Evening star., 1901-07-04
Result Of Train Robbery on Great
Northern Railroad.
OCCURRED NEAR WAGNER, MONTANA
Two Railroad Men and Three
Pas sengers Wounded.
POSSES AFTER ROBBERS

ST. PAUL, MINI, July A Great Falls,
Mcnt.. special to the Pioneer Press says:
The Great Northern transcontinental
train. No. 3. leaving st. Paul Tuesday
morning at O'Clock. was held up at wag
ner. Mont. 1876 miles east OF Great Falls at
3:20 O'Clock this afternoon by three masked
men, who blew open the express car and
wrecked the through safe with dynamite,
securing SS3 600.
The robbery, In daylight. was one OF the
boldest that has ever occurred in the west.
One Of the robbers boarded the blind
baggage" at Hinsdale a station about
twenty miles east OF Wagner. He appear
ed TO be a common hobo. but when the con-
ductor discovered him at a stop almost i'm
mediately afterward he drew a heavy Colts
revolver and ordered him to return to the
rear OF the train. on penalty OF instant
oeath- The hobo then climbed over the
locomotive tender, and at the point of his
revolver compelled the engineer and fire.
nan to stop the train at a ravine a few
miles east OF Wagner, where his confed
crates. Two In number both masked lay in
Will Int fobo then compelled the fire.
man and engineer to abandon the engine
ana nring began on both sides OF the train
as II came to a stop.
PASSENGERS on the train began TO look out
Oh the windows, and a brakeman alighted
on one side Of the train, while Travelling
Auditor Douglas alighted on the opposite
siue. Both Instantly became the target OF
"menes.ers In the hands OF the robbers.
"a passenger on the tourist coach who was
looking out of the window was struck
oy stray bullet and seriously injured
Three Passensers wounded.
Two other passengers were shot, but
neither was seriously injured.
To wreck the door of the express
car with dynamite with which both
the confederates that appeared from
the ravine were literally supplied. was
the work OF an instant The ex-
pressman was compelled to leave the car
at the point of rife and the through safe
was Immediately dynamited The first
charge did not break II open and four
others. In quick succession were necessary
before 1t was forced. The robbers hurried
iy gathered In Its contents. consisting OF
specie shipments, drafts, coin and valuable
negotiable paper, and retreated keenIns
the train crew and passengers of at the
point Of their rifles
All three disappeared in the ravine and
We're seen later, one mounted on a bay
horse, one upon a white horse one upon a
buckskfn, heading southwark at a furious
gait, the booty being plainly visible i'm a
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 rem
dering Ii almost impossible to secure a good
Inscription. Each or his COnfederates was
masked. and the only Information obtain
able regarding them is that one was eyi-
IDENTIFY a half-breed.
This was the robber upon the buckskin
horse. The gang headed for the Little
Rockies range lying across the Milk river
IN an almost inaccessble country con-
sisting mainly of bad lands. Posses were
Immediately organized in pursuit one by a
sheriff who happened to be a passenger on
the train. The chances of capturing the
men are exceedingly slim. since they have
several hours start of the posses and are
thoroughly familiar with the country and
have excellent mounts.
Conductor smiths Statement
HAVRE. Mont, July As the Great
Northern flyer, train No. 8. was leaving
Malta, Conductor Smith noticed what he
supposed to be a tramp on the front end
of the mall car next to the engine He
tried to drive him of after the train start
ed. but the man pulled a revolver and said
he had better go back or he would shoot
The conductor returned to the coaches
and as Sheriff Griffith of Valley county was
on the train arranged with him to arrest
the man at the next siding. When the
train approached Exeter. the next siding
west of Malta, the conductor sgnaled the
engineer to stop. but the train only slack
ened speed. The conductor signaled a sec
ond time, but the train did not stop. En-
gineer Jones was during this time covered
by gun and was told by the tramp that
IL the train stopped he would kill him.
When the train reached a point three miles
east of Wagner the engineer was forced to
stop and two more men appeared armed
with Winchesters. The robbers commenced
firing and the passengers at first thought
children were celebrating the Fourth
Brakeman Whiteside OF Hayre. Mont, got
of the rear end of the train and was shot
through the right arm near the shoulder.
shattering the bone. Mr.. Douglass OF
Clancy, Mont, auditor of the Great North
Montana division the
steps on the south side Of the car and was
shot through the left arm near the shoulder,
but received only flesh wound.
Warning to Passengers.
Gertrude M. Smith OF Tomah. Wis.
bound for Seattle leaned out OF a window
and was shot in the right arm. but not
seriously injured. Conductor Smith noti-
fed all passengers as fast as he could go
through the train to keep out OF sight.
which they did by getting down in the
aisle of the cars. A sheep herder, riding
by about a quarter of a mile from where
the express car as blown up, was fired
upon by the robbers. The bullet struck his
saddle. but did not infiicl any serious
wound. The sheep herder reported the rob-
berry at Wagner station about 3.35 pm. and
a posse of men from Malta, twelve miles
from the scene of the robbery, aud posse
of men from Glasgow. Mont. seventy-fivr
miles east, started within fifteen minutes
-
started from Havre. with doctors to attend
the wounded.
On the arrival Of No. 8 at Wagn,r, Sheriff
Griffith organized a posse Of ten men anc
started on the trail OF the robbers
After the robbers blew up tho express
car they startd south for the Little Rockies.
The reward is 5000. dead or aliv., and 1t
is said the robbers cannot possibly escape.
such quick work was done in getting the
best gun men in the country on their trafl.
The amount taken is not yet known here.
No Trace of Robbers Yet.
HELENA. Mont, July At is stated
here that the three men who held UP Great
Northern railway train No. 8. west bound.
near Malta. Mont, yesterday, secured $40
900 In cash. In addition to securities OF con-
value.
The robbers did not attempt to go
through the passenger coaches.
Although large posses are securing the
in all directions. no trace OF the
gang has yet been secured.
Auditor Douglass and Brakeman Blake
who were severely wounded by volleys fired
alOnA The sides Of the train. are resting
easily at the Great Falls Hospital.