but with an
oath they repeated the command.
Engineer Maloney looked around and
saw the men and saw the guns and
the train was brought to a stand-still.
The fireman was then ordered to cut
on the express car from the remain
der Of the train. This he demurred
to, but the muzzles Of tire guns in the
hands Of the desperadoes were an
argument that he could not success
fully contend with. The car was un-
coupled and with the two men on
board was run west several miles,
where it was stopped on the prairies
and the express messenger ordered by
the engineer crew to open the door
Their Trouble for Their Pains.
He obeyed and the robbers proceed
ed to try the three safes. They frs
went through several parcels, but
finding nothing Of value, asked as to
the largest safe. Woods told them
that it could not be opened until the
train reached Fargo. He offered to
open the local safe, but said there
was nothing in it, and they did not re-
Quire him to do so. They rode on a
few miles further. and when within a
couple miles of the city and just east
Of the state reformatory, they left
the engine and disappeared in the
wilderness. The men told their story
and then there was excitement. Chief
of Police G. T. Wheeler and Sheriff
McKelvy were summoned and pro-
ceeded to take steps. The engine
with a switch engine and crew and :
having Supt. Rice and a large party
Of citizens left at II 80 to the relief of
the train. The engineer had stated
that in looking backward he had seen
at least ten men with guns circling
about the train.
The N. p. Train not Molested.
The Northern Pacific train arrived
at St. Cloud just after II o'clock. 1t
left Clear Lake at 1920, and not COM
ing in it was, of course, supposed it
had met a similar fate. Clear Lakes
Northern Pacific operator said the
train had been held up and robbed.
The facts appear that a freight train
running west in advance of the pas
senger had been caught by the rob-
bers. They had cut the air brakes
and brought the freight to stand
still. The passenger came up be-
hind and was signalled to stop by the
freight crew. It does not appear,
however, that this train was molested.
A young boy on. the blind baggage of
the Great Northern was taken into
custody. He was frightened and is
innocent, but from him it appears
that the men got on the train at Elk
River.
The men did not get cent for their
trouble. e. D. Wood, the messenger,
showed them the safe, but explained
that it could not be opened until it
reached Fargo. 1t now appears chat
there were but four of the men in all,
and they were evidently novices.
Officers From St. Paul
st. Paul. Nov. 2O.-At 80 a special
train, engine, baggage car and passen-
ger coach pulled out of the st. Paul
union depot yards for the scene of
the hold-up. The train was in charge
Of A. F. Noble. chief special agent of
the Great Northern. On board were
four st. Paul police officers. Chief of
Detectives O'Connor aud Detectives
DAILY. Kenaley and Koran.
Minnesota Wants 1t.
Washington, Nov. 2O.-The famous
section 80 case in the Duluth land
district took a new turn to-day. This
section contains the valuable iron
lands that have long been in dispute
and would have been patented under
the last decision Of the secretary with