The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-12
ANOTHER COLORADO ROBBERY.
Mail and Express Wagon Robbed
Of $4,000.
Two Men Board tho Wagon when About
Two Mfles From Cripple Creek and
While Ono Covered tho ID, liver with
HIS Pistol the Other Ripped open and
Killed the Mail Sack.

CRIPPLE CREEK. COL, April 1.-THE
mail and express wagon, which con-
meets with the Midland Railroad az
Grassy, was boarded to-day about two.
miles from this city by two men who.
overpowered the driver, Robert Smith,
secured an express package containing
$4,000 and escaped ON horseback.
The hold-up took place about o:30
O'Clock on the summit OF Tenderfoot
Hill, on the highway between Cripple
Creek and Grassy, station on the Mid.
land Terminal Railroad. The mail and
express wagon drawn by horses, driven
by Messenger Robert Smith, was en-
route from Grassy to Cripple Creek with
the mails and express matter received
at Grassy on the morning train from
Denver and Colorado Springs. Two
men sitting beside the road accosted
Smith asking for ride. He drew up
his team and one of the men elm bed up
to the scat beside him, while the other
mounted tho baggage behind.
las soon as Smith started to drive on
the man behind struck him on the head
several times with revolver. The blow
| man on the scat with him also drew q
revolver and, levelinR 1t at him, com
manded him to get down, walk to the
| heads OF the horses and hold them. He
complied, and while he was covered
with their guns they ripped open and
rifled the mail and express pouches.
! After securing S16, 600, which was being
shipped to the Cripple Creek National
Banks, and several other valuable pack
ages, they unhisched the two leading
horses and mounted them and rode of
rapidly into the mountains.
| Smith who was very weak and bleed.
Ing profusely drove into the city as
quickly az possible. When he drew up
In front of tho Fargo express office he
tainted and fell from his seat. He re-
| vived In q few minutes and related
what had befallen him. Within twenty
minutes from the time the robbery was
ommitted Deputy Sheriff Sterling and
jackson and two hundred men started
to scour the hills in search of the rob
| bers, who have SO small o start that it
Is not believed they can escape. A
message has been sent to Canon City for
d bloodhound which will be put on the
trail Of the robbers IL they are not cap>
| tured before.
The SIG, 900 package secured by the
robbers WAS consignment from Denver
by the Wells Fargo Express Company.
IL has not yet been ascertained by whom
1t was shipped, but 1t is believed to have
| been forwarded from tho First National
| Bank OF Denver to the First National
Bank OF this city. Another package,
| containing $3.50, is also missing 1t la
| believed the robbers came from Denver,
| and knew that the largo money package
WAS on the wagon.
! The two robbers were traced to the
| Divide road north OF town near Rhyolite
mountain. After robbing the express
| they crossed over Cow mountain, and
near Gillette thoy discarded the horses
| which they had taken and took light
buggy and horse which they had Sc
cre'ed in the timber and drove away.
after turning the stolen horses loose and
starting them on the road toward Cripple
creek. The men left the regular Grip
| pie creek and Divide road about six
miles north Of town and headed toward
| Alham bra.
AS soon 8S their course was DETER
mined word was sent to this place and
| posse Of fifty heavily armed men cut
| across the country on horseback toward
High Park where they hoped to inter
cept tho robbers. as It WAS believed
here that they were heading for either
ALEXANDRIA or tho Arkansas Valley.
Over five hundred men fron this place
were soon securing the country, among
the volunteers being men who know
| every inch Of ground for miles around.
This was pay day at the mines and the
stolen $4,000 money package was
| consignment to the Bimetallic Bank of
this city to be used in paying miners.
VIII Make Horse Laugh
THAT laughing camera at THE TIMES