The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-08-16
ANOTHER HOLD Up
Another Daring Passenger Train
Robbery Reported
PASSENGERS ALL SEARCHED
Five Men Dynamite Express and Mail
Cars and Rifle Mail Sacks, but Sc
cure Very Little for Their Nights
Work.

Fort Worth, Tex, Aug. 1.-THE
southbound Missouri, Kansas & Texas
train No. 3, due here at $3.50 a. m.
wcs robbedat Cancy Switch, 1T, early.
yesterday by five masked men. The
express car was blown open, the safe
wrecked and the mail sacks rifled. AN
the passengers were robbed Of their
money.
Caney, the place where the robbery
occurred, is a side track 80 miles
north OF Denison. 1t is in the Choc-
taw Nation of the Indian Territory
and the population surrounding thu
station is only 125. The train does
not stop at Caney only on signal. AS
the proper signal was given, the engs-
neer whistled his reply and the train
slowed down for the stop.
Instead of the hurried signal to go
ahead the engineer and fireman were
confronted by two men with masked
faces. About the same time the 6s
press messenger and the mail clerk
were communicated with through the
closed doors of their cars. Three Of
the robbers shot wildly and then the
call went: open up here, open up
and don't be too slow about it."
From within came no response, apC
the robbers again called out: "Opeh
the door or we will blow IL open ami
blow you to hell"
There was. no response to the SEQ
ond call, and the firing again began,
fully 20 shots being discharged SIul
there was no response and the three
men prepared a small blast of dyEaB-
mite against the car door. In TIA
meantime the shooting had awakene6
the passengers. The conductor, brake
man and porter ran through the tralh
and as they called out: Its holh
up" the passengers tried to hide their
money and valuables. The dynamite
blast was exploded. 1t was a small
charge and was intended more t6r
fright than anything else.
A larger blast of dynamite was pre-
pared and exploded This tore the
side off the express and mail car and
the robbers leaped through the open
ing and
Overpowered the Messenger.
He was ordered to open the safe, bdt
he could not, as the combination was
at the end of the run. The robbers
| then put charge of dynamite to the
| safe and blew it open. They demo4-
| ished the safe but secured only $1-50,
| as the money had all been left at
Muskogee to be picked up by the
Katy flyer" which runs through the
| territory by day.
The messenger and clerk were
| forced to assist the bandits in their
work. Every mail pouch was emptieS
and the mail considered valuable by
the robbers was taken. Then with
Postal Clerk Tulley holding an empty
mail sack the robbers went through
the coaches and robbed every pas
senger. They secured $3.50 in one
coach. A negro who refused to give
up his money was severely beaten
The passengers were compelled tn
throw their valuables into the pouch.
Supt. Sam Gaines of the railway
mail service says he does not believe
the robbers got much money out of the
mail pouches.
After the work was done the rob
bers, who seemed to enjoy the situa-
ton, sat around and laughed over the
matter and one even went back ints
car to get something. After hold
ing the train two hours the robbers
left, going east into the dense BOTTOM
timber for which the tortuous Caney
creek is noted.
The trainmen cut out the wrecked
express car, ran down to Caney sta
ton and advised officers up and down
the road. Within two hours posse
of United States marshals, with blood
hounds, were on the trail.
The express company says 1t lost
nothing and the conductor estimates
the passengers loss at about $500, not
counting the jewelry. The robbers
gave Engineer Lanham a diamond
ring and a shirt stud.
Both safes were demolished by the
explosion and the car is wreck.