Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-12-30
ROB AN EXPRESS CAR.
Bandits Detach the Engine and One
Car and Run Away with
the Outfit,

the Outfit.
Kansas City, Mo, Dec. 24-It was
3:15 O'Clock this morning before the Chi
caSo d Alton train, held up and robbed
at Blue Cut near Independence last
night, was finally gotten together, after
having been cut IN two by the robbers,
and the trip to st. Louis resumed. This
made it fully six hours off schedule time
Up to 10 o'clock this morning local off
Gals both of the United States Express
company and the railroad had received
nothing definite regarding their respec-
tive losses and nothing positive will be
known till the train arrives at st. Louis.
The express officials feel satisfied that
the through safe was not opened and
even II 1t were, they say, but little of
value would have been obtained by the
robbers, as the bulk of the packages was
made up of Christmas packages. The
value OF these, many of which were car
rled off or despoiled by the robbers, can
not be estimated.
Searching for the Engine.
Marshal Keshlar. who started in pur-
suit OF the robbers with a number of
deputies last night has not vet returned
The probabilities Of immediate capture
OF the robbers. however, are not bright
as they had every opportunity to escape.
when the excitement among the pas
sengCrs and crew, who had been cut off
from the engine and express car, had
abated, a number of the trainmen who
had been left with the train started Oh
foot to find the balance of the train
1t was fully two hours after the robbery
occurred that the crew came up with
the engine and express car, fully three
miles from where the train had been
stopped. When the door of the bag
gage car was opened by one of the crew
Express Messenger J. A Fryer, who
had been left by the robbers with the
command not to move under pain of
death, quickly emerged from his cramped
position and aided the others III patch
ing up the train.
There was evidence of money packages
having been opened and it is the gen
eral opinion that several thousand dol
lars was taken. Messenger Fryer could
give no estimate Of the loss, however.
He had a good view Of the robbers and
described two Of them as being quite
tall and. he thought, smoothly shaver.
They were about % years of age. The
third man, the one that attempted to
blow open the safe. was about 80 years
old and had small moustacl1e. The
robbers had all evidently left the scene
Immediately after concluding that it
would be useless to break into the
through safe. although Fryer remained
III the car alone two hours after they
left. 1T seems positive that the through
safe. which ordinarily carries thousands
OF dollars. was not opened. Had the
robbers succeeded in opening it they
would more than likely have made a
rich haul, Notwithstanding the express
company officials statement that it con-
tanned but little.
George 7; Griffin, depot agent of the
company. who knows the contents OF the
safe refuses a
will be remembered that George Z. Ross,
the company's local cashier. now under
arrest charged with embezzlement, ham
died over 100000 on the day before he
that just at this time even that amount
was exceeded and that this plum was
what the robbers were after
Details of the Robbery.
The details of the robbery as given
by Express Messenger Ereyer are as fol-
lows: About five minutes after his car
was detached from the train he heard
rap at the side door, and, thinking it was
the brakeman, he opened it. A man
into the car while two others followed
with rovOlvers and ordered him to throw
up his hands. The men then pulled him
from the car, and asked him if he had
any money. He was too excited to an
swer They then picked him up and
threw him bodily back into the car and
one of the men, who wore mask as
did the others, climbed in. The man
who got into the car proceeded to the
large safe and threw, down a kit Of
tools in front of it. The other two held
guns at Freyer's head, while the third
one proceeded coolly to break open the
safe. Freyer told the man who was at
work on the large safe that it was use
less for him to blow it open as there
was no money in it.
nf r hO str al
ing Freyer all the time with a revolver;
then he said: well, you give US the
keys for the small safe" Freyer refused
to do this and the two men who had re-
manned on the outside leaped into the,
car. They jumped on Freyer, pinned him
to the floor and took the keys of the
small safe away from him. He was then
chucked up into 4 corner with two guns
held to his head and told to stay there
The third man then took the keys, opened
the small safe and took from it number
Of packages of money and after the rob-
bers had secured the contents of the
small safe they again demanded that the
swered that he could not and that it would
be useless for them to blow it open. At
Ter paving over the loose packages for a
time the robbers departed, warning the
messenger not to move under penalty Of
being shot.
Chicago, Ill. Dee 24.-At the Offices
of the Chicago & Alton railway here it
is stated that the amount secured by the
Blue Cut train robbers foots up between
$4,000 in cash and may reach $1,000.
Kansas City Mo-, Dee. 24.-At neon
word was received from Crack-er-Neck.
Il small place near Blue Cut, that a man
believed to be one of the robbers had
been held there. A special train bearing
officers was soon started from Indepen-
dence to make the arrest No Iescrip-