The Indianapolis journal., 1899-10-15
TRAIN ROBBERS BOOTY
LESS THAN s25.OOO SECURED FROM
THE AMERICAN EXPRESS SAFE.
Details Of the ..HoId-Jp" of the North
western Fast Mail Near Maple
Park. Ui.-Rewards offered.

CHICAGO. Oct. I-None of the masked
robbers who held up train No Q on the
Northwestern Railway between Maple
Park and De Kslb. H.. late last night, has
yet been captured. The railway company
and the American Express Company to-
gether offered a reward of 5000 to-day for
information leading TO the arrest and con-
viction of the robbers. A proportionate
amount will be paid for the arrest and con-
viction Of each Of the robbers
a bundle of bills aggregating 1900 was
covered by attaches Of the express COM
pany. It had been blown through the bot
tom Of the car and was found imbedded in
the earth between the railroad ties. The
bills were so badly mutilated that they will
have To be exchanged for new notes. II Is
believed by the railroad officials that the
booty secured by the robbers was also rem
dered worthless by the heavy charge of
dynamite the men used TO blow open the
safe. Express company officials declare the
first reports Of the amount obtained by the
robbers was greatly exaggerated and claim
1t was considerably less than $4,000
Train No forms part Of the fast trans
continental mail. which was recently estab-
lished between New York city and San
Francisco The run Is made from Chicago
TO Council Bluffs on schedule exceeding a
mile minute. 1t has been the general GUS
tom to carry only two cars-one containing
express matter and the other mail. 1t left
the Northwestern depot at 1C o'clock last
night with Dan White. veteran employe
OF the road. as engineer. No stops were
scheduled before De Kalb, at which place
the train was due shortly before IL o'clock.
AT Maple Park. fifty miles from Chicago, IL
was discovered that tower w. at Elburn,
was either out of order or was not giving
the right signal. White closed the throttle
quickly and brought the train to stand
Tne train was midway between Elburn
and Maple Park White had hardly brought
his engine TO a standstill when two masked
men jumped on the steps and pointed guns
at him and the fireman.
Two robbers detached the engine from the
rest OF the train and White was told 10 pull
out. The robbers ordered him to take his
engine two miles up the track: There he
attempted to make fight and recapture
his engine. He struggled, manfally but
finally one OF the robbers shot at him, but
failed to hit him.
In the meantime four other men had at
Numerous shots were fired to intimidate
them. The conductor was unable to make
any resistance as he was told ne would be be
escape in the darkness and raced 10 FL
burn where he, ne managed 1an to nfe send the alarm
The robbers. after overpowering the con-
Frank Hobson. to admit them g the car car
bers shouted. ''or well blow II 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 volley OF shots was the reply. and,
after several shots had whizzed past his
head. the express messenger opened the
compelled Hobson to give up the keys to
the local safe Then they blew open the
door of the through safe with dynamite.
the explosion wrecking the car. The rob-
bers then grabbed all the money and ex-
press packages they could find and fled.
the train difPatGher T & Mas m no'ed nhS ne
east 10 stop at Geneva and return al once TO
The scene of the hold-up. The trainmen of
with a detached engine as they went by. but
had thought nothing In particular OF II.
When the freight crew reached tower w
they found the operator bound, gagged and
tied to a chair. when released he gave the
first real information 10 the officials.
He said that at 10:30 O'Clock four men had
ccme into the tower and asked him the
number OF the next train going west. They
wanted TO know If IL wasn't No 3, hut the
rerator said he told them 1t was No. 119.
The robbers then told the operator that he
was a fool: that they knew better. To show
the operator that they had laid their plans
thoroughly and knew what they were talk
ing about they pointed guns at his head
and told him II he made move they would
kill him. They tied him up with ropes,
stnfsd s &c ;, toSe doa into his mouth nd and told
cape without being hurt. They then set
the signals which caused No to slow up.
The chief train dispatcher made repeated
efforts to reach the Maple Park operator
W hen report was made for fifteen min
utes OF the passing of No. 3. II was first
3 had been wrecked and orders were sent up
and down the line to watch out and report
any accident II any had occurred.
The stopping of the mail train brings the
United States authorities directly into the
case as well as the express companies and
special police service of the railroad.