The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-07-06
WORK OF A DESPERATE TRIO.
Passengers Who Dared to Show Their Faces
Become Targets For the Bandits
(By the Associated Press.

Thy the Associated PreSS.)
st. Paul. Mimi, July A Great Falls,
Mont, special to the Pioneer Press, says
The Great Northern Trans Continental
train No 3, leaving st. Paul Tuesday
morning at o'clock, was held up at Wag-
ner, Mont, 1856 miles cast of Great Falls
at 1870 Wednesday afternoon by three
masked men, who blew open the express
car and wrecked the through safe with
dynamite, securing $50, 900.
The robbery. in daylight, was one of
the boldest that has ever occurred in the
West
''One Of the robbers boarded the train
on the blind baggage car at Hinsdale,
a station about twenty miles east of Wag-
ner. He appeared TO be a common hobo,
hut when the conductor discovered him at
stop almost Immediately afterward he
drew a heavy Colts revolver and ordered
him to return to the rear of the train
on penalty of instant death The hobo
then climbed over the locomotive tender
and at the point of his revolver COM
PEELED the engineer and fireman to stop
the train at a ravine few miles east of
Wagner, where his confederates, two in
number, both masked, lay in wait The
hobo then compelled the fireman and en-
ginecr to abandon the engine and firing
began on both sizes of the train as it
came to stop.
Passengers on the train began to look
out of the windows and a brave man
alighted on one side of the train, while
Travelling Auditor Douglas alighted on
the opposite side. Both instantly became
the targets of Winchesters in the hands of
the robbers and were wounded. A pas
senger on the tourist coach, who was look
ing out of the window, was struck by a
stray bullet and seriously injured. Two
other passengers were shot, but neither
was seriously injured.
'To wreck the door of the express car
with dynamite with which both the con-
federates that appeared from the ravine
were literally supplied, was the work of
an instant. The express man was COM
PEELED to leave the car at the point of a
rifle and the through safe was imme-
diately dynamited. The first charge did
not break it open and four others in
quick succession were necessary before it
was forced The robbers hurriedly gath
cred in its contents, consisting of specie
shipments, drafts. coin and valuable ne
gotiable paper and retreated, keeping the
train crew and passengers off at the point
of their rifles.
"All three disappeared in the ravine
and were seen later one mounted on a
bay horse, one upon white horse, one
upon buckskin, heading southwark at a
furious gait. the booty being plainly vsi-
BILE in sack thrown across the saddle
bows of the rider upon the buckskin
horse.
''As the hobo climbed over the tender
to the locomotive cab, he drew on a
mask rendering it almost impossible tc
secure a good description. Each of his
confederates was masked and the only
information obtainable regarding then
is that one was evidently half breed
This was the robber upon the buck
skin horse. The gang headed for the Lit
tie Rockies range, lying across the Mill
River in an almost inaccessible country
consisting mainly of bad lands. Posses
were Immediately organized in pursuit
one by sheriff who happened to be
passenger on the train.