Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-10-17
CLUE TO HoLD-UP.
officials Believe They
Have Ono at Clinton.

=
Press -Generai Manager Antisdel, of
the American Express company, says
there was $4,000 in cash in the safe
which the robbers dynamited and loot
ed in the hold-up OF the Northwestern
train near DeKalb last night. Antis-
del said he could not even guess the
value OF the jewery and other valu-
ables carried.
The limited. which leaves Chicago at
1880 p. m. for Council Bluffs, was held
up at midnight at Tower w. fifty miles
from Chicago. Five men, masked and
armed, did the work
Tower w is between Cortland and De
Kalb.
The train was due at De Kalb at
1920 a. m.
1t is one of the best trains on the
Northwestern and does the heaviest
business on. the road. The passenger
list is large and the express business
heavy.
According to the Northwestern Off
Gals report, three or four masked men
held up the operator in the block tower
between Elburn and Maple Park short
ly before II, bound and gagged him.
They then set the block signals and
stopped the train. The robbers took
possession of The express car. blew
open the safe, extracted the contents,
cut off the engine. ran it two miles
west of Maple Park, drew the fire and
escaped. The passengers We're not mo-
lested
Clinton. Oct. 16.-Two former en-
ployes OF the Chicago and Northwest
ern railway company. who lost their
jobs because of the Ddbs strike, are
suspected of being the robbers who
held up train No. 0 at Meredith Crower
W. late on Friday night.
These men reside in Clinton. Since
1894 they have had no regular occupn-
ton. They have lived a sort of recll-
less, dissolute life. They are known to
all the railroad employees of the divi-
sion between Chicago and Clinton.
They have made their threats against
the company. One of them boosted OPP
emily two weeks ago that he could put
up job on the company that would
cause it more loss than his salary
would amount TO if he We're kept on
the payroll for the rest of his life. This
man used to be an engineer.
\ mysterious man who goes by the
name of Burt" and who is supposed
to be Il Pinkerton employee. spent all
last evening with Captain Wright of
the Clinton police searching for these
men. They should have been here. but
although the town was searched thor
oughly they could not he, found. The
police even kept up their search until
daylight. They never will stop until
these two men are under arrest. With
this accomplished they think they will
have the key to the holdup.
Inspector Ct. L. Gould. of the post
Office department. left Clinton at S
o'clock Sunday morning and Went to
Wheaton. H.. to have a look at the
men under arrest there. He did this
after consultation with DETECTIVES Null
lady of the Northwestern. Mullady
went to Rock Island Junction at noon.
where he spent the day investigating
the case Of the watch works. The de-
tectivc evidently came to the conclu-
sion that the clcw was a good one, for
he returned, to Clinton ut $3.50 last
night, accompanied by four detectives.
The robbery is the one subject of
conversation among railroad men at
this point. Clinton has a population of
$4,000. and is terminal for The Chica-
go and Northwestern, Chicago. Milwau-
ltee and st. Paul. Chicago. Burlington
and Quincy. ard Burlington. Cedar RAJ
pids and Northern. Hundreds of rail
road men live here and among them
are good and bad men. The bad men
have been pretty well spotted and eve
ny railroad employee has turned himself
into 4 private detective for the time be-
ing in the hope of being able 10 spot
the robbers and get the 81. 1000 reward.
1t is the opinion of railroad men that
the bandits undoubtedly came from To-
wa. The bird always flies home in the
hour of trouble and it is not considered
likely that the robbers would have
come toward Clinton unless they We're
familiar with the country and hoped
to find refuge among friends. 1t would
have been the first effort OF Chicago
thieves 10 reach the big city, us eNpe-
rienced crooks realize he danger OF
| trying to make their escape in the
country. Only men who know the
ground thoroughly would attempt &c
do such a thing.
1t is said the Northwestern officials
have good reason to believe that The
robbers came as far as Fulton, ILL.,.
where they could have made connec-
ton with the Chicago and Northwest
ern and Chicago, Milwaukee and ST
Paul roads. While the police here will
not admit it, it is stated that men Were
seen to get Off The Chicago ard North
western train nj Fulton and that their
conduct was so suspicious that thsii
actions attracted attention. There is
no reason why any one should leave
the Chicago and Northwestern read nj
this point, as there is nothing bus &
tower, and it is said that if the mer
We're ION the square" they would have
stayed on the train and come over the
| bridge to Clinton.
William Nugent, for many years ;
trusted Pinkerton employe, who now