The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-24
OCTOBER "A. 1901.
TRAIN HELD UP.
Robbers Carry out the Usual Pro
gramme, but With Little Profit.

Robbers Carry out the Usual Pro-
gramme, but With Little Profit.
Eugene, Ore, Oct 23.-The north
bound Southern Pacific Overland Ex-
press, due here at 3:42 a. m, was held
up by robbers near Walkers station,
fifteen miles south of here at o'clock
this morning and the express car badly
damaged, but the robbers secured lit
tie booty. Two men boarded the train
at Cottage Grove as the train pulled
cut. After passing Walkers, which is
four miles from Cottage Grove, they
climbed over the tender and covered
Engineer Jack Nichols and the fireman
and his helper with revolvers. The rob-
bers ordered the train stopped, after
which the fireman and helper were
compelled to uncouple the train be-
tween the express car and the first
coach. Engineer Nichols was then or
dered to pull ahead, the fireman and
helper being left behind. After going a
short distance the train was stopped
and the robbers proceeded to the ex-
fAS0o Notb loNAlG Will lD6Ill lHe ell
gineer. The express car was
blown open with dynamite and
Express Messenger c. Charles was or
dered out, but he refused to go, and,
with his shotgun, commanded the situ-
alton inside the car. The robbers told
up with the car, but he replied, BLOW
ahead" A fusilade of bullets followed,
riddling the car, but the messenger,
who was uninjured, kept up a continu-
Gus firing inside, which held the rob-
bers at bay. A charge of dynamite was
then thrown into the car with a burn
ing fuse, but Charles grabbed it and
threw it outside, where it exploded
| Next the ROBBERS compelled the engineer
| to crawl up to the opening inside of
| the car, hoping to use him as a pro-
! lection from the messengers shots, but
| the messenger kept up a steady fire
| over the engineers head and still held
the robbers at bay. The robbers then
gave up their efforts to secure the ex-
press treasure and went for the mail
They secured the registered mail, then
cut the engine from the rest of the
train and ordered Engineer Nichols to
| pull ahead. They ran to Judkin s
Point. in the outskirts of Eugene,
| where they disembarked and ordered
| the engineer to return and get his
| train. The train arrived here at 1880
O'Clock, about four hours late. The
news was wired from Saginaw and Of
ficers were out in search of the rob-
bers early this morning, but as yet
have secured no trace of them. They
are handicapped by having no descrip-
tion of the men. Posses from both
Lave and Douglas counties are search
ing for the bandits.
Portland, Ore, Oct. 23.--The South
ern Pacific train which was held UP
near Eugene this morning, arrived here
| this evening. The express car is bad
ly shattered, but 1t was brought in
with the train.
THE first intimation 1 had of any
thing wrong" said c. F. Charles, the
express messenger. was when the
train began to slow up near Walker S
Station. 1t was 2:45 o'clock. as near as
I remember. Shortly after that the
| train came to a standstill and 1 was
ordered to open the door. 1 refused
| to move. open up this door or we will
blow you to hell" COM
| manded one of the rob-
bers. I made no response and was
! given a salute with dynamite. The first
| charge blew open one of the doors and
/ knocked me down. My overalls were
| blown into shreds and my legs
scratched somewhat, but otherwise
was unhurt Further commands to
| open up and threats followed, but with
out avail. 1 made no reply, knowing
| that the object of the robbers was to
| locate me in the car and then try to
| put me out of the way, either by dyna-
mite or bullets, 1 changed my station
| to the other end of the car. A second
| shot blew open the door at the other
end of the car. The third shot failed to
go off as 1 had removed my
shoes and quietly walked over
| the fuse. Two more shots exploded
each of them blowing a hole in the
floor of the car. All told, four shots
went off in the car. two failed to ex-
| plode, and one l prevented from ex-
ploding by removing the fuse. All ef-
forts to compel me to open up or leave
the car failing, the engineer was sent
in through the opening blown into the
| side. I ordered him 20 get out, and
fired shot over his head with my
shotgun. The entire ceremony lasted
| about forty minutes. The engineer re-
| tired after I fired the shot and ordered
! him to leave, and l was not molested
| further"
San Francisco, Oct 23-The Southern
Pacific Company has offered a reward
of $3.50 for the arrest of each of the
robbers implicated in the Eugene, Ore,
! hold-up.
Eugene, Ore, Oct. 23.-Officers who
have been searching for the train rob-
bers to-day have been unable to secure
any trace of the men. Their tracks
| show that they started toward Eugene
| after leaving the engine. There is alb
solutely no clew to their identity.