The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1899-10-19
MAIL TRAIN HELD UP.
ROBBERY or THE NORTHWEST
ERN RAILROAD.
Three Masked Men Blow Open On Ex-
press safe with Dynamite, Take Hts
Contents, and Make Their Escape
Operator Bound and Gagged.

Three masked men held up the Chicago
and Northwestern fast mail tram NO. %
bound for the Pacific coast, at Meredith,
ILL.,, forty-seven miles from lineage,
shortly after IL o'clock Friday night
After they had blown the through safe
and wrecked the express car they un-
coupled the engine from the man traih
and escaped on it to CORTLAND Daniei
White, ehe engineer, was forced to carry
them to that point. where they deserted
the cab for the darkness Of the surround
ing fields.
Just about II O'Clock three men entered
signal office w of the road, located mid
way between Elburn and Maple Parks-
and asked the operator, Clifton James,
at what tin,f the mail train would De que
James tried TO avoid direct reply, Dut
the lights from the windows of the ap-
preaching cars gave them the desired IL
formation and they stopped only long
enough to bind the operator IN his cnalr
with buckskin thongs, set the slgnafs 10
stop the oncoming train, and render use
less the telegraphic instruments IN the
office.
The engineer of the mail train brought
the cars to a stand in obedience to the
semaphore signals and at once was con-
fronted by the robbers. They had ad-
justed handkerchiefs over the lower part
of their faces and each carried brace
of long-barreled ominous-looking revolv-
ers. Engineer White made no attempt at
resistance. but his fireman, Joseph Jewel,
-. hn aah a
stopped at the point of pistol and he
and White were led back to the last OF
the four cars that made up the train. One
man was left to guard the train crew and
the other two attacked the express car
and forced Messenger f. A. Hopson to
admit them. First he was taken to the
rear car and then brought back to open
| the local safe He would not do this. The
robber retired from the car again while
| the through safe was demolished with
| charge of dynamite which blew hole
| through the bottom of the car and tore
great gaps in the roof.
Just how much the safe may lave con-
| tanned is not known, but it is said that
currency and packages Of valuaf'es were
| hurled into the fields.
Two shots were fired during the raid,
one at James McGrath, brakeman, who
| swung his lantern at the head Of the
leader of the bandits, and a second at
| Brakeman Palmer, who crawled beneath
| the cars, and ran to flag an east-bound
fast freight which was almost due.
Palmer escaped injury and stopped the
| freight train with his shirt for a signal.
After the robbers had deserted the en-.
| gine of the mail train at Courtland En-
| gineer White pushed or to Dekalb.
| Brakeman Palmer had reached Elburn
meanwhile and sent word of the robbery
| to W. E. Morse, Galena division sup
erintendent at Oak Park.
| The victims of the robbery unite in de-
claring the bandits determined group Of
men. They went about their work
| quietly and without q sign of nervous
ness. One of them paused TO borrow a
chew of tobacco from the assistant ex-
press messenger, Elmer E. Painter. The
night was exceedingly dark, and this
greatly aided the thugs in their escape.