The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-24
TRAIN ROBBERS F0ILF.D
BY BRAVE MESSENGER
Defied the Bandits While Dynamite Exploded About
Him in Express Car
Daring Attempt to Hold Up the Southern Pacific Overland in
Southern Oregon.

Portland. Ore, Oct. 23.-The north
bound overland express train on the
Southern Pacific was held up by two
masked men fifteen miles south OF Eu-
gene at 3 O'Clock this morning. The
robbers blew open the express CIR with
dynamite but secured no booty there,
having been driven or by the express
messenger. The only thing secured
was one registered mail pouch.
Two men boarded the train at Cot
tage Grove anS = short distance this
side. near Glasgow, pus of the fire.
man ant his helper, uncOupled the e&-
press car and made the engineer pull
ahead a short distance. Their first act
was to blow opeI the door OF the ex-
press car. which they did with dyna-
mite. tearing the DOOR to pieces and
badly damaging the car.
Express Messenger G. X. Charles was
IN the car. and had made up his mind
10 stay there. The robbers ordered the
messenger out Of the car. but he de-
termhcdly refused to come. and held
a position where he could easily bring
down any person who should attempt
10 enter through the opening in the
side made by the dynamite.
Come out of there or we well blow
you and the car all TO - commanded
the robbers. The messenger said moth
f1g.
Robbers Were Bluffed.
Then the desperadoes compelled the
engineer to throw into the car a stick
of dynamite with a lighted fuse. The
messenger grabbed IT and put out the
fire in the fuse.
They next attempted TO enter the car
by compelling the engineer. who was
in the hands of the robbers. to crawl in
through The door. the robbers hoping
10 gain adlnittanCe by using him as q
protector. But Charles used his shot
sun to good advantage, and kept up
a good FIRE directly over tn engineer 5
head. knowing well that robbers
would attempt to follow Il into the
Car-
Finally the robbers tn led their at
tention to getting away with what lit
tie they could from the mail car. They
obtained the registered mail. and then
one Of them taking the engineer. board
ed the engine. which they cut loose
rom the trair. and ran to within half
"a mile of Eugene. where he left the
engine and started toward the VIII
Jeanette river in nOrtherly direction.
The passengers were not mOlested.
The train which was held up arrived
here this afternoon at / o'clock. The
express car is badly shattered. but il
was brought in with the train.
The Messengers Story.
THE first intimation I had of any
thing wrong said G. r. Charles. the
express messenger. was when me
train began TO slow up near Walker
station It was a quarter of 3. as near
as I remember. Shortly after the train
came to a standstin. / was ordered
TO open the door. 1 refused to move
] was threatened with all sorts of
things.
open up this Co. or we win blow
you to - commanded one Of the rob-
hers I made no response. and was
given a salute with dynamite. The
first charge blew open one OF the doors
and knocked re down. Ny cveralls
were blown into shreds and my legs
scratched some what. but Otherwise
was unhurt.
Further co1nm znds to open up and
threats follow ed, but without avail.
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 dynamite or bullets
] 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 faile,i to go off as
had removed my shoes and quietly
walked over to the dynamite and de
tached the fuse. Two more shots ex-
ploded. each Of them blowing a hole in
the floor Of the car. All told, -four
shots went on in the car. two failed
20 explode anu one 1 preyented from
exploding by removing the fuse.
Messengers Would Not Respond.
"All efforts to compel me TO open OF
leave the car falling. the engineer was
sent in through the opening blown into