The record-union., 1896-04-02

L
express from the West was held up at
3 O'Clock this morning near Richland
by three masked men. Just as the train
was approaching Richland the engineer
saw a bright red light on the track. He
reversed the engine and stopped the
train.
AS the train slowed up a man sprang
into the cab with a Winchester rifle in
his hand and ordered the engineer and
fireman to hold up their hands, an order
that was promptly obeyed.
The robber then made the engineer
mount the platform of the express car
and tell the messenger to open the door.
Two more robbers, both masked, had
made their appearance beside the track
as soon as the train stopped. When the
messenger refused to open the door of
the express car they began to fire
through it, and to threaten to blow up
the car with dynamite. Then the mes
senger weakened and opened the door.
The robbers entered the car, but found
the safe locked. The messenger was
ordered to open it, but said he could not,
as he did not know the combination.
The robbers evidently did not believe
him, for they tried to force him to do so,
striking him over the head with the butt
end of gun and seriously wounding
him.
Finally they went to work on the safe
themselves and succeeded in blowing it
open with dynamite. It took them
nearly an hour to do this, and all the
time some one of them kept firing their
guns to frighten the passengers.
When the safe was opened at last they
secured its contents, mounted the en-
gine, which they cut loose from the
train, and started down the track in it.
About one-eighth of mile east of the
train they left the engine, mounted
horses tied near by and galloped off into
the darkness.
The amount they secured is variously
stated at anywhere between 1000 and
100000. A conservative estimate is
$4,000. In their flight they dropped a
bag containing 81, 100.
An hour after the robbery was re-
ported here posse made up of 100 cit
liens started in pursuit of the robbers
About IL O'Clock a member Of the posse
returned. He says they found in the
woods west of where the robbery took
place two checks, one for 81 400 and one
for SIS. and also an envelope contain
ing a s. bill. Hence it is supposed that
the cutting loose of the engine was
merely a blind. and that the robbers
jumped off within a few hundred yards
of the train and took horses and came
west across the country At least, this
is the theory the officers are proceed
ing on.
Wells, Fargo & Company have issued
a circular offering $4O0 reward for the
arrest of the bandits.
The description of the robbers OBJ
tained from the passengers is as fol-
lows, The first, large, well-built man.
with sandy mustache, black overcoat
and black slouch hat and belt with pis-
tolls; the second, a small man, smooth
face, dark hair, black overcoat and
slouch hat; the third, man of medium
hight, dark complexioned, heavy, a few
weeks growth of beard, dark and
stubby mustache; broad band, black
slouch hat, no overcoat and brown sack
cutaway coat.
BREMEN Qnd), April 1.-Five des-
perate men attempted to hold up the
west bound Baltimore and Ohio linn
this morning. The gang of robbers
boarded the train at Garrett, and when
outside of this city few miles robbed
a passenger, Theodore Bellstein of Chi
cago, of his gold watch and money, and
then threw him from the moving train
1t was the gangs intention to hold uI
the train somewhere between Walker
ton and Bremen, as large marsh west
of Bremen affords them a good oppor-
tunity. Bellstein recovered sufficiently
tc walk to Garrett and notify the Off
cials, who notified the operator here
and the night police with several men
went to the depot well armed, and when
the train arrived a desperate battle
took place. Three of the robbers were
arrested and placed in the Bremen Jail
One of them is mortally wounded. A
posse of men is now searching the coun-
try for the two highwaymen who es-
capped.