The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-12
MESSENGER is KILLED
Murder and Robbery Commit
ted In Express Car.
DISCOVERED TOO LATE
CRIMINALS HAD ESCAPED-oF-
FICERS SEARCH is VAIN.

Columbus, o., Aug. 1.-THE whole
country along the Pennsylvania rail-
road between this city and Urbana is
being secured by officers in pursuit of
tho men who murdered Express Mes
senger Charles Lane and robbed the
way safe in his car last night. Dozens
Of stories and rumors have been sifted
down, end the officers are apparently
no nearer to a solution of the mystery
than when they started. If any prom
fishing clues have been secured they are
very closely guarded. Ali of the per-
sons placed under surveillance today
have been released.
The crime was not discovered until
the train pulled into the union station
here. Nfeen Extra Messenger Sheldon
of the Adams transfer Office went to the
car he found Lane dead, lying face
downward in pool of blood between
the stove and the side of the car in
the forward enc.
Body Riddled With Bullets.
The body was found to have been
riddled with bullets, and there were
evidences that a desperate struggle had
taken pace NO less IMAM elSnL outlet
wounds were fouPd.
The robbers had taken the key to the
local safe from the messengers pocket.
The key was left sticking in the safe
door. The messea ger's revolver, with
two chambers empty, was found In the
safe. where it had been probably LAID
by thu robbers, after being wrenched
from his hand
The murder was probably committed
just after the train left Milford Cen
ter, twenty-eight miles west of Column
bus. where it is believed the robbers
boarded the train. Conductor Taylor
saw and talked with Messenger Lane
there. When the body was discovered
here, it was cold and the blood had
clotted, showing that death had oc-
CURED at least half an hour previous.
The robbers had no difficulty in getting
into the ear, as the end door had been
left open on account of the heat. The
train made only two stops between
Milford Center ana Columbus, one at
Plain City and the other at Marble
Cliff, the latter five miles out of the
city. At the latter place the train was
tagged to take on a passenger, an old
man.
Robbers Were Three or Four.
From the number of bullets fired into
the body of the messenger it is sup
posed there were two, three or four
robbers.
Lane was IS years old. and leaves a
wife and child.
Officials of the Adams Express pro-
fess to be unable to make an estimate
of the loss. They say that the safe
opened was not likely to contain a
large sum, but that until the way bills
from all stations between this city and
ST. Louis have been checked, there is
no manner in which they can fix the
amount.
Story of Baggagemaster.
Baggagemaster Fletcher. whose car
was next in front of the looted car,
made the following statement today:
Il saw Lane put off and take on
freight at Urbana. After we left Ur-
bana everything went well until we
reached Capell, where we had TO stop
! remember now that I heard talking
there. When l first heard the voices
they appeared to be coming along the
train, there apparently being two OF
three of them. One man stepped on q
piece of rotten wood, which attracted
my attention Just before the train got
under way. l supposed they were pas
sengers to board the train. We stopped
tL IAN lily anu OllAAOlNt. anu utdIU
no unusual sounds. After we left Plain
City 1 thought 1 would wash up, and
tried the door of the express car, but
found that it would move only about
an inch. l concluded that Lane had
freight against it. We stopped al
Marble Cliff, and there I saw two men
running toward the train, one an old
man and the other a young fellow
They were dressed in dark clothes"
Fletcher is able to give a sort of de-
scription of these persons, and the po-
lice are trying to find them. 1t is
claimed by the detectives that the men
who committed the robbery and muir
der were perfectly familiar with the
train and the customs of the people on
board. The bandits overlooked, or pur-
posely left, large quantity OF silver
bullion and q number of east-bound
packages of value. They seem to have
been pressed for time in their opera
tons.
After leaving Marble Cliff the train
made no stop except at the Hooking
Valley crossing. in the suburbs of this
city.