St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-13
HAUL OF MANY THOUSANDS
Secured Without Firing a
Shot Nor Stopping the
Train.
GAGGED THE TRAINMEN
And Leisurely Rif1ed the Ex-
press Safes - Sheriff on
Their Track.

OTTUMwA, To-. Jan. 12.-One of the
most daring train robDeries ever at
tempted was successfully executed Oh
Passenger Train No. on the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy road near this city
tonight. Train No. 4 is the Burlington
through train from Denver and Pueblo
to Chicago. and carries large quantities
of mail and baggage. 1t is not known
that the tram carried more valuable
cargo of mail and express tonight
than usual, but it seems that two
bold robbers knew that the express
would make valuable haul and
they planned to bag it. They held up
the train. but molested nothing but the
express car, though after they had fin
ished the express car they stood for ten
minutes waiting for the train to stop
long enough to have robbed the mail
car or the passenger coaches.
When the heavy string of cars be-
gan to move out of the station at
Chillcothe, seven miles west of
here, the two express messengers
and baggageman shut the side
doors of the car, for the wind was blow
ing strong and cold. Express Messen-
ger John Page stepped to the end door
at the front Of the car, which, though
usually securely fastened, was left un-
locked by some one. He meant to lock
II, and was Just STOPPING to do so when
the door opened and two men sprang in
with drawn revolverS, crying,
s'HoId Up Your Rands.''
one running to the rear of the car to
cover the assistant, L. Hawk, and Bag
gageman Ed Wright. The trainmen,
taken by surprise, threw up their
hands. The robbers compelled them to
"bunch" in a corner of the car. and one
kept them covered with two big pistols
while the other bound and gagged them.
He then turned his attention to the
safe, which he unlocked with the keys
taken from Pages pocket, stuffing the
contents into big sack which they had
with them.
AT this juncture the mail clerk in the
adjoining apartment came in attracted
by the noise and he Immediately re-
ceived the bind and gag treatment and
vas thrown into the corner with the
others. After filling the sacks the
robbers quietly waited until the train
Whistled and slackened speed for the
Milwaukee railroad crossing, mile
west Of town, showing by every action
perfect familiarity with the lay of the
land and the habits of the train. When
the train stopped for the crossing
They Both Jumped
to the door, sprang out and started on
run across the frozen Des Moines river.
By this time the baggageman had
worked himself loose from the thongs
which bound him, and he released his
companions just as the train was pull
ing into the OttumWa depot. The alarm
was given, and an engine with posse
sent out to ChiIlicothe, where no night
agent is retained by the COM
pany. Another posse was led by
the Burlington detective. Jim Harrison,
who recently had desperate fight with
bandits at Batavia, in which one was
killed. The express officials in this city
diSciaim any knowledge Of the amount
taken, but it is believed to be several
thousand dollars. Local officials at a
late hour estimate the amount taken at
eight thousand. but OIL account of it
being the habit of banks in small towns
to send money into Chicago on Saturday
night it is believed the amount is much
larger.