Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-12-25
st. Louis and Chicago Expires
Held Up BY Robbers st
Blue Cut.
Locomotive and Express Ca,
Uncoupled and Run Down
the Track.
The Bandits Secure Several
Thousand Dollars and
Escape.

. / D Fl. = - -
train robbing industry, was the scene
of its fourth hold.up by road agents.
At9:,O r. m. the st. Louis and Chi
cago express which left Kansas City at
40 was tagged at Blue Gut and came
to stands.ll. Masked men imme.
diately covered the engineer and fire.
man and compelled them to get down
from their cab. At the same time,
another member of the bandit gang nm
coupled the express car from the rest
of the train. The robbers quickly
climbed aboard the locomotive and the
express car, and before the surprised
trainmen had time to collect their wits
the bandits were speeding down the
steep grade beyond Blue Gut with the
engine and express coach. and Express
Messenger A. J. Frier of St. Louis was
prisoner in the express car.
About five minutes after his car was
detached from the train, the messenger
said, he heacd rap at the side door,
and thinking it was the brakeman,
opened it. A man with shotgun
compelled him to retreat into the car
while two others followed with revolv-
ers and - ..,..
Ordered Him to Throw Up His Hands.
One man proceeded to the large safe
and threw down a kit of tools in front
Of It. The other two held guns at
Fr.er's head, while the third one pro.
ceeded coolly to break open the safe.
Frier told the man who was at work on
the large safe that it was useless for
him to blow it open, as there was no
money in it, and the robbers then de-
manded keys for the small safe. Frier
refused to give them up and the men
took the keys away from him. One IT
them then took the keys, opened the
small safe and took several packages
of money, and, after the robbers had
secured the contents of the small safe,
they again attempted to open the large
one. A small hole was made in the
large safe and two sticks Of dynamite
put in. Frier again talked to the men,
tellingthem they were wasting time,
as there was not a penny in the large
safe. At this time they desisteda fronl
their attempt to open it and prepared!
to leave. n
It is now known that largetamount
was secured. They then started to,
leave the car; but before doing so
turned to Frier and told him that
They Had; Used, Hin, Fair
md that he ought to give them somss'
thing out of his salary: Frier said he,
did not have any money OF his person
but they did not believe haln and mads'
a search Of his clothing Two OF the
men then jumped FROM the. car and the
third one pushed Fsier Through the.
open door down to. the side of the,
track They then compelled HIM to'
climb upon the front end of the car
and set the brake. After tho brake.
had been set the robbers drove Frier
back, closed the door; telling him
ut the same time to remain there On
peril Of bis hfe He was badly fright
ened.. As Soon as the express messen-
ger had been driven into the Car, the:
robbers boarded the engine and went at
= high rate Of speed about two miles,
where it was abandoned. IT was inn
possible to- estimate the, amount of
money ta2sen from the, small safe as:
the express messenger refused to state
He admitted, however. that there was;
a great dsal Of money which was being,
shipped fer. Christmas. tt iEf fair to es--
Inmate it, as several thousand dollars