The Elbert County tribune., 1899-06-08

bed.
Denver. June IA special from
Medicine Bow, wyoming. to the Re-
publican, says:
The Union Pacific west-bound trans
continental fast mail was held up nt
2 o'clock this morning by train rob
bers, who blew up baggage and mail
car with dynamite. and escaped nfter
robbing the treasure safe OF the Pacitic
Express Company.
The hold-up occurred nine miles
west of Rock Creek station. on the
Wyoming division OF the road. The
frnin, which consisted OF n baggage
and express car three mail cars and n
tourist sleeper. under charge Of Con-
ductor William Storey. with W. j.
Jones ne engineer. was running Mt the
rate OF about fifty miles an hour. and
while pulling up light grade wns
tagged by red and white light, which
Is the emergency danger signal.
As the train came TO n standstill four
men climbed on the engine and held
revolvers Mt the head OF Engineer
Jones' telling him TO obey orders. The
train stood for about five minutes.
During this time an armed man ran to
the door OF the first mail car. where
Clerks Robert Bruce and Len Deitrick
were working. He called to them 10
come out, but the clerks did not obey.
without any further warming the man
fired stick Of dynamite on the Sill OF
the door. The explosion broke In the
door and partly shattered the sill OF
the car.
Conductor Storey, who was running
along the train on the opposite side,
hal x..1 NJ t1uI Inv N
man with rifle and told to put up his
hands. As he obeyed. the charge OF
dynamite on the other side Of the car
exploded and his captor ran around the
end OF the car.
Storey then ran back and had the
second section OF the train. which was
made up OF passenger coaches and
sleeping cars. and had been tagged by
his hind brakeman. sent back to Rock
Creek
Immediately after blowing open the
mail car the men ON the engine gave the
engineer orders TO pull ahead to n
bridge about milf mile up the rond
md stop there.
When the engine reached the bridge
II was stopped. and one OF the men got
down and placed n stick OF dynamite
on the stringers bet .ween the rails. lit
long fuse attached to It, then
climbed on the engine and ordered the
engineer to pull ahead.
The engine slIpped on the rnils. and
the hold-ups. evidently thinking that
Engineer Jones was not obeyIng or
deys. hit him over the head with gun,
inflicting n slight wound.
The train started up and ms II was
going over the bridge the charge Of
al Fnrtt4 f..1p sIAtpu
no great damage.
At point about mile beyond the
bridge the engineer was compelled to
stop. One man was left In charge OF
him and lle others went back. They
unconpled the passenger car md
pulled ahead with the express and mall
cars about n mile. having first put NIL
the clerks and trninmen off. excepting
Fireman Swanson. Mail Clerk Dietrich.
Express Messenger Wilcox and the
engineer with the exception of the
latter they were stood to one side un-
der guard and the hold-ups then pro-
ceeded to blow open the safe In the
express car.
An immense charge of dynamite WINS
placed on top OF the safe and fired. ihe
explosion completely wrecked the
front OF the car. blowing on the roof
uut rlutr thu iubst VI tft
express matter. a hole about n foot
In diameter was blown through the
top OF the safe md the door was blown
OF.
The robbers then went through the
safe. putting what money wns not torn
to pieces by the explosion In canvas
sacks. mounted horses and rode on.
Engineer Jones then ran his engine
10 Medicine Bow, the nearest telegraph
station, and gnve the alarm.
Superintendent Harris. who was mt
Laramie. reached the scene early this
morning and ny o o'clock n posse OF
twenty men started out In pursuit of
the hold-ups.
Fairly accurate descriptions have
been obtained OF the six men from En-
gineer Jones and Conductor Storey.
and from people In Medicine Bow.
who have seen them in this vicinity
several times during the past two
days
The amount secured by the robbers
Is unknown. All the express messen-
ger will say Is that II was light run.
The Union Pacific Company has Of
fered reward OF 1000 for each hold
up captured. dead or alive.