The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-02-05
A DARING HOLD-UP.
Five Masked Robbers Attack the
Oregon Express.
Free Use OF Firearms aud Dynamite Tn"
Express Car and On. SAT" BLOW" opea
aud Mail sacks k.iied Express Car
Iirea-H.avy Loss of baggage.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 80 The postal
authorities yesterday morning re-
ceiyed word from Roscburg, Ore, 81
the stopping of the Oregon express
and the robbery OF the mail coach ana
express ear. The train left here at
u. IN. Wednesday last for Portland,
and the robbery occurred at midnight,
Thursday night. at Shady Point two
miles south of Roscburg. Tie tram
was signailed by lantern. Engineer
Morris stopping mt the ligh,, ana d
man, masked, with revolver In hana'
crawled down from the tender, order
ing hands up Fireman Hendricks
Jumped off the cab and ran Tor lose
burg, followed by a couple Of shots.
The robbers ordered Morris To back
up the train, and the mail and express
cars were cut Off. Then he ordered
him To pull ahead for about 30 yards.
During this time Conductor Neatch
and brakeman Lohr went forward
with their lights to reconnoiter, out
were shot at and ordered back.
Butler, the express messenger, put
ont his lights and went behind some
the car. lie opened the door and took
shot at the robbers, whereupon the
highwaymen applied dynamite on the
opposite side, which shattered the car.
Butler jumped out and seeing a rob
Der. attempted To shoot, but ms gun
snapped and he ran for the Pullman
car.
The robbers used dynamite on the
safes and succeeded in opening til,
| small one, getting not over $50. Ihey
knocked over the stove, setting hre u
the car, totolly consuming it and It's
, contents, also all the passengers bag
gage, involving heavy loss. lheJ
Z took some registered letters from the
mail car and departed.
! Supt. Fields, of the Southern Pacific
; who happened to be at Roseburg. was
: called about 1890 and took an engine
q and men to the scene The burning
t.ir was tumbled of the track, and th
Z train was brought in after severa
! hours delay.
n Engineer Morris had his chez.
I. grazed by bullet and the expires
r messengers dog was killed. a few
: mail pouches were rified, but the valu
a Of the letters taken is unknown. th
!, end of the mail car was charred, an
l. some mail matter damaged 10y ire an
water.
Several commercial travellers los
valuable sample trunks in the hrt
:. One case containing silver knives
N forks and spoons. was found yestel
II aav morning in the slough. uninjureo
y Il. Of valtlA recovered
le The large express safe, unopened, wa
D. taken to Portland on the morning i'
"a cal.
:. The sheriff and his posse are scou
~ ing the country, but there is'no cle
he vet, as heavy RAIN has been ialllh
IL and the tracks are obliterated. III
m train arrived at Portland at Oh
~ o'clock Yesterday afternoon. Chari'
ed Piper. postal clerk in charge OF u
mail car, sad:
ns 1.-TWO men did all the work OF hol'
:. inc M the train, but | think the
a were five in the gang. They explode
on two dynamite bombs in the expire
er car aud half a dozen on the outsio
- When the express car took hre re-
in lied that nv car which was next
ent the expires, was in danger one
e.a the robbers drew a revolver on u
- while he went through the mail
not believe he took anything oil val'
oil THE express car was soon ma
% Of danes, and set about To save
the ear. If possible, by carrying wa
md from a pond near at hand. The ent
t OF end OF the mail car was burned Q
'um but only a small part of the mail v
lie. damaged"