The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-25

ST. LOUIS. Mo, Dec. 2i.-The Chl-
cngO & Alton express, which was held
up by masked bandits in the famous
Blue Cut near Independence, Mo-, We'd
nesdly night arrived In 81. Louis this
afternoon at 1905 o'clock.
D. d. Frier, messenger IN charge Of
the looted express car. two tralnmea
and the Pullman car porter and con-
ducior were the only one OF the crew
nboard. the others having changed ao
Slater and Roodhouse.
Tho story. as obtained from thhso
men. stamps the robbery as one OF the
clcvercst and boldest pieces OF work
done by road agents during tho year.
| Messenger Frier ia in bad state OF
mind. lie feels terribly broken up over
| the robbery.
The first thing lie said when the train
! crew asked how he had Jared was
| that the company had been hard hit.
| lie says he cannot tell how much was
taken. When seen by n representative
OF the Associated Press FrIer said:
| Il was busy especially on this trip,
| and thought We had stopped on ac-
COUNT OIL u OEttk4NsNll w SbIltiEltlG CL
| that fort. ! heard no voices outside.
"When the knock came, l supposed It
! was n brakeman and opened the door.
| Then | was helpless. The robbers threw
| my shotgun out OF the car and broke Il
all to pieces. They certainly knew their
| business and were very polite, but II
would not have been safe 90 have re-
| sisted them" The polItencss OF the
robbers impressed all who saw them.
The tratnmcn said they were well
| dressed. The leader was n little under
lhe influence OF d-ink. He was 50 jo-
| vial that when he took 81 from Con-
ductor Nichols, he gave 81 OF 1t back
10 him. The other 81 he presented TO
Fricr as Christmas Gitt.
Fric- has been messenger FOR the
Pacific Express Company for twelve
years and has been connected with ex-
press companies for over twenty years.
The messenger had a view OF the rob-
bers and will be able to Identify them.
| II caught.
hitcr tho Robbery.
When the excitement among the pas
| senUcrs and crew who had been cut or
| from the engine and express car had
| ahated, number OF trainmen who had
| been left with the train started on foot
TO find the balance OF the train It was
/ AOIAs wv slAAtA NAlC IOOGGts OC-
CURED 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 tho
crew, express messenger D. D. Frier.
who had been left by the robbers with
| the command not 20 move under pain
Of death, quickly emerged from his
| crampcd position and aided the others
In patching up tho train.
There was evidence Of money pack
ages having been opened, and IL Is the
| general opinion that several thousand
| dollars have been taken. Messenger
Fricr could give no estimate Of the
| loss. however. He had good view OF
\ the robbers. and described two OF them
| as being quite tall. and he thought
I smoothly shaycn. They were about
twenty-five years OF age The third
man, the one that attempted 10 blow
| open the safe was about <hirty-fve
| years old. and had small moustache.
| The robbers had all evidently left the
scene Immediately after concluding
| that II would be useless 10 break into
| the safe, although Frier remained in
! the car two hours alone after they left.
II seems positive that the through
| safe. which ordinarily carries thou
sands OF dollars. was noS opened. Had
| the, robbers succeeded in opening It,
| they would more than likely have
made 4 rich haul. Notwithstanding the
| express company officials statement
| that It contained but little.
George 2. Griffin. depot agent OF the
| company. who knows the contents OF
| the safe, refuses 10 make n statement.
| 1t will be remembered that George F..
Ross, the company's local cashier now
under arrest, charged with cmbezzle-
ment. handled over 100000 on the day
before he left, and It was Sunday. The
| belief is that just at this time even
| that amount was exceeded and that
this plum was what the robbers were
after.