Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-10
HELD UP IN TOWN.
eoldest Train Robbery on Record
Even In Missouri.
ixsrrE TIE LIMITS OF ST. LOUIE

And - Eassy - ESQ r. U.-osss sssps
THE 1res nesussais Express milo from
the rsses ssasses. Isssrvsews the Ia
prss Nessesesr ana Gets safety Away
with Al tire Dsseessves Amer u Q lsse
Way. Frsssbsy.
ST. Louis. Dec. io.-Thc Iron Mountain
fast express train. outgoing. Was held
up one mile from the Union station.
within the city limits. last night q,
$50 by sig masked men. One OF tn.
men stood In the center OF the track
and waved q red lantern. sirnifying
that danger was ahead. The engineer
stopped the train. and no sooner had
he done 20 than two masked men
Jumped on the engine cab and present.
Ing revolvers told him to hold the en-
CINE stiil on pain OF death. Two cf
the other robbers made for the ex-
press car. while the remaining two
stood guard outside. In less than
| fifteen minutes the whole thing was
over and the conductor FASTENED 60 the
nearest telephone and notified the po-
lice. As soon as the matter was re-
ported at the Central station was re-
tective on hand was called into service
and under instructions from Chief OF
Detectives Desmond sent out on the
case. The conductor tcicphoncd In n
description of the men as near rs he
could. but owing TO the fact that they
all wors masks II was but meagre.
No Equal for NERVE Even Gin Ntssourn--
Word was sent 90 every police officer
on duty In the city 10 be on the lookout
for suspicious characters. Officers OF
duty were called In and sent out to
search every tough resort In the city
where thieves are known 90 hang out.
The robbers had planned well the job.
for within two minutes after finishing o.
they had disappeared from view and
were lost In the crowds OF the city.
For holiness the robbery has TO equal
In the annals OF train hoid-ups in Mis-
souri,. II Is believed by the police that
the three men who recently entered the
| Office Of the Home Brewing company
In broad daylight and bound and
away with $1,000. were leaders in this
job.
Thrsssen~d Co KIN tire N~ss-ne~s.
The two robbers who went 60 the cx-
press car demanded ndmittsnce. Ex-
let them in. They threatened Go kin
him n he did not. and this falling they
placed n stick 81 dynamite at the car
door and blew 10 TO pieces and badly
shattered one side of the car. Fortu-
nateiyNit was q through car. and the
money was In timc-iocked safe. Ffnd-
ing u useless 60 try to blow this open the
robbers jumped off and notified their
companions on the engine that they
had failed Go get anything. Conductor
William Hall came forward Go md ous
what was the matter. He was met by
one Of the thieves. who pointed q re-
back on the train. The robbers then
left and Engineer william Green start
ed on. At Jefferson Barracks Express
Messenger Egan said the Pacific Ex.
press company had lost nothing.
rssssagers Were Not Dsssurs~d.
Had u been n local instead of a
through train. /" he said. they might have
secured some booty. but the through
cars always carry burgiar-proof time
could get nothing left and Engineer
william Green pulled out as fun speed
| The place where the robbery occurred
was ut the Bates street crossing. There
r. a deep cut there and the noise of the
| exploding dynamite was smothered ~
/ the cliffs at each side Of the track
The passengers on the train were IN
no way disturbed. and itw rs half an
hour before any one realized what had
/ hu pncprd