The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1895-03-08
WONDERFUL DEVICES.
TRAIN ROBBERS DEFiEo WHEN
THEY ARE USED.
Patents Recently Granted for Contriv.
ances Designed to Defeat the Euter.
prisinE hallway bandit - Many OF
Them OLA and Al Interesting.

Tho recent boom In the traln-rob.
bling bIsIross has stimulated tho
Yankee inventive faculty In a new
line Of activity. Within the last few
months scores Of applications have
poured In for PATENTS on contrivances
designed 20 defeat tho entcrprislnp
railway bandit. Some OF them are
10 ingenious and original ~ 10 DO
well worth describing. For example.
ono model has been offered Of an OK.
press car which is n sort Of modified
rat-trap. II not only protects tho
valuablos entrusted 10 IL for trans
portatlon and bookkeeping, but actual
iy captures any thieves who may DO
NO bold rs to attempt a depreciation.
This interesting device Ia tho inven-
ton Of Miguel Morrcll n Santa Bar
bara, Cal. A part Of the express car
Il fenced OF and inclosod with strong
bars Of steel. In this cage the safe
containing money and all other valu.
ablcs are kcpt-not merely for tho
sake OF safety, DO II understood. but
for bait. In order TO 500 how this
would operate. Il Is only necessary TO
imagine tho train held up by gang
Of robbers.
"Oponw crics tho leader of tho
predatory band. "or We will blow up
the car with dynamite"
Certainly, with PLEASURE replies
the express messenger politely. Walk
right in"
So saying he throws wide tho door
and the robbers at once avail thom.
selves of the invitation In the cage,
which IS Lighted with electricity II II
be- night, thoy soc the sa'o surrounded
I by attractive looking packages In.
/ tent upon securing the booty they
walk into tho barred enclosure. while
/ The messenger retreats into tho corner
Of tho car. lhorc hc touches lover.
which actuutos mechanism that
causes the door OF the cago 10 close
with snap, imprison.ng the bandits.
"foi.cd' ha ha' laughs tho mcs.cn.
ger, protected from tho guns Of his
victims 10y tho motal shield behind
which he has stepped 10 pull the lever.
/ From behind the shield no slips out OF
the car by little door and tho thioycs
arr left 10 gnash thoir teeth IN impo.
tent rage while they are boing con-
yoycd to prison by tho train they have
/ attempted 10 rob.
Another inventor has devised
most original sort Of iron box. which
| Is TO scryo a. fort for tho express
/ agent. says tho philadelphia limos.
/ II Is perforated ou all sides with holes
and L literally lined with rovolyors.
Each Of the weapons is permanently
fixed in the wall Of tho cylindrical box
by means Of ball bearing. That Is
TO say. each pistol has u metal ball
surrOun ling tho end OF H. barrel, and
! thi, ball Is held In socket 30 that
the revolver may bo turned and aimed
IN any direction. Thus the messenger
has whole battery mt his command,
and looking out through peop-holos,
ho pumps tho bandits full Of lead.
This idea is the property OF +. kooly
OF Memphis, Tenn.
Another pattern Of robbcr- proof
express ear has boon newly patented
~ W. ID. Patterson, Of koOkuk, Iowa,
Inside Of II Ii built box Oi sheet
secl. Tho box Is shaped like a huge
slnning-top, with u peg at each end.
1bc pogs arr plyois, one Of them
hrng fixed In the roof and the other
/ II tho floor Of the ear. Thus the box
/ dn b. made 10 rcvolyc. 30 that the
n'sscngcr who seeks refuge within II
/ On shoot In any direction through
/ ponlngs provided for the purpose.
ihilo from the security OF his bomb
roof fortress he guzcs through poop
ioles at tho bandits, supposing that
hey have forced an entrance to the
rlr. Owing to It's peculiar form, tho
box Is supposed 10 bc particularly well
slaptcd for resisting explosives.
But this l. not all, II tho robbers
lsiccood In getting into tho shoct'stcol
box they do not lind tho I.essongor
~ some strange way tho bird has dis
sppoarod; the bomb proof Is empty.
Ifoilcd again. chuclslos the mos'cn'
for. quietly. as ho hears the bandits
falc thoir departure, and thcrcupon
fmcrgos from small compartment
beneath the lloor OF the box. In this
compartment thcrc Is just room for
him to lie curlcd up and concealed by
an iron plate that Tits the hole in the
floor, through which he crawled, The
thieves arc not lilSoly to linger long,
and there Is only bare possibility
that thoy would set lire TO the ear and
roast tho express agent 10 death
There arc many freaks among the
railway inyontious recorded AZ the
patcn, office. One patent Il for a bar
that Is to DO fastened ut the rear OF q
locomotive. A collision being immiii-
ont. the engineer steps upon the bar
and II extends itself automatically
swinging him out 20 a distance OF six
teen foot from tho train and deposit
ing HIN gently in the ditch. Another
device Is for u small section OF track,
which Is to be carried 10y a locomotive
In front II the engineer finds u col
lislon otherwise unavoidable no pulls
a lover, which causes the section o
track TO descend upon the rails, VIII
|, the latter tho track section Is at 81
angle, so that the train leaves tn
rails and COOS shooting OF on tn
prairie, permitting the lighting oN
press that is coming tho other way 4
pass by.