The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-12-10
BANDITS IN ST. LOUIS.
An Express Train Held Up Within
the City Limits. =
THE ROBBERS SECURED NO BOOTY,

The Work Done by Six Masked Men, Who
Quickly Disappeared After Their Unsuc-
oessful Effort, Leaving No Clew to Their
Identity.
ST LOUIS, Dec. i0.-The Iron Mountain
fast express train, out going. was held up
one mile from the Union station, within
the city limits last night at $3.50 by six
masked men. The express safe could not
be opened, and the bandits fled without
booty
One of the men stood in the center of
the track and waved n red lantern, signi-
flying that danger was ahead. The en-
gineer. stopped the train, and no sooner
had he done so than two masked men
jumped on the engine cab, and presenting
revolvers told him to hold the engine still
on pain of death. Two of the other rob
bers made for the express car while the
remaining two stood guard outside.
The two robbers who went to the ex-
press car demanded admittance, but Ex-
press Messenger w. j. Egan refused to
let them in. They threatened to kill him
If he did not, and this threat failing they
placed n stick of dynamite at the car door
and blew it TO pieces, badly shattering
one side of the car. Fortunately 1t was a
through car, and the money was in u
time locked safe. Finding their efforts
useless to blow open the safe, the robbers
jumped from the car and notified their
companions on the engine that they had
failed to secure anything. Conductor
William Hall came forward to learn what
had occurred. He was met by one of the
thieves, who, pointing u revolver at his
head ordered him to go to the rear of the
train. The robbers then left, and Engineer
William Green started on.
As the train pulled away Express Mes
senger Egan came to the shattered door of
his car intending to shoot at the marau-
ders, No sooner did they sec him, how
ever, than they opened fire and he fled be-
hind a pile of boxes. The noise of the
shooting attracted the clerks in the mail
car, and they opened the doors and per
feet fusillade followed.
The place where the robbery occurred
was at Bates street crossln There is a
deep cut there and the noise Of the explod-
ing dynamite was smothered by the cliffs
at each side of tho track.
The passengers on the train were in nc
way disturbed and IL was half an hour be-
fore any of them realized what had hap
pened.
In less than fifteen minutes the whole
thing was over, and the conductor hastened
to Che nearest telephone and notified the
police, AS soon as the matter was re-
ported every detective on hand was called
into service and sent out on the case The
conductor telephoned in description OF
the men as near rs he could, but owing to
the fact that they all wore masks it was
but meager.
Word was sent to every police officer on
duty in the city to be on the lookout for
suspicious characters Officers off duty
were called in and sent out to search every
tough resort in the city, where thieves are
known to hang out.
The robbers had planned well the job,
for within two minutes they had disap-
peared from view and We're lost in the
crowds of the city, For boldness, the rob
berry has no equal in the annals Of train
holdups in Missouri. 1t is believed by the
police, that the three men who recently
entered the Office of the Home Brewing
company in broad daylight, bound and
gagged the employees and got away with
81 ,0O0 were the leaders in this job.