The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-02
TRAIN ROBBED.
West Bound Overland Held Up
Near Cheyenne.

Denver, June at is reported here
that train robbery occurred on the
Union Pacific last night near Cheyenne,
Wyo.
CONFIRMATION.
Omaha, June 2.-Union Pacific off
cials confirm the report of train rob-
berry near cheyenne but state they
have no details. The train robbed was
west bound Overland Flyer Mol, which
left Omaha yesterday morning.
STORY OF THE HOLD-UP.
Omaha, June 2.-The Union Pacific Of
ficials furnish the following account of
the robbery of the westbound train No.
/, which left this city yesterday morn
ing:
Just before daylight this morning. in
the midst of a drenching rain. the train
was held up just beyond Wilcox. Wyo.
The robbers blew up the express car
with dynamite, severely wOunding the
engineer, and then escaped to the noun
tains.
According to the officials of the ex-
press company, the robbers obtained
only a nominal reward for their daring
crime. A posse under command of the
sheriff of Carbon county is in pursuit
and the officers are confident of captur-
ing them. Union Pacific officials re-
ceived their first intimation of the af-
fair from Engineer Jones of the train
which was held up. His message was
as follows:
CAR BLOWN OPEN.
First section No. l held up a mile
west of Wilcox. Express car blown
open, mail car damaged. Safe blown
open; contents gone. We were ordered
to pull over bridge just west of Wilcox
and after we passed the bridge the ex-
pIosion occurred. Can't tell how bad
bridge was damaged. No one has been
hurt except Jones, scalp wound and cut
on hand. (Signed)
JONES, Engineer"
During the forenoon several other dis
patches We're received containing some
details These indicated that the rob
berS boarded the train at Wilcox at 2:O9
a. IN. AS the train reached the bridge
there was a tremendous explosion that
scattered the express car for a hundred
feet in every direction. The end of the
mail car was stove in and several
stringers knocked out of the bridge En-
gineer Jones was slightly injured by the
flying debris 1t only required few
minutes for the robbers to rifle the safe,
which was blown open by the explosion.
They took it's contents. signaled their
confederate on the engine, and before
the passengers and train crew were
aware of what had happened were off
for the mountains.
SHERIFF STARTS OUT.
1t required two hours to clear away
the Wreckage so the train could proceed
to Medicine Bow, the next station from
which the report was sent. The sheriff
was notified at once and with a posse
started in pursuit of the robbers. The
soft ground caused by the rain will aid
in tracking the robbers. 1t is not posi-
lively known just how many there are
of them but as only four were seen by
the trainmen. it is believed that mum Der
constitutes the party. A later telegram
conveys the information that the west
bent of the bridge was shattered, but
has been repaired to permit of the pas
sage of trains.
The passengers were scared nearly
out of their wits, but the robbers made
no effort to molest them. cOnfining their
operations to the express car.
Off toll
ceived no information beyond the bare
fact that the train was held up and the
of the safe taken. They state
that the safe contained very little of
value
Nothing is said in any of the dis
patches regarding the express messen-
ger or where he was when the explosion
occurred. but as the dispatch says only
no harm has befa1len the messenger.
DENVER'S ACCOUNT
Denver. June "A Times special
from Cheyenne, Wyo., says:
At o'clock this morning Union Pa
cific express and mail train No. 1 was
held up one and one-half miles west of
Wilcox station, in this state by six
masked men. evidently professionals.
who blew open the safe of the express
car and carried away all the contents
The mail was not touched, presumably
on account of the fact that four army
mail clerks were in charge. The mail
and express runs as the first section
of No. l Overland Limited. The sec
ond section follows five minutes behind
A bridge two miles from the scene of
the robbery was fired to prevent the
second section from coming up during
the operations. A bridge in front of
the train was dynamited. The 1rein-