The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15
LOOTED BY TRAIN ROBBERS.
SAFE ~ an EMPRESS CAR BLOWN
OPEN WITH DYNAMITE.

nine-tenths OF the city detective force and
| scores OF country oonstabulary. assisted by
| bloodhounds and q large number OF armed
| men. who we're pressed into service or volun-
| teered. are securing the country for miles In q
radius from the place whore the robbery Of the
| Northwestern Railroads. Fast Mail took place
last night. Four men In true Jesse James
style held up the train. dynamited the Ameri-
can Express Company's safe In the express ear
| and escaped with cash variously reported at
| from 81. 600 TO $4,000. The robbery occurred
at . switch between Maple Park and Elburn
stations. forty seven miles west Of Chicago.
Up to a late hour tonight no trace OF the
robbers had been discovered. Three tramps
were arrested early this morning at Elmhurst
station on suspicion OF being connected with
the robbery. but they proved to the satisfaction
Of the detectives that they knew nothing Of 1t
and were miles away from the scene when 1t
occurred. They were not released from Gus
tody. however. and will be held to await fur
| Their developme nts.
| This afternoon the Northwestern Railroad
and American Express Company's officials. at
q conference In the Northwestern Offices. de-
cided to offer jointly q reward OF 5000 for in
| formation leading to the arrest and conviction
| Of the robbers.
The circular issued publishing the reward az
follows:
The above reward will be paid for information
leading directly to the arrest and conviction Of the
parties who the nisht Of Friday. Oct. 1a, 1899.
| held up the fast mail train Of the Chicago and
North Company Maple Park. ILL.,.
| and robbed the safe OF the American Express Com.
pany. proportionate amount OF this reward will
be paid for information leading directly to the
| rest and conviction of each Of the parties impli.
| Gated. any arrests made. communicate i'm
mediately with Pinksrton's National Detective
| 18th zoe
| the ndersignsd.
| CHIoAoA NoRTwEsTERN RAILWAY Co.,
| by y. NJ. WHITMAN. General Manager
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY.
| BY A. ASIsDEL, General Manager.
| CHICAGO. Oct IL. 1882
| At 1850 O'Clock last night Operator O
James. sitting in his little room in Tower W..
midway between Elburn and Maple Park. was
startled by the advent OF O party OF masked
men. who. with drawn revolvers, commanded
| him to throw tho semaphore SO that the fast
mail would be stopped by tho danger signal.
James demurred. and told the men that the
| approaching train was freight: but the leader
| OF the band. evidently a railroad man. Hooked
out OF the window. listened to the rum BILE OF
| the train and then fixed the signals himself
This done. the operator was bound and gagged.
and his instruments were destroyed with q
hammer.
| Inc men lett the tower Is soon as the train
! drew up before II. While Engineer Daniel
White and Conductor Frank Keefe were look
ing around trying to find the cause NJ the dan
ger signals thsy wore confronted by the mon.
| who ordered them to throw up their hands
| Another masked man stepped upon the plat
| form OF one Of the mail cars and pointed his
| revolver at James MoGraw one OF the brake
men. In an instant McGraw had swung his
| lantern upon the bandits face. almost Telling
| him. shot which Just missed the braksman's
head put a stop to further resistance on his
| part. and he stepped up beside the engineer
| and the conductor.
Meantime three men had entered the Ameri-
can Express Company's car. had quieted Mes
| senger F. A. Hopson and his assistant. who
| showed fight at first. They ordered Hopson
| to unlock the safe. threatening to shoot him II
he refused. Tho messenger would not obey.
Two OF tho robbers then left the car and re-
turned with dynamite sticks and three heavy
bags OF sand. They placed the explosive on
top OF tho safe. covered 1t with the sand.
attached fuse and then walked some distance
away.
During all this time there was only slight
attempt at resistance. The trainmsn were I'M
| ormed and the eight mall clerks were lock ed
in the two oars 80 that they could not escape
Fireman Joseph jewell. the engineer. the con-
duetor. the nesssnger his helper and tho two
hands rn 81 ~icoas.ioofins dsspe1ad S The The
free msef from the cords Which eouad
hands and to loose the gag which stihed his
Wnsn the robbers and their victims were
lined up at safe distance there came deaf deaf;
o. the Sd
the force Fl the * plosion 70 be directed down
| ward for the most part. SO there was not much
danger OF the watchers being injured. As
FOR &c Of Rasseco HteT
had been given to him. he and his companions
At thl. time brakeman Abraham Palmer
managed to elude the vigilance OF his guards
81. last car o. the train Before his absence
had been noticed no yaulted oyer fence into a
s Ssd yaT ,oT R the Whfn
HsIsh:r 'SSt tex meet; Palmer ran hsii
about due. bound east, and the chances were
tho, crew would not abserve ANYTHING wrong
With n: train whoq ant tern flag
te!egrnph the nSws to Chicago. Then be thought
S and roll Il the shaps Of
torch. He reached the tracks Just as the train
match e. S. &. .So az @ III hs
and waved the flaming signal until the train
Stopnel and let him climb aboard. Within
half an hour after the robbery occurred tho
news was In tho possession OF the railroad
officials in Chicago.
After the robbers had stuffed their pockets
with iewelry and mutilated money thoy
climb aboard the engine Engines! White
cab like trained railroad man and handl led
tn" machinery with tamilerity The snEns
when the party was aboard i started west. the
the trainmen beside the track. Two miles this
side OF Cortland the robbers abandoned the
engine and LETT IL standing In perfect order.
II the robbers attempt 70 spend any OF the
money they secured they will probably have a
difficult time In finding any one willing 10
change It for them. az most II not all Of II. was
badly mutiated by the explosion. A bundle,
or what was once a bundle OF hills. aGgregatinR
nearly $4,000. was recovered by attaches OF
the express company. and II Was 10 such shape
that 1t will have to he exchanged for new
notes. The money had been blown through
the bottom OF the car and was found i'm bodied
In the earth between the railroad lies. As the
safe was shattered. II Ia Thought that all OF tho
money tho strong box contained. together with
| hA arfi nj inra WI MIA hal