Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1896-06-11
TRAIN BANDITS.
Sugge stions as to How They
Should Be Dealt With.
Need That Government Methods Be Sim
plifed Train Robbing Unknown In
Canada, Where They Have .
Mounted Police System.

Train robberies have been so fire.
quent and have been carried out will
such comparative ease during the las
five years that railroad and expires.
companies have almost given up II
despair the long and often futile at
tempts to catch the bold land pirates
The bold dynamite outrage at Wau-
paca, Wis.,, the other day is an ex.
ample Of the daring and the extremi-
ties to which the land pirates will go.
A dastardly plan was formed and car
ried out to wreck the train, and then to
loot the express car. The lives of the
passengers were not for a moment
taken into consideration by the rob-
bers. Only by the prompt action of
the engineer were the passenger
coaches saved from destruction, the en-
CINE, baggage and express cars having
been derailed. The robbers were un-
able to blow open the safe, but their
diabolical design placed the lives Of
the passengers and trainmen in great
peril.
During the last five years there have
been III train robberies Some of them.
have been successful, while others
have failed because the trainmen have
met force with force and shot down tile
land pirates before they could do any
damage. Thousands of dollars have
been carried off, mail has been rihed,
and passengers have been terrified or
murdered in resisting the robbers. Not
withstanding stringent laws have been
passed by most of the states against
train robbers, and the penalties named
have been severe, train robbing has in.
creased. The hanging of bandit, who
had shot down the man who tried to
protect the property of his employers
and their clients, has seemed to have
had no deterrent effect on the emu
lators of Jesse james and "Black
Bart" Several train robbers are now
serving long terms in penitentiares for
their crimes, but the fact that they
have been caught and punished has not
proved terrifying to their successors
The Chicago Times-H Herald has asked |
the governors of the states, railroad |
men and presidents of express COM
panies for their views as to the best way
to prevent train robberies and as to
they thought the federal au-
thorities should be called upon to pro-
tect passengers and mail from the bold
and INSCRIPTIONS marauders. The an
swers to these queries are both numer-
gus and varied.
Nearly every answer urges the strict
md immediate enforcement of the law
against the perpetrators of train rob.
berries President Hill, of the Great
Northern railroad, says it is impossible
% construct cars which will resist sue
,essfully the attacks of the land pr
'ates. He claims that the law and it's
enforcement would prove a terror to
he bandits and prevent crimes of this
nature.
President Valentine, Of Wells, Fargo
Co., is afraid nothing can be done
ntil federal methods are simplified.
lie thinks the federal authorities
hould take the matter in hand, but
With new and quicker machinery.
mother correspondent suggests state
police system to crush the
and pirate. This is the plan adopted
4 Canada, where the train robber is
ow an unknown criminal quantity.
Missouri has death penalty for rob-
ing train, yet attempts have been
ist as numerous as before the law was ,
assed. J. c. Fargo, president of the
Inerican Express company, holds that
ain robbers when caught should be
anged or shot on the spot or trans
,rred to the feLral courts for trial.
eavy penalties are suggested by ALL
he escape of train robbers is nearly
ways due to the sympathy of the
'sidents of the district in which the 8
line is committed, and the substitu Q
on Of federal jury would insure
yifter and heavier punishment.