The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-11
Express Messenger Shot to
Death by Robbers
Between Milford Center and
Columbus ON the Panhandle.
SAFE WAS UNLOCKED
With Dead Mans Own Keys and
Rified.
Indications That He Had Fought
For His Life.

Columbus. O., Aug. ia daring mur-
der and robbery was committed on the
Pennsylvania passenger train No. 8.
which arrived here from ST. Louis at
LAO last night. Charles Lane. an
Adams Express messenger, formerly of
St Louis. but recently resident of
Columbus, was shot and killed shortly
before the train reached the union sta
tion in this city and the ''locar' safe was
robbed of all the money and valuables
which it contained. The robbers escaped
and as they were not seen by any living
person, so far as now known, the affair
is shrouded in mystery. How much
booty the robbers secured is purely a
matter of speculation.
The safe robbed contained only the
packages of money and valuables col
lected after the train left st. Louis and
the officials of the express company in
sist that the sum was not large All
the money forwarded from st. Louis
and points west was in a sealed safe
which was not disturbed by the robbers,
probably fer the reason that they did
not have time.
The crime was not discovered until
the train pulled into the union station
here. When Extra Messenger Sheldon,
of the Adams transfer Office at the sta
ton went to the car, he was surprised
to find the side door, which is usually
opened by the messenger as the train
pulls into the station, closed. Pushing
the door back, Sheldon was startled by
the sight of Lanes body lying face
the stove and the side of the car in the
forward end. The body was found to
have been riddled with bullets and there
were evidences that a desperate Strug-
gle had taken place. No less than eight
bullet wounds were found, three in the
right side of the back, one in the left
side and four in the right leg. 1t seemed
that two bullets might have been fired
into the mans back as he lay on the
floor. The bullets extracted were of 80
calibre.
NIB rott,a,s t,od +a1xa,, %ba Iraxr 70 fI,a
local safe from the messengers pocket.
opened the safe and looted it of every
thing of probable value. The key was
left sticking in the safe door. The mes
senger's revolver, with two chambers
emptied, was found in the safe where
it had probably been laid by the rob
bers, after being wrenched from his
hand
The murder was probably committed
just after the train left Milford Center,
% miles west of Columbus, 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 clotted, showing that death
had occurred at least a half hour prev
ious. Lane had washed and changed
his clothes preparatory to leaving the
train when attacked by the robbers.
This he probably did near Milford Cen
ter.
The robbers had no difficulty in get
ting into the car after boarding the
train as the emu QOOT fldu DecH lcll OpSh
on account of the heat. The train
made only two stops between Milford
Center and 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. The police were first inclined to
the belief that the robbers got on the
train at Marble Cliff, but the express
officials do not entertain that theory
They think it more likely that the rob-
bers got off there, as the train slowed
up coming into the city. All the city
detectives were Immediately sent out
along the line of the railway and they
are securing all the neighboring coun-
try. How many of the robbers there
were it not known, but it is considered
certain there were at least two, because
of the number of bullets fired into the
body of the express messenger.
Early this morning two tramps were
found in a. box car near Marble Cliff
and sent in on suspicion, but it is not
really believed they had anything to do
with the crime. Lane, the murdered
messenger, was % years old and leaves
a wife and child.
The express officials still profess to be