The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-02
ROBBED TnE CYPRESS cAR.
A Fast Train Held Up in Missouri-e3
600 Said to Have Been Taken.

ST. LOUIS, April 1.-The Frisco Fast
Express" from the West. which left Leb-
anon, lS2 miles west OF st. Louis, a little
before 1 o'clock this morning, was held
up by three masked men near Rlchland.
twenty-five miles east OF Lebanon, at
about 3 o'clock this morning. when the
train was nearin Richland. the engineer
saw a red light down the track. lie re-
Versed the lever. applied the air brakes.
ana stopped the tram. The engineer and
fireman pOked their hca0s out or the cab
window 10 see what the trouble was.
That instant there was a flash. and
bullet whizzed past the engineers head
and buried Itself IN the woodwork. A
man sprang into the cab with q Winches-
ter rifle, and commanded the engineer and
fireman To- hold up their hands. 1nen he
compelled the engineer 10 get down and
help the robbers get into the
express-car. They made the engineer
mount the platform, and with Winches-
ters prodding him from behind, call loudly
to the messenger 10 open his car. 1t was
not until Sc eseral voheys were poured into
the car through the door that the mes
sengcr unbolted his door and admitted
rhe robbers. The messenger declared
that everything in the car worth taking
was securely locked in a through safe. 10
which he did not possess the cOmbina-
tion. The robbers produced from bag
a package of dynamite. and went to work
10 blow the safe open. They worked
nearly an hour, firing their guns all the
time outside the train TO inumidate the
passengers and trainmen. The inssseh-
ger was badly hurt by being struck on tne
head with She butt-end Of q gun. At
last the safe was opened, the booty Sc
.. D.. rlnf4f &
and galloped of in the darkness. a posse
left Lebanon carly this morning IN pur-
suit. The express officials claim not 10
know how much the robbers sot, but one
of the passengers says he heard the mes
senger say there was over soJ,OUO IN the
safe.
one Of the three train robbers was
youth of seventeen, who stood guaId
over the trainmen, while the others ala
the work. The loss may be any amount
from $4,000 TO Sl00,0O0 All the way bills
were destroyed. In the haste the rob
bsrs dropped one package OF SLl00. After
some time. consumed in drilling the safe,
the first charge was exploded, creating a
faint shock. In r. few minutes, a sec
ond and heavier shock did the work.
The bandits cut the engine loose and
started it down the track. Engineer
Price offered 10 20 with them 10 take
care or the engine, nuL lhcy sdlu lucy ulu
not need him as they knew something
about engines. An eighth Of a mile east
Of the train they left the engine and
mounted their horses. which he'd been
picl1eted near by. Good descriptions
are given Of the three robbers. and as the
country is aroused and pursuit active, it
IS thought hey cannot escape. The St.
Louis agency OF the Wells-FargO EX-
press CO., refused information as 10 the
amount Of money In the through safe.
Lebanon. MO-. AQruJ.--An -hol4r n r.
ter the robbery was reported here a posse
made up of one hundred citizens started
in pursuit Of the robbers. This afternoon
a member Of the posse returned. lie says
they found in the woods west Of where
the robbery took place two checks-one
for $500 and one for SO. and also an
envelope containing a 50 bill. Hence 1t is
supposed that the cutting loose or the
engine was merely blind. ana that the
robbers jumped off within a few hundred
yards and took horses and came west
across the country. Al least this Is the
theory the officers are proceeding on.
Wells. Fargo & Co. have issued a circu-
lar Offering $500 reward for'the arrest of
the bandits.