The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1899-10-21
A BOLD TRAIN ROBBERY.
OCCURRED NEAR CHICAGO.
CHICAGO.
OCCURRED
The Northwestern Fast Mail stopped
-Four Masked Men GuiIty-Ex-
press Car Blown Up-safes Killed.
Took a signal Tower-Many Shots
Gagged.


up train No. 8, of the Northwestern rail
road between Maple Park and DeKalb
and shot at Dan White, the engineer, ran
away with the engine and blew open the
express car and safe. When the robbers
had riAed the car they disappeared.
Train No. 8 forms part OF the fast trans
continental mail which was recently estab-
lished between New York and San Fran
cisco. The run is made from Chicago to
Council Bluffs on a schedule exceeding Il
mile a minute. 1t has been the general
custom to carry only two cars, one con-
tanning express matter and the other mail.
Train No 0 left the Northwestern depot
with Dan White as engineer. No stops
were scheduled between Chicago and De-
Kalb. AT Maple Park, so miles from Chi
oago it was discovered that tower avs" at
Elburne was either out of order or was
not giving the right signal. Dan White
closed the throttle quickly and brought
the train to q standstill. The train was
midway between Elburne and Maple Park.
White had hardly brought the train to
d.
ON to the stern and pointed guns at him
and the fireman.
Throw up your hands," they shouted.
The railroad men did so.
The two robbers detached the engine
from the rest of the train, and White was
told to pull out. The robbers ordered him
to take his engine two miles up the track.
Then he attempted TO make fight and re-
capture his engine. lie struggled man
fully. Finally one Of the robbers shot at
him but failed to hit him
In the meantime, four other men had
attacked the conductor and brakeman.
Numerous shots were fired to intimidate
them. The conductor was unable to make
any resistance as he was told he would
be killed. y
One of the brakenen managed to escape
in the darkness and raced to Elburne,
where he managed to send the alarm to
the train dispatcher in Chicago.
The robbers, after overpowering the con-
ductor, ordered the express messenger,
Frank Hobson, TO admit them to the car.
"You open up that car" one of the rob
bers shouted, cor wen 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 yolley of shots was let fly, and after
several bullets had whizzed past his head,
the express messenger opened up the car.
They put revolyers to his head and COM
PEELED him to give up the keys to the local
safe. They then blew open the door of the
local safe with dynamite, the explosion
wrecking the car. The robbers grabbed
all the money and express packages they
could and fed.
Although it is impossible to give with
any accuracy the amount, it is estimated
by the officers of the American Express
Company in Chicago, that there was $780,
600 in the safes. This amount was stated
by General Manager Anrisdel of the
American Express Company, to have been
in the car in cash alone The amount OF
jewelry, etc, Mr. Anrisdel said he could
not guess at.
The news of the hold-up was received in
Chicago Immediately. Word was sent at
once to the Superintendent and special
was ordered made up. Messengers were
Dispatched for Detective Reilly, chief Of
the SPECIAL police of the Northwestern sys-
TEN.
When the train Dispatcher WIS notified
he gave orders to freight No. IFS, bound
east, to stop at Geneva and return to the
scene OF the hold-up. The trainmen OF No
llS had noticed No. 8 standing on the
track with detached engine as they weni
by, but thought nothing Of il.
When the freight crew reached towei
w, they found the operator bound, gagged
and tied to chair. When released h'
gave the first real information to the ofh
cials. He said four men had come to thu
tower and asked him the number of tn,
next train going west. They wanted Il
know if it was not No. 0, but the operator
says he told them it was No. 10.
The robbers then told the operator n
was fool, that they knew better. To SHOW
the operator they had laid their plan
thoroughly and knew what they wer
talking about, they pointed guns at hi
head and told him if be made move the.
would kill him. They tied him up wit
ropes, stuffed towel in his mouth an
told him if he was good fellow he woul
escape without being hurt. They the
set the signals which caused No. 9 to sloN
up.
The train dispatcher made repeated e.
forts to reach the Maple Park operate
when no report was made to him for l
minutes of the passing of No. o. 1t wa
first thought at the Northwestern ofic
that No. 8 had been wrecked and order
we're sent up and down the line to wstc
out and report an accident if any had q