Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-08-14
ROBBERS Kill 70 STEAL.
Express Messenger on Panhandle
Road Found Dead and the
Way Safe Robbed.
DEEP MYSTERY SURROUNDS THE CASE.
Crime Committed Somewhere Be-
tween Milford Center and Columbus
-DnsEnge Man the Only One Able
to Throw Any Light ON Robbery
and That Is Very Slight.

Columbus, O., Aug. ia daring
murder and robbery was committed
ON the Pennsylvania passenger train
No. s, which arrived here from. st.
Louis at H. 40 at night. Charles Lane,
an Adams express messenger, former
ly of ST. Louis, but recently resi-
dent of Columbus, was shot and killed
shortly before the train reached the
Union station in this city and the
''locaT' safe was robbed of all the
money and valuables which it con-
tanned. The robbers escaped and, as
they were not seen by any living per-
son, so far as now known. the affair
is shrouded in mystery How much
booty the robbers secured is purely
matter of speculation. The safe
robbed contained only the packages
of money and valuables collected after
the train left ST. Louis and the Off
Gals of the express company insist
that the sum was not large. All the
money forwarded from ST. Louis and
points west was in a sealed safe,
bers, probably for the reason that
they did not have time.
Found Dead in His Car.
The crime was not discovered until
the train pulled into Union station
here. When extra Messenger Shell
don, of the Adams transfer office at
the station, 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, Shei-
don was startled by the sight of
Lanes body lying face downward in
a pool of blood between the stove
and the side of the car in the for
ward end The body was found to
have been riddled with bullets and
ehere were evidences that Il desperate
struggle had taken place. No less
than eight" bullet wounds We're found,
three III the right side of the back,
one in the left side and four in the
right leg. 1t seemed that two of the
bullets might have been fired into
the mans back as he lay on the floor
The bullets extracted were of 3S-cali-
Der. The robbers had taken the key
TO the local safe from the messen-
gers pocket, opened the safe and loot
ed it of everything of probable value.
The key was left sticking in the safe
door. The messengers revolver. with
two chambers emptied, was found in
the safe, where it had probably been
laid by the robbers, after being
wrenched from his hand.
Probable Point of Robbery.
The murder was probably committed
tust after the train left Milford Center,
IS 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 half hour previ-
Gus. 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.
Early in the 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 MUIR
dered messenger, was 20 years old, and
leaves wife and child.
Amount Stolen Not known.
The express officials still profess to
be unable to make an estimate of the
loss, saying that until the waybill from
all stations between this city and ST.
Louis have been checked there is no
manner in which they can fix the
amount.
The engine which was sent out on the
line early Saturday morning in an eff
fort to secure some trace of the MUIR
derers returned about daylight with
out having heard of anything like a
clew.
The entire local detective force the
detectives from both the east and the
west on the railroad and the express
officials, as we'll as the police depart
ments within SO miles of here, are using
their utmost endeavors to capture the
men. OF whom there are supposed to
have been two. Every suspicious char
acter is being picked up, but thus far
it is not thought that the right persons
have been secured.
Baggage Man Gives Slight Clew.
The only bit of light thrown on the
affair is by John Fletcher, baggage
master on the train, who occupied the
car directly in tn rear of the one in
which the murder occurred. AS re-
suit of his narrative, the police are
looking for four persons of whom they
have slight descriptions.
Shah Leaves Paris.
Paris, Aug. 13.-The official visit
of the shah of Persia to Paris end
ed Saturday morning. Accompanied