The herald., 1896-12-10
An EXPRESS TRAIN HELD UP
Within the City Limits of
st Louis
ROBBERS USED DYNAMITE
But Failed TO Get Into the Burglar
Proof Safe
RS Used DYNAMITE
The Boldest Crime Ever Committed Even
in the State Noted for It's Harpor-
ing of Fearless Desperadoes
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
ST LOUIS. Mo-. Dec. 9.-The Iron
Mountain fast express train outgoing
was held up one mile from the Union
station. within the city limits, tonight
at $3.50 by six masked men. The door OF
the express car was blown off with dy-
Mantle, but no plumber was secured
One of the men stood in the center of the
track and waved a red lantern, signi-
fying that danger was aheand. lie en-
gineer stopped the train, and no sooner
had he done so than two masked men
Jumped upon the engine cab and present
ing their revolvers told him to hold the
engine still on pain of death. Two other
robbers made for the express car, while
the remaining two stood guard outside
In less than fifteen minutes the whole
thing was over and the conductor hast
ened to the nearest telephone and no.
titled the police.
As soon as the matter was reported at
the central station every detective on
hand was called into service, and un-
der instructions from Chief of Detec"
tives Desmond sent out on the case. Ihe
conductor telephoned in description OF
the men as near as he could, but owing
to the fact that they We're all masked
it is but meager
Word was sent to every police officer
on duty in the city to be on the lookout
for suspicious characters. Officers off
duty were called in and sent out to
search every tough resort in the city
where thieves are known to hang out.
The robbers had we'll planned the job
for within two minutes after the rob-
berry they had disappeared from view
and were lost in the crowds of the city.
For boldness the robbery has no equal
in the annals of train holdups in Mis-
souri, 1t is believed bby the police that
the three men who recently entered the
offic of the Home Brewing company in
broad daylight and bound and gagged
the office employees and got away with
$1,000 were leaders in this job.
The two robbers who went two the
express car demanded admittance. Ex-
press Messenger w. J. Egan refused to
let them in. They threatened to kill
him if he did not, but he demonstrated
that the express safe could not be
opened.
Fortunately it was a through car and
the money was in a time-locked safe.
Finding it useless to try to blow this
open the robbers jumped off and notified
had failed to get anything.
Conductor William Haw came forward
to find out what was the matter. He
was met by one of the thieves who, point
ing a revolver at his head, ordered him
back on tEey<frain. The robbers then
left and Engineer William Green started
on.
At jefferson Barracks Express Mes
senger E,gan said the Pacific Express
COMPANY lost nothing.
Had il been a local instead of a
through train, he said. they might have
secured some booty but through cars
always carry burglar proof time-lock
safes"
The place where the robbery occurred
was at the Bates street crossing where
there is a deep cut. The passengers on
the train We're in no way disturbed and
it was half an hour before any one re-
allied what had happened.
As the train pulled away Express
Messenger Egan came to the shattered
door of his car. intending to shoot at the
bandits No sooner did they see him,
however, than they opened fire and he
hid behind pile of boxes. The noiae of
the shooting attracted the clerks in the
mail car and they opened the door and
fusilade followed.
At midnight the police had made no
arrests. The only clew they could get
was from a citizen residing near Bates
avenue crossing. where the hold-up oc-
Cured. He said he heard the shots and
few minutes later two buggies with
three men in each came tearing down
Bates street at full gallop.
The news of the hold-up soon spread
throughout the city. Business men
gathered together in the lobbies of the
hotel after the theater to discuss the act.
some were for organizing a vigilance
Nf t,nfr
down the epidemic of crime that has
fourished for the last three weeks.
Scarcely night has passed in that time
but half a dozen citizens have been
sandbwged and robbed and numerous
houses burgarized. reign of terror
really exists and the police seem power
less to stop it.
Half an hour after the robbery had oc
Cured. all the mounted police from the
various parks and boulevards were call
ed upon to assist in running the robbers
down. The officials of the Iron Noun
tain road brought out all their special
officers Never before in the knowledge
of the present police officials has crime
created so much excitement. Every
man on the police force who could be
brought into service was utilized.
In his official report to Superintend-
ent Brownlee of the Iron Mountain road
Conductor Ham says: Il was in the last
sleeper when we We're stopped by six
masked men At the Bates street crossing.
They were poorly dressed and of medium
height All wore masks. When l got
off the train they told me if | went any
farther they would blow my brains out.
After blowing the door of the express
car out they placed stick of dynamite
on the safe and discharged it. This fail
ed to force the safe but it destroyed the
combination and the safe cannot be
opened The robbers got nothing