The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-07-05
A Complete Hold-Up Of the Trans.Contin-
entail Near Malta, Montana.
They SHOT TO KILL EVERYBODY
Who Peeped Out to See What Was Going On and Succeeded
in Landing Few Bullets in Curious Passengers
Hit Only Three; One Seriously.

Train No. 3 on the Great Northern
was held up by train robbers between
Exeter and Wagner, about 40 miles
east Of Havre Wednesday afternoon
about o'clock. The express car was
wrecked with dynamite and two pass
engers and a brakeman were shot, but
none Of them fatally. Number Three
reached kalispeII about 6:30 a. m.
Thursday and some Of the coaches
bore evidence Of the fusiiade of the
highwaymen. The window siIIs Of the
tourist sleeper in two places had bull
let holes through them, but the wreck
ed express car had been left at Hav-
re. According to all accounts the ex-
press car presented forIorn appear.
ance after the robbers had finished
with It. The roof was split wide open
and the sides and floor were shattered
to atoms.
Number Three was about six hours
late Wednesday when she reached Nal
ia. At this point a disreputabIe look
ing individual whom the conductor
took for hobo, boarded the train.
When the conductor attempted to COL
Iect fare from this fellow, he pulled
a gun, and the conductor passed him
on. The robber then went forward
and meantime the conductor had sig
ne!ed the engineer to stop. But just
about the time he heard the signal,
the engineer looked back over the
tender and found himself gazing into
tn muzzle of six-shooter in the hands
of determined looking Individual,
who told him to disregard the signal
to stop and keep on going. This the
engineer did without parley, and when
a point about midway between Ex.
eter and Wagner had been reached,
he was ordered to stop the train,
which he did.
When the train came to a stand.
still the lone robber was joined by
two others. The engineer and Sire.
man were ordered out Of the cab, and
two Of the robbers took up their po.
sitions, one on each side Of the OK
press car. From these points they
undertook to prevent interference
from the passengers. A travel
ing auditor by the name Of Nichols
got off Of the rear end Of the Pullman
to ascertain the reason for the delay,
and was shot through the shoulder;
young lady named Gertrude Smith,
who was playing cards in the tourist
car, stuck her head out Of the window
to see what was going on, and her
curiosity was rewarded with a bullet
in the shoulder.
The brakeman was the only one Of
the three seriously injured, and it is
said that he will probably lose his
arm. About this time the conductor
came through the train and warned
the passengers that the train was in
the hands Of robbers who would prob
ably be after their valuabIes in a
short time land there was a great
scramble for concealment, but the
robbers never moIested the passen.
gers. This is probably accounted for
by the fact that the hoid2p was wit.
messed by mounted cowboy. who was
seen about $50 yards from the train.
When the robbers espied him they
turned their rifles in his direction and
tore up the earth all around him, but
he succeeded in getting away to Wag.
ner, where he gave tn alarm and re-
turned with help shortly after the rob.
bers had deeamped.
After the passengers had been suffi-
cientIy terrorized the robbers turned
their attention to the express car. The
messenger was ordered to open the
door upon pain Of being blown up, and
he very sensibIy did as he was told.
He was ranged alongside the engineer
and fireman. The leader Of the gang
then entered the ca and placed dy.
Mantle cartridge under the safe, but
before setting Il of, warned the
passengers in the smoking car to
move back, which they did without
farther ado. The cartridges were then
exploded, but Il required three shots