Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-09-10
BANDITS WERE 0UTN|TTED
Bold Attempt to Hold up a
Train Near Sacramento.
FRUSTRATED BY THE ENGINEER
watching His Chance, He Shot the
Robber in the Cab, and Then Pulled
Open the Throttle and Escaped.

Sacramento, Cal, Sept. 5.-The
east-bound overland train, which left
San Francisco at o'clock this evening,
and was here at $40, was stopped
about six miles west of here by train
robbers, who failed in their purpose
through the killing of one of the gang
by plucly engineer. The train was
loaded with passengers en- route to the
state fair, and it is said that the ex'
press contained large sum of money
consigned to a Sacramento bank.
The hold.up took place short dis
tance from the place where the big
$4,000 robbery occurred two years
ago. The country is covered with wa.
ter for miles, with the exception of
narrow strip over which wagon road
runs to Woodland, and within an hour
after the train pulled into Sacramento
a force of detectives and a squad of
deputies were dispatched to the scene.
Tonight the big passenger depot is
scene of the greatest animation. Div
ision Superintendent Wright, who was
a passenger on the train, is in his office
giving orders and awaiting news from
the men who have been sent to hunt
the robbers.
The Overland train left Davisville
ON time, with Engineer Edwin F. In
gals and Fireman Patrick Burns in
the cab. As the train approached
Webster, a man who had been conceal
ed in the tender climbed quietly over
the pile of coal until he reached the
gangplank, when he suddenly leveled
a pistol at the engineer and ordered
him to throw up his hands. The en-
gineer did so, and the robber then told
him to slow down. This request was
also complied with, and when the train
was stopped, at third order from the
robber, masked man was seen climb
ing up the railroad embankment with
gun in his hand. When the man
appeared, the robber on the engine com.
manded the fireman to climb down and
go with the masked robber. The fire.
man obeyed orders, and he and the
bandit walked back toward the express
car.
This left Engineer Ingalls, and the
other bandit alone, and Ingalls, began
to think up scheme whereby he could
turn the tables on his captor The rob.
ber at first was very watchful, but af.
ter minute or more had elapsed, he
turned and looked back, with the eyi.
dent intention of seeing what had be.
come of his companion and the fireman.
This was Ingalls, chance and he
relied it. A loaded revolver was lying
in box close to Ingalls, side. Qlick
as flash he lifted the lid, and, selzing
the pistol, fired two shots at the rob.
her. The bandit fell from the cab,
and the nervy engineer pulled wide the
throttle, and the train started to Sacra.
mento Fireman Burns was left to his
Fate. but when he heard the firing, he
suspected what was up, and Jumped
onto the moving train. The masked
robber who was on the platform of the
express jumped to the ground and dis.
appeared.
On arriving at Sacramento Engineer
ingalls, told his story to Superintend
ent Wright. After relating the par.
ticulars of the holdup and the depar.
ture of the fireman with the masked
robher, he said:
~ noticed that the fellow who was
guarding me was rather nervous. He
would turn every once in while and
glance back to see how things were
gong along. Seeing that there might
be chance for me to get hold of nv
revolver, which was in box in the
cab, determined to try it, and the
next time the robber turned opened
the box and got the pistol. was not
moment too soon, for just as he
looked around | fired twice. The
muzzle of my pistol was not more tn an
two feet from him when | pulled the
trigger, and am confident that I
struck him in the head and breast. and
certainly must have killed him. He
reeled forward and plunged out of the
cao' hrlng his pistol as he did so. Not
showing how many there might be of
the robbers determined to get away,
ana within fifteen seconds after | had
snot the robber | had opened the throt.
Tie and was on the way to Sacramento.
Fireman Burns said in telling his
story:
!he robber ordered me to get down
on the engine and go with the masked
man. which did. The masked man
then instructed me to go ahead bnt
halted me at the express car. Get he.
tween there and uncouple, said the
masked man in business. like wav /
climbed up between the cars, but inst
then | heard two quick shots and
after few seconds, the train began 70
move l drew myself up on the hmm.
ers and the robber, who had taken mn
his position on the express car stans
sprang off and it went on and ,et.