The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-24
STOLE A LOCOMOTIVE
Express Car Looted on the
Chicago and Alton by
Three Masked Men.
HEAVY BOOTY SECURED
Dynamite and Pistols THE
Narauders Escape on the
Engine,
HEAVY BOOTY SECURED


9 o'clock last night in the famous Blue
Cut. They covered the engineer and fire.
man with revolvers and compelled them
to jump down from the cab. One of
the robbers cut off the locomotive and
express car The robbers boarded the To-
connective and pulled out for Glendale,
with Express Messenger Frier prison
er in his car
When the express train stopped at In
dependence the robbers climbed aboard
without being seen by the train crew,
and concealed themselves on the bag
gage and locomotive tender When the
train reached the bridge over the Mis-
souri, Pacific tracks, about mile from
Independence, two of the robbers climbed
into the cab of the locomotive, and COW
ering the engineer and fireman with re-
volvers, commanded them to stop the
train. The locomotive was in charge Of
Engineer E. D. Meade and he at once
brought the train to a standstin.
The robbers had the plan of action de-
termined upon in advance, and as soon
as the train was stopped the passenger
cars were uncoupIed from the express
car by one Of the gang, while the men
in the cab still held their revolvers upon
the frightened engineer and firemans
When the passenger coaches had been
cut off the engineer was ordered to go
ahead, which he did.
All the robbers had climbed upon the
locomotive and express car and they
were soon speeding away.
The conductor at once started back for
independence to give the alarm, while
the engineer, 2. D. Meade, and his fire.
car. They found their locomotive dead
in a cut
The bandits ran the section of the
train they had cut off about two miles
and stopped in the old Glendale cut,
made famous as the scene of one of the
James boys robberies. Here they stop
ped and rified the cars.
After completing their work they
cut the engine loose and ran it to point
a mile east of Glendale, where they dis
abled the engine so that it could not be
used and then deserted it. AT 1:30 o'clock
this morning the passenger coaches were
still standing where the robbers had left
them when they cut the train in two
At 2:30 o'clock the express car was
brought back to independence, and Ex-
press Messenger Frier told the story of
the robbery as follows
About five minutes after the car was
detached from the train.' ne sasd,' Il
heard noise at the side door, and think
ing it was the brakeman, 1 opened it. A
man with shotgun compelled me to
retreat into the car, while. two Others fol-
to throw up my hands. The men then
pulled me from the car and asked me If
had any money. They then picked
me up and threw me bodily back into
the car, and one of the men, who wore
mask. as did the Others, climbed in. He
proceeded to the large safe sand threw
down a kit Of tools in front of it, The
other two held guns at my head, while
the third one proceeded to break. open
the safe',
Frier told the man who was at work
on the large safe tnat 1t was useless for
him to blow 1t open as there was no
money IN 4. One of the men who stood
with a revolver. then said:-.sGive US the
key of the small safe" Frier refused 10
do this and the two men who had re-
manned on the outside leaped into the
sar. They Jumped on to Frier. pinned
him to the floor and took the keys Of the
small safe away from him. He was then
thrown In corner, and with guns held
man then took the keys, opened the
small safe and took from 1t a number Of
packages of money. and after the robbers
had secured the contents of the small
safe they again attempted to open the
large one.
The bandits finally blew open the big
safe with dynamite and secured all It
Messenger Frier said that the money in.
the smaller safe ran up into the thousands
and the big safe had more money and val
uaDies than It usually contained.
A relief train was sent from Kansas
City and brought the stranded train into
Independence at 2:30 O'clock
Engineer Meade said there were three
bandits concerned in the hold-up, and that
ne identified them as three of the men
who held up the same train about two
months ego t the same point in the cut
The first definite information from the
passengers wae received here from Inde-
pendence at 1:30 o'clock this morning, af-
ter the arrival there of Marshal Kesh-
lears relief train which was sent out from
Kansas CITY Beyond Independence this
train picked up the passenger and bag.
gage coaches that had been left by the
robbers at Blue Cut. and pulled them back
to the siding at Independence.
Conductor Nichols said that when the
train was brought to standstili at the
cut he stepped out upon the rear plat
form and had pistol thrust under his
nose
Just keep your mouth shut. I don't
want to. hurt anybody" the road agent
said to him.
A moment later tile bandit said Look
mere, young fellow, have you got any of
the company,s money!"
The conductor handed out s4 The rob
ber took So, with the remark We'll, IN
just divide it with YOU
None Of the passengers was rnolested.
but the greatest confusion prevailed on
the train when 1t became known that II
was in the hands of robbers. There was
a wild scramble to hide valuables
After taking the stranded train into In
dependence Marshal Keshleaass relief
train went on to Glendale and picked up
the locomotive and the express car which
were left some distance east of that sta
tion.
The Kansas City officers of the United
States Express Company said today that
the train carried very little cash but that
the ear was filled with an enormous
amount OF miscellaneous express OF great
value Christmas boxes made up q con-
siderable amount OF the treasure The
officers said that the messenger was heav-
lily armed and dead game, but they ad-
mitted that the chances were all against
him.
It was at Blue Cut in 1881 that the
James gang held up q Chicago ana Alton
express train and made one OF the biggest
hauls in the history Of train robbery. Al
few years later another big train robbery
was committed at the same place, and
two months ago the third hold-up at Blue
Cut occurred. The men who planned the
robbery Were local novices and got moth
I ing. Two members OF the gang have since