The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-30
HELD UP In OREGON
SOUTHERN PACIFIC TRAIN IN THE
HANDS OF ROBBERS.

ing and Take Immediate Poassssior
When 1t Comes to . Standstiil-Robbsry
of the Cus-in.Two Type. with Certain
varistions-Gang Too Small to Corral
| the Train Crew-Dynamite and Fire
The swag-Other News of Crime and
Accident.
| Portland, Ore, Jan. 29.-The north.
bound train from San Francisco which
was due here this morning was held uI
| two miles west of Roseburg, Ore, early
| this morning. As soon as possible after
| the hold-up began, Fireman Headrick
| of the train crew, slipped out Of the en-
CINE and ran on to Roseburg and gave
| the alarm. Aiming himself quickly, he
| started back to the scene of the trouble.
! Superintendent Fields, of the Southern
Pacific road, who was at Roseburg,
| quickly took posse of dozen armed
| men and an engine and started for the
scene. Heavy explosions Of dynamite or
powder were distinctly heard at Rose
burg. During the progress of the hold
I'D the light of either fire or torch
was seen.
Fireman Hendricks stated that the
train was first tagged by the highway
men. The express car was then looted
and burned, and the safe blown open.
No one was hurt and the highwaymen
succeeded in making their escape.
Portland, Ore, Jan. 29.-The Southern
Pacific train which was held up early
this morning near Roseburg, arrived
| here this afternoon. Charles, Piper, the
clerk in charge of the mail car, said:
Two men did all the work Of holding
up the train, but l think there were five
in the gang. They exploded two dyna-
mite bombs in the express car and half
a dozen on the outside. When the ex-
press car took fire 1 realized that my
car, which was next to the express car,
was in danger. One Of the robbers drew
his revolver on me while he went
! through the mail. l don't believe he took
anything of value. The express car was
soon a mass of flames and 1 set about
to save my car if possible, carrying
water from a pond near at hand. The
entire end of the mail car was burned
out but only a small part of the mail
was damaged
San Francisco. Jan. 2s.-The follow
ing particulars of the train robbery near
Roseburg. Ore, were given out by
Southern Pacific officials here:
Train No. 10, northbound Oregon ex-
press, was held up this morning at
Shady Point, two miles south of Rose
burg, by two men. The express car
| was detached from the train by the rob-
| bers and the door blown open with dyn-
| amite. Two small safes in the car were
then blown open and looted. The ex-
press car then took fire. The conductor
| and trainmen worked hard to save the
| car after the robbers had gene, but the
car end contents were DESTROYED.
The train was on time at Shady
Point. where Engineer Morris saw a
man at the side Of the track waving q
flag He slowed up for the signal and
as ne brought tie train to stop, a man
arms1 with two revolvers, came over the
back of the tender and covered him. At
the same time another armed man, the
one who had tagged, appeared at the
side of the cab, ami. presenting a revolt
yer, ordered the engineer no, to ATTEMPT
TO move the train, out to come down IL
once and go With them 10 the express;
car. The fireman, il The n eantime, had
got down on the other side The two
robbers and the engineer .hen went to
the express car, where the robbers CT
dered the express essenser to open tie
door. But the messenger refused TO 90
press car, returned to the engine ana
backed the train, leaving the cypress
car separated. Meantime the exrrces
messenger had seized the opportunity to
step out Of the :'ar. After breaking tie
train in two, the robbers returned TO me
express car, and with heavy charges IF
dynamite, blew the DOOR open. En-fring
the car, they attacked two small safes.
which they succeeded in entering. ,rne
succeed in getting into the big safe. and
consequently they could not have secur-
ed much money. The mail car was also
visited by the robbers, and registered
letters taken.
The explosion set fire to the express
car and when the robbers left il was a
mass of flames. The train crew worked
like Trojans, but were unable to save il.
The car and contents were almost total
ly destroyed.
The passengers were considerably
shaken up and frightened, but no one
was injured
The hold-up will make the train ten
hours late getting into Portland. An i'm
perfect description of one robber was Sc
cured.
The postoffice authorities have receiv-
ed brief dispatch from the postma ster
at Roseburs stating that the registered
mail for Seattle, Portland and Astoria
had been taken. Postal Inspectors
Thrall and Munro left this evening for
the scene of the robbery and will thor
oughly investigate the case. Inspector
Thran comments on its similarity to
that when the same train was held up
on the night Of July l. 1895, thirty miles
south OF the scene of last nights affair.
On that occasion the robbers operated
in the same manner in order to stop the
train and Thrall believes that the same
parties are responsible for both hold-ups
Five men were concerned in the first
robbery, and two men were arrested for
their participation in it. They were
John Case and John Pool. After a trial
in the United States district court Of
Portland. the jury found them guilty A
new trial was demanded and Judge Bel
linger, after taking the matter under ad-
visement for eight months, granted a
new trial, stating that in his opinion
there was not sufficient evidence to con-
vict. As the postal officials had no fur
ther evidence the cases were dismissed
Case and Pool have since been indicted
by the state court but have not been ar
rested.
GERTRUDE PALMER DIES.
New York, Jan. 29.-Miss Gertrude
Palmer who was shot by her brother
Arthur on January IS. the Same time he
killed his mother and brother Leonard
at Mamaronek died today. Arthur is in
custody in 81. Louis pending extradition
70 this state. He is asserted to De III
sane.
ON HIS WIFE'S ACCOUNT.
So. Louis. Jan. 2e.-Arthur Palmer. the
murderer Of his mother, brother AMI sis
ter ct Mamaroneck. y. Y, IS still here
awaiting officers from the east 10 take
n m back 10 the scene Of his crime When
seen at the Four Courts by a reporter
today Palmer begged that the knowi-
edge OF his arrest be kept from his wife