Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-10-14
Robbers Held Up a Chicago Express
Train in Illinois and Got
S25,000.
DONE IN REGULATION STYLE
Telegraph Operator Tied, Train Grew In
Inundated, Safe Blown Open and Bandits
Escape After Tying Several En-
ployes to Prevent Pursuit.

Chicago, Oct. 1.-THE following re-
port of the robbery of the Northwestern
fast mail No. Q last night has been re-
ceived: "Three or four men masked
and heavily armed came to the office at
tower W. of the block station located
half way between Elburn and Maple
Park They told the operator to hold
up his hands. This was about 1:50 a.
IN. He thought they were fooing but
they then tied him down with buckskin.
There was train coming; the operator
told them it was freight 119 and the men
cleared the block. But when No. 9 was
approaching close the men saw it was
that train and dropped the train order
signal, stopping the train. Immediately
they blew open the safe Of the Ameri-
can Express company's car, looting its
contents, then they cut off the engine
and ran to a point two miles west of
Maple Park and escaped. The express
train was badly damaged"
1t appears that when Engineer Dan
White brought the train to stand still
two masked men jumped on the steps
and pointed guns at him and the fire.
man. LuIOW UP Joul AUHNo3 UiCy
shouted The railroad men did so. The
two robbers detached the engine from
the train. and White was told to pull out
two miles up the track. There he at
tempted to make fight and recapture
the engine. He struggled manfully, but
finally one of the robbers shot at him,
but failed to hit him. In the meantime
four other men attacked the conductor
and brakeman. Numerous shots were
fred to intimidate them. One brake
man escaped in the darkness and raced
to Elburn, where he sent an alarm to
the train dispatchers Office in Chicago.
The robbers ordered Express Messenger
Frank Hobson to admit them to the car.
'You open up that car" one of the rob-
bers shouted, Cor we will blow it up!''
Back from the car came shout, "You
try to force it open and I'll shoot the
first man who shows his head!' A vol
ley of shots was the reply. After sew
eral bullets whistled past his head the
express messenger opened the car. They
put revolvers to his head and compelled
him to give up the keys to the local safe.
They then blew open the through safe
with dynamite, the explosion wrecking
the car. The robbers grabbed all the
money and express packages they could
and fled It is estimated by the officers
of the American Express company in
Chicago there was $4,000 in the safe
besides some jewelry.
When a special train bearing General
Superintendent Sanborn reached the
scene Of the train robbery they found
that not only had the operator been
bound and gagged but the conductor,
engineer and fireman of the train had
been tied securely to the express car,
the robbers thus preventing Immediate
pursuit. The train men were only able
to give the railroad officials the direction
the robbers had taken in making their
escape.
The Chicago & Northwestern railway
and the American Express Company to-
gether offered reward OF $4,000 today
for information leading to the arrest and
conviction of the robbers.
Another special bearing General Man
ager Antisdel of the American Express
Company with Pinkerton detectives ar
rived and an organized pursuit begun.
A good description of the robbers was
given by Operator Whistler. The blood
was streaming from Whistler's face
where he had been struck with revol-
YER. He was almost dead from suffoca-
tion when released. A towel was used
as gag, it having been stuffed down
his throat.