The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-08-07
TRAIN ROBBERS
Made Blunder Where by the Ex.
press Company Profited d.
ATTACKED THE WRONG CARS
And Obtained No soJty Had 20
Run Before Rectifyirg Mis-
take. Lot Of Scared
Passengers.
Passengers.

The Baltimore and Ohio passenger
train from:the east, which was due tc
arrive in the Grand Central station
Chicago, at 9 O'Clock Wednesday night
was held up by five masked men at s
o'clock between Eigemore and Grand
Calumet Heightr, Indiana, 81 mile:
out from Chicago. One Of the mai
cars which contained no money, was
dynamited and wrecked. The attempt
Mt robbery was made after the two mail
cars had been detached from tho traiu
and run quarter of mile ahead. The
failure Of the robbers to make a rich
haul was due to the fact that the ex
press car, which contained the trains
treasure, WAS in an unusual place. II
was the third car in the train After
wrecking the mail car aud obtaining L o
booty, the robbers disappeared In tie
darkness without attempting to rectif
their mistake. The only loot that they
carried awsywith them as result Of their
adventure was the gold watch of the en-
gineer.
The tain was the New York and
Washington vostibuled limited. Most
OF the trainmen were shot at and had
narrow escapes from the bullets. No
person was injured either by the dy
Mantle or firearms. The place whore the
robber occurred is lonely district in
which few people live and houses are
far between. No better place for train
robbery could be desired by the robbers.
The train was running at the high rate
OF speed as it passed Calumet Heights
and immediately after passing out of
sight OF tho station Engineer j. w.
Collins saw directly in front Of his
engine large ERE on which some rails
had been placed. He slowed down and
as he did SO, three men wearing masks
over their faces jumped into the cab
and covered Collins and his fireman,
James Whipple, with revolvers. just
before claiming into the csb the three
men commenced to fire with their revol
vers, In order to frightcu away all as.
sistance. The shots produced the
hvellest kind of a panic in the sleeping
oars, where tbs passengers made evsry
effort to hide their money and vaIu-
ables before the robbers could get o.
them. No attempt was made, however,
{ to rob any OF the passengers. The fu
ai6sc5 had theAct OF making them
inside of The oaN
- kfter mounting into the, CAP of the
engine the robbers, covering the en-
glne aud fireman with their revolvers,
made them step down aud go back the
length of two cars. They ordered the
men to uncouple the first two cars
which was done. They then hustled
the two trainmen back into the cab
and, still keeping the eng!nee, Covered
with revolvers, directed MIN to pull up
some distance from the rest Of the
train. Collins ran up to 200 feet and
was then directed to stop. He did SO,
and while enc of the men remained to
guard him, the others jumI G eff, and
hurting dynamite at the door of the car
which they judged to bo the express
car, burst open the door. Hastily
climbing into get at the safe they wers
astonished to fad that they had broken
into mail car. They threatened the
engineer with death for not telling ,hem
that the cars which he had uncouplei !
were not express cars and ordered him
to return at once a nd uncouple the next
car behind the baggage cars. Gimp
Ing once more into his cab, which the
fireman was made to uncouple at the
rear end, and still with the muzzle of
the revolver at his head, Collins was
ordered to run down the track, a. be.
fore. he drew sway from the balance
OF the train about the same distance as
on the first otcasion, and the robbers,
still leaving him under the charge of
one OF the number, made for this car.
When they reached it they fourd to
their great wrath that they had attack
ed another mail car and thst it CON
tanned no money. The train had been
delayed now fully 30 minutes, and fesr-
ing that II they delayed any longer help
would be coming TO The train crew, the
ROBBERS gave up their Stiempt TO rob
the train, and jumping down ran into a
thlcket OF scrub oaks at tho side of the
track and disappeared. TIE train was
hastily made up, snd came on TO Chics
go, arriving there somewhat late. a stoD
having been made at Whiting to report
the robbery. Ofhoers were at once sent
after the robbers, snd within an hour
after the robt cry large posse was on
the trail.
Charles A. Cross, conductor Of the
train, brought into the city several
sticks of dynamite that tai been left
by the robbers at the side OF the track
heard some one shooting" said the
conductor, and looked out to see what
wss the matter. l saw the engineer
and fireman running down the track
followed by three men. l had no time
to look at moro than that, for | saw
two tiashss OF fame close to tie car and
bullet went by my head as one Of
&Rem called out, Keep your head in
PthefcJf you don't want il blown of.
''CertSlnly, said, snd pulled il in
las quickly as knew how. saw that
the men wer0 making a mistsko in
getting the wrong cars, so when hesrd
them 20 off up the track, | expected to
hear them come back again IN q few
minutes, which they cid However,
they had no better LUCK 81 that time
than on tho first trip, and it was not 8
rJbbery of much profit to them.
think there were more than three men
engaged in the robbery, for saw two
other men standing beside the irsck,
just at the time the epginlo or pulled out
with the two cars. They evidently saw
that their companions had made mis-.
take and ju lgod that delays were dan
gerous. for after shouting something to
the men who were with the engineer
and fremen, they ran into tho bushes"
Il. A. App,egate, OF Newark, OHIO,
was the express messenger, and was
alone in his car. He had no idea ths.
a robbery was being attempted until ho
heard tho shooting On the outside. He
then seized a Winchester rife, and
climbing on top Of tho ssfo, awaited