The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-08-30
TRAIN ROBBERS IN MICHIGAN.
A Chicago & West Michigan Train Held
up In True Wild West style.

up IN True VIA west Stylo.
A desperate train robbery, almost
equal TO the daring crimes for which
the west has been famous, took place
on the c. q w. Nj. railroad near New
Richmond. Soon after the night eX-
press left New Richmond, Mich,
and while swinging around curve
through a swampy stretch of ground,
Engineer Zibbel observed man
swinging a lantern, and put on the
brakes. Before he could bring the
train to a stop, however, it bumped
into big pile of ties which the rob-
bers had placed there. The train crew
started out to see what was the matter
and were met by a vollev Of bullets.
Engineer Zibbel was warned back by
two balls close to his head. Brakeman
Timothy Murphy jumped off the rear
coach with his lantern. The robbers
saw him and fired, striking him in the
groin. The baggage car next to the
engine carried an express box which
was being deadheaded back from Chi
cago empty This was what the rob-
bers were after, evidently surprising
it to contain valuables. They called
upon Baggageman Nanetta to open
the door, but upon his refusing TO do
so they fired "a small dynamite bomb
at the side door, SCATTERING il, and
sprang inside. The box was locked
and they resorted to dynamite to get j
open. Finding nothing they turned
their attention again to the train crew
and relieved the engineer and fireman
of their watches and the conductor of
about So in cash.
The passengers were not molested,
but they were afraid they would be.
There was tremendous scramble for
hiding places for valuables of all kinds
and many of the women were in hys-
terics. The passengers were mostly
tourists bound for the northern re-
sorts. The robbers were amateurs,
Conductor Rice thinks, and did the
job very clumsily and with little prep
aration. He is confident that he
would recognize the men if he should
see them again. There were four OF
them and they were neither masked
nor disguised and made no apparent
effort at conccalment.
After the news of the robbery had
spread several posses of deputy sher-
ifs, railroad and express detectives
and Grand Rapids police started on the
hunt for the robbers, being spurred on
by the offer of 81 200 reward for their
admit that four packages of money
were secured from the safe, but they
decline to give the amounts.
LATER.--Two men answering the
description of the robbers boarded a
Lake Shore train at Dorr and rode To
Eagle Mills, three miles flom Grand
Rapids The trainmen notified the
police. The robbers walked into the
city and boarded G.. Il. X |. train for
the north at 1880 p. IN. Detective
George w. Powers, of the Grand Rap
ids police force, boarded the train also
and attempted TO place the men under
arrest. Both drew their revolvers and
fired at the detective. one bullet lodg-
ing in his brain. The men jumped
from the train and made their escape.
The entire police force and all the de-
putty Sheriffs started after them. Pow
ers died a few hours later. Powers
was one OF the most popular officers on
the force. He was 81 years old, and
served CALAMITY in Co. X, Third Mich
igan volunteers, during the war.
One of the supposed Robbers Shot Dead.
George A. Smalley. supposed TO be
one of the c. 81 w. NJ. train robbers
and the man who shot Detective Pow
ers, was shot and instantly killed at
McBain. Soon after Smalley arrived
at McBain word was received from
Charles Durham. sheriff of Wexford
county, to capture Smalley and hold
him. A deputy with a posse of men at
once surrounded the house of Ezekiel
Brown, where he was in hiding.
! Smallcy is known as a desperate char
acter, but the men were armed for any
emergency. Refusing to give himself
up and reaching for his guns, which
were in "A belt on his body, he was
shot. two balls striking him in the left
side, killing him instantly. lie had
two of the best make pistols with full
chambers and belt filled with car
ttidgcs. No money was found on his
person.