The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-04-04

ST. Louis, April 2. The Tri1co fast
express from the west which left
Lebanon. Mo-, ls2 miles west Of ST.
Wednesday morning, was held up by
three masked men near Richland. 20
miles east of Lebanon. about three
o'clock In the morning. When the train
was nearing Richland the engineer saw
n bright red light down the track. He
reversed the lever and applied the air
brakes. and stopped the train. The
engineer and fireman poked their heads
out OF the cab window 20 see what the
trouble was. AZ that instant there
was Hash and bullet whizzed past
the engineers head and buried itself
in the wood work. A man sprang into
the cab with Winchester rifle aud
commanded the engineer and fireman
to hold up their hands. Then he com
PEELED the engineer 20 get down and
help the robbers into the express car.
They made the engineer mount the
platform and, with Winchesters prod
ding him from behind. call loudly TO
the messenger 10 open his car.
IL was not until several volleys had
been poured into the car through the
door that the terrified messenger I'M
bolted his door and admitted the rob
bers. The messenger declared that
everything in the car worth taking was
securely locked in the through safe, to
which he did not possess the combina-
ton. The robbers produced from
bag n package of dynamite and went to
work TO blow the safe open. They
worked for nearly an hour. After
some time consumed In drilling the
safe the first charge was exploded.
creating faint shock. In few min
utcs a second and heavier shock did the
work. The bandits cut the engine
loose and started down the track. En-
gineer Price offered TO go with them
60 take care OF the engine, but they said
they did not need him, as they knew
something about engines. An eighth
of mile east of the train they left the
engine and mounted their horses,
which were plcketed near by.
None of the passengers was molested.
but there was great excitement among
them, accustomed by the frequent firing
OF pistols by thc robbers, evidently for
the purpose of intimidating them.
ST. Lonis. April 1.-The Wells. Fargo
a. Co. express officials here say the
amount of money secured by the rob-
bers was only $1.277. About 100 mount
cd men are in pursuit. Road Agent
Bradway is in Lebanon experimenting
the hunt. Dloodhounds will be put on
an 49,. ..,1 o....r. .,,..,, a. rail
road and express secret service will be
used TO capture the outlaws. The rob-
bcrs ran the detached locomotive about
four miles from the point where they
robbed the train, and killed its fire and
took TO the woods. The Wells-Fnrgo
company offers $500 reward for the mr.
rest OF the robbers.
Bremen. Ind, April 2.--Five desper-
ate men attempted to hold up the west
bound limited express at Bremen at
4:30 Wednesday, morning. The gang
of robbers boarded the train at Garrett
and, when this side OF TINT city few
miles, robbed passenger OF his gold
watch and money and then threw him
from the moving train. IL was the
gangs intention 10 hold up the train
somewhere between Walkerton ard
Bremen. as large marsh west OF Brc-
uen affords them a good opportunity.
The man who was thrown from the
train recovered enough 20 walk to Gar
rett and notify the officials, who wired
the operator here. and the night police
with several men went TO the depot
armed, and when the train arrived
desperate battle took place. Three OF
the robbers were arrested and placed
In the Bremen lookup. One of them
IL mortally wounded. A posse OF men
are now searching the country for the
two highwaymen who escaped. II is
an affair similar TO the Kessler hoId-up.
The name of the man thrown from the
train was Theodore Bellsteln.
There was large amount OF money
in the express car. and the baltimore
a Ohio officers feel certain that the men
were planning TO rob the car near this
place, where several efforts NJ train
robbing have been ade during the last
three years. The Wabash crosses the
Baltimore a. Ohio at that place. and II
is believed the men must have arrived
SEINE time during the night on n
Wabash train from Chicago.