The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-03
ABOUT THAT HOLD UP
Officials of the Alton Road Deny the
Story Published Yesterday.
TRAMPS DID THE SHOOTING
However the Mall Clerks Claim
EmphaticaiIy That There Wac
Plenty of Evidence OF
Train Robbery.

Chicago. May z.-The officials OF the
Alton road deny emphatically that
there was any attempt to hold up the
train at Carlinville last night. when
Engineer + Holmes was killed. The
shooting. they say. was done by
tramps. The officials of the road
think they have the murderer of
Holmes in the man who was caught
leaving the tender.
However. Mail Clerk ]. v. Keevers
tells the following story: The train
left Cariinville at 11:40. Hardly had
the train got under way when two
tramps, lying nat on the coal in the
tender. were startled by the appear
ance of two masked men crawling over
the tender. Poking two big revolvers
into the faces of the tramps. the new
comers enjoined their silence and strict
attention TO their own business.
Passing on to the engine cab, one of
the armed men ordered the two fire.
men. one an extra man learning the
road. TO put up their hands. while the
other covered the engineer. Holmes.
and ordered him TO shut off steam. The
engineer complied. Then the desper-
ado ordered him to give her a full
head, and be lively about II. Holmes
made a pretense OF doing so, and the
robber. apparently satisfied, stepped
back a foot or two. Engineer Holmes
was on the alert for the opportunity
presented. and seizing the fireman's
pick, dealt the r0bber two blows on
the head. Both robbers opened fire,
and pluclxy Frank Holmes fell dead in
the gangway of his engine, with at
least three bullet holes In his breast.
The firemen shut Off the steam. put on
the air, and the heavy train slowed
down to a standstill. AS II did so the
two robbers swung Off. A number of
men had been riding on the rear plat
form OF the mail car, and at the first
report the two mail clerks heard one of
them exclaim: There. they are shoot
ing: let US get off, Jumping off. they
realized that the plan had miscarried.
and after a moment of indecision. fed.
The mail clerks, who at first supposed
the firing was done by the brakemen
as menace 10 defiant tramps, heard
the fireman shouting. Frank Holmes Is
shot dead"
Mail Clerk John II. Conefrey and
Baggageman Logan. in charge Of the
weighing of the mails for the govern
ment and railroad company, respect
lively, proceeded to assist the trainmen
In the search for the slayers OF Frank
Holmes. Hurrying around the engine
Logan stumbled over a man lying
prostrate In the grass. and command
ed him to rise. Reluctantly complying.
the man protested earnestly against
arrest, and claimed to be in no way
connected with the trouble. Conefrey
pushed on and came upon a man with
a repeating rife and a belt full of
cartridges. His back was turned and
Cemetery covered him and ordered him
to come along. The man demurred
strongly, claiming he had been on a
hunting expedition. Conefrey refused
TO parley. and. getting his revolver in
line with the suspects heart. convinced
him he had an earnest man to deal
with.
Logan and Conefrey turned their
men over TO Conductor Conlin and the
passengers. Conlin In the meantime
secured the two tramps who had been
on the tender. The man with the rife
put up so convincing a story to ac-
count for his presence that Conlin per-
mitted him to go. The passengers be-
Iieve Conlin made a serious mistake.
The man with the Winchester was a
counterpart of an ideal desperate In
appearance and attire. The three men
detained were turned over to a deputy
sheriff when the train backed down to
Carlinville. a mile away.
Train No. is said to carry at times
large sums Of money. and the object of
the bandits was probably to loot the
express car. Chief Agent Lane of the
C. & A. Is prosecuting a vigorous
search for the robbers.
Springfield. Ohio. May 1.-TWO tramps
suspected OF completely in the murder
OF Engineer Holmes OF the Alton fast
mail were arrested here to-day. They
gave the names OF E. j. Lund and
Charles Lange. A report from Carlin-
willie states that two other suspects
have been captured there.
Marshalltown. Iowa, May 2.-The
north-bound passenger train on the
Chicago & Great Western railroad was
wrecked between Green Mountain and
Cladbrook last night by striking a tie
placed on the track by miscreants. The
engine and three coaches were thrown
down a five-foot embankment. The
baggageman and brakeman were
slightly injured. but the rest OF the