The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-11-30
HOLD UP ON
IRON MOUNTAIN
Bandits Stop the Cannon Ball
Express and Get
Little.

ST LOUIS, Nov. 2l.-News was receiV-
ed here tonight of the holdingup of the
Iron Mountain cannon-ball express train,
bound north at Clifford. Ark, a few miles
this side of Malvern Junction. The hold
up occurred at 1880 o'clock and was parti-
cIpated in by half dozen men.
The bandits had built huge bonfire on
the track. undoubtedly figuring that 1t
would cause the engineer to bring the
train 10 Il standstil. He, however. fear
ing an attempted robbery, opened the
throttle and sought to push through the
obstruction. Several ties of which the
fire was made, caught in the pilot and
soon brought the train to Il stop. In
stantly three masked men ordered the en-
gineer and fremen to leave the engine at
once. Another fobber went to the side of
the car, hailed the conductor and ordered
him to remain inside. Each order was
obcycd. While the four robbers were
standing guard and occasionally firing .
shot to brighten the passengers. their two
accomplices entered the express car and
ordered Messenger Samuel r. Avery to
step aside or get to the other corner
The large safe was charged five times
with dynamite. each explosion making a
terrific noise and tearing off portions of
the car A large hole was bored into the
door of the safe, but an entrance could
not be effected.
The robbers finally announced that they
had no more dynamite and then they gave
up the task of forcing open the door.
Then, picking up the local express box
ana several packages, they ran to their
horses, which had been htched near by.
and rode rapidly away. No attempt was
made to disturb modest the passengers,
except for an occasional shot at an in
uuisitive passenger who peered out of "A
car window.
The Sheriff of Hot Springs county or
"A 49,. bod IN
pursuit of the robbers. The train crew
say the bandits are amateurs, as they
went at their work in bunslins fashion.
All wore masks.
The train men say the small box carried
off by the robbers contained about $500.
1t is positively known that the robbers
secured several sacks of silver coin con
tanning 800
ST LOUIS, Nov. 22.-The Cannon-ball
train on the Missouri Pacific and Iron
Mountain Railroad which was held up by
masked men at Clifford. three miles from
Malvern, Ark, last night, reached here
at 10 a. m. today Sam r. Avery, the eN-
press messenger who was injured in the
attempt TO dynamite through the safe on
the express car, was the only one of the
crew who came through with the train.
He is not seriously injured, though his
face was badly cut by flying splinters.
The messenger could not tell just how
amount was small The damaged express
ca was left at Little Rock.
The large safe. which was subjected to
five explosions Of dynamite, to yield up
its strong box was brought to st. Louis.
In al its exterior portions and its cement
Innings it is u complete wreck, The in
ner casing against which the strong box
rests, however, is intact, although hat
tered and twisted out of shape. Another
charge of dynamite would have made all
the funds in the box accessible.
Officials at the headquarters of the Pa
'Cihc Express Company would make no
statement as to the amount of money
taken by the robbers, except to say IT was
small. Only the way safe was broken
into.
Z General Manager Harding. of the Iron
Mountain and General Superintendent l..
\. Fuller, of the Pacific Express Co, to-
dav issued a joint circular Offering S5so
reward for the arrest and conviction of
each person engaged in the hold-up and
robbery. The circular also states that
the Pacific Express Co. viii pay ten per
cent of the moneys recovered and return
ed TO 1t which were stolen from the eN-
press car Wednesday night, the reward to
70 to the persons who actually return the
money hut no portion of It to go TO per
sous engaged In the robbery.
THE ROBBERS SURROUNDED.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Nov. 22.-Thc
five masked men who held up pass
enger train ON the st. Louis. Iron
Mountain n Southern Railroad near
Clifford last night. are surrounded by
ford The robbers are barricadcd i'm a
! cabin and refuse Ia surrender Re
Inducements are hurrying 10 the aid
~ the posse