Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-05-09
HE DIED AT HIS POST.
Plucky Frank Holmes Would Not
Surrender to Train Rob-
berS.

! | question whether an attack which was
made on night express No. 3 of the Chi
| :ago & Alton road near Carlinville, ILL.,,
vas the work of organized train robbers
u revengeful tramps, but there is 10
| question as to the fidelity and bravery Of
Engineer Frank Holmes, who died at his
! post, refusing 10 surrender the trust the
| abroad company had imposed upon him.
After the shooting, which resulted in
| Holmes death, the trainnen organized
posse, pursued the attacking party and
captured two of them. The Chicago &
Alton officials in this city claim that the
shooting was done by tramps, but Mail
Agent J. I. Keeyers does not agree with
| hem. Mr.. keevers was seen as soon as
he train reached here and he told the fol-
| owing story:
The train was Chicago & Alton No.
out of ST. Louis at 500 last evening.
1t was held up by armed robbers at Car
plucky fight with the robbers Engineer
Frank Holmes laid down his life Car
| linville is hfty-seven miles from st. Louis
and train No. 3, Conductor Conlin and
Engineer Holmes, left there on schedule
time at LA and began to run to
Brighton, the next regular stop. Hardly
had the train got under way when two
tramps lying fat on the coal in the ten
der were startled by the appearance Of
two masked men who came crawling over
the tender Poking two big revolvers
into the faces of the tramps, the neW-com>
ers enioined them to silence and strict
attention to their own business. Pass
ing on to the engine cab one Of the
armed men ordered the two fremen Zone
man extra learning the road to put up
their hands, while the other covered the
engineer and ordered him to shut off
steam. The engineer complied and then
the desperate ordered him to give her q
full head and be lively about it. Holmes
made pretense of doing so and the rob-
Der, apparently satisfied, stepped back a
foot or two.
Engineer Holmes was on the alert for
the opportunity presented and, Selling the
firemans pick used in breaking coal, he
dealt the robber two quick glancing blows
on the head. Both robbers at once opened
fire and plucky Frank Holmes fell dead
in the gateway of his engine with at
The fireman saut off steam and put on the
air. and the heavy train slowed down to
IL standstill. AS it did SO the two rob-
bers swung off. A number Of men had
been riding on the rear platform of the
mail car, and at the first report two Of
the mail clerks, working at the letter case,
heard one of them eXclaim: There they
are shooting: let us get Off Jumping off,
they realized that their plans had miscar-
ried. After moment OF indecision they
started to flee. The mail clerks, who
had at first supposed that the firing was
done by Il bra l1enan as 4 menace to de-
faint tramps. heard the fireman shouting:
| Frank Holmes is shot deadn Mail Clerk
John Il. Conefry and Baggageman j. {.
Logan, who were in charge of the weigh
ing Of mails for the government and rail
road company respectively. FASTENED to
their grips in which lay their Smith &
Wesson revolvers. and, jumping from the
mail car, proceeded to assist the train
men in their search for the slayers of
Frank Holmes.
"Hurrylng around the engine Logan
stumbled over q man lying in the grass,
complying. the man claimed to be in no
way connected with the trouble. Cone
fry pushed on and came upon {; man with
repeating rife and Il belt full of car
tridges. His back was turned and Cone
frey covered him and ordered him to
come along. The man demurred strong
Iy. claiming he had been on hunting ex-
peClition Conefry refused to parley and
getting his revolver in line with the sus-
poets heart convinced him that he had
an earnest man to deal with. Logan and
Conefry turned their men over to Con-
ductor Conln and the passengers who
had come forward. Conlin in the mean
time having secured the two tramps who
had been on the tender. The man with
the rife put up so convincing story
TO account IOI PicScuCG, tlliI NOl1llu
was persuaded of his innocence and per-
nitted him to go, an action which the
conductor strongly regretted when his
emotion over the killing of his old friend
Holmes had subsided.'
The passengers and others believe that
Conlin made a serious mistake. The man
with the Winchester was q counterpart
of the ideal desperate i'll appearance and
attire. The three men detained We're
turned over to a deputy sheriff when the
train backed down to Carlnvile, mile
away. Train is said to carry at times
large sums of money and the object of the
bandits was probably to loot the express
car. believing that their success would
compensate for the desperate chances
taken in robbing the train. Chief Agent
Kane of the Chicago & Alton, one of the
best railroad detectives in the country, is
on the scene and prosecuting vigorous
| search for the robbers.
| Engineer Holmes was ~ years old and
was one of the most daring and successful
engineers in the West. Holmes had been
connected with the Alton road for TWEEN
ty-fve years. He leaves a wife, whom he
recently married here. and son by a
former marriage. His home was in
| Rlnomin pton.