Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-10-19
IN THE HOLDUP.
Landlord Locke Has a Souvenir Of the
West.
He Was in the Northwestern Railway Holdup
Last Fall.

| a n interesting bit OF wood rests on
the desk Of Landlord Locke Of Hotel
! North. This is in the little room
which is used by the two proprictors.
/ Locke IL Merrill as "A private Office
! This piece Of wood is one that reminds
| Mr.. Locke of one of the most exciting
| times in his life. which was that Of a
railroad holdup.
I MIR Locke is an interesting reconteur
! of adventures. and his account of the
affair is Interesting.
: This is a piece Of the express car
that was blown up by The robbers in
! the Northwestern holdup last fall. ~
said Mr.. Locke. the other afternoon. 10
the journal man. 1t was an exciting
| time ana ! happened to he on the
/ train. Iiy my presence | los. about
I $i2. hut | was fortunate in getting off
With losing as little as ! did
III occurred on the 10th day Of No
| vcmbcr. 1S9S. ! was going West and
I was III the Pullman car when W. no
/ ticed that the car was slowing down as
| slightly ana easily w though W. we're
| entering a station. Th" porter came
I running in ana exclaimed. 'Fur Gods
sake. if You have any money cr valu-
I allCs save thcm. for wv are held up.'
| | WaS sitting near the closet. and TAX
in- little card-casc contain
/ ing 5000. placed it under
| the Garnet in the closet. ana III
the same time worked at my ring. 1t
| was large diamond that | hal been
unable to take from my finger in five
years. As ! talked with my friend ii
came off and dropped it into tn" GUS
pidor. My friend afterwards remarked
that ! lost So much flesh in the scare
that my ring slipped off easily.
II had hardly got back to my seat
before The masked men cut"-cd ana
demanded that we throw up our hands
| reached as high as possible foI III
fear they would think | wasn't COM
plying with their request, ana they
went through my clothes. They first
PULLED ont my watch ana Let ii hang
then they went through the other
pockets. taking about sac. My watch
they left for me
AT the time | failed to soc tn. hu-
morous side but afterwards when |
thought it over the affair was ludi-
crouS When the announcement was
made that we We're held up. there was
4 general scrambling to hide the
money. and men threw bills into every
conceivable thing. one woman had 4 !
chill. but she was brought out of that |
by the odd appearance Of the ncWSboy |
ard she had to laugh at him so hearth |
~ she forgot her fear. This boy was |
as bow-lcgged as though he had his |
legs shaped over a barrel. He was |
rushing about from one end of the ear |
to another. begging of someone to
save his money for him. Afterwards
we found he had but $50.
In the meantime the robbers had |
been doing work in the express car.
They blew open one car that to their
chagrin they found did not contain the
safe and valuables. Then they did 4
cool thing. They had, Of course, cut
the wires so that no alarm could be
given. but their second dynamite car
fridge was frozen. and they waited for
an hour and 40 minutes while this was
prepared for work. Then they blew
open the safe in the car to which they
had gained admission. The express
messenger had refused to open the
safe. telling them he did not know the
The leader was mad and
he said he would give the man until 10
could he counted to tell the combina-
ton, and then if the secret was not
revealed that would be the end of the
messenger. OF course the fellow could
do nothing. ana he turned his head
away.
~ never shot a man in the back
said the robbcr. Turn about here
The messenger obeyed ana as the man
counted 10 the leader remarked We'll.
| guess you don't know the combina-
ton or YOU would have told it before
this. | won't shoot you, anyway
They opened the small safe, but
couldn't get into the big one which
had the money and valuabIes.'