Evening journal., 1901-07-05
TRAIN Held Up
In MONTANA
1t Recalls tho Days Of Wicked
Jesse James
THREE MlSKED MEN DID IT
Rilled Safe and Mail Bags Then Fled
to The Mountain Lair in
Safety

St Paul. July 1.-The Great Northern
TfanaContincstal train No. 3. leaving
ST. Paul Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock.
was held up at Wagner. Mont. 1876
miles east of Great Falls. ut 1920
Wednesday evening by three masked
men who blow open the express car
and wrecked the through safe with
dynamite. securing $4,000 The rob
berry, in daylight, was one of the bold.
est that has ever occurred in the West.
One OF the robbers boarded the
blind baggage" car at Hinsdale, a
station about twenty miles east of
Wagner. He appeared 20 be com
mon hobo but when the conductor
discovered him nt a stop almost I'm.
nediatcly aftcrward no drew q heavy
Colts revolver and ordered him to
return TO tho rear Of the train on pen.
atty Of instant death The hobo then
climbed over the locomotive tender
and at the point Of his revolver com.
PEELED the engineer and fireman "a
stop the train at a ravine a few miles
east of Wagner, where his confeder
ates. two in number, both masked, lay
In walt The hobo then compelled
the fireman and engineer 10 abandon
the engine and firiRg began on both
sides Of the train as it came 10 a stop
Passengers on the train began e
look out of the windows and q brake
man alighted on one side of the train
while Travelling Auditor Douglas
allghted on the opposite side. Botf
instantly became the target of Win
chesters in the hands of the robbers
but both escaped without injury. 4
passenger on the tourist coach, whC
was leaning out of the window wai
struck by a stray bullet and seriousl!
injured
70 wreck the door of the express
car with dynamite, with which botl
tho confederates that appeared from
the ravine were literally supplied, was
the work OF an instant. The express
man was compelled to leave the cal
at the point of a rifle and the through
safe was Immediately dynamited. The
first charge did not break it open and
four others in quick succession were
necessary before 1t was forced. The
robbers hurriedly gathered In it's con
tents, consisting of specie shipments
drafts, coin and valuable negotiable
paper and retroatod. keeping the train
crew and passengers of az the point
Of their rifles.
All three disappeared in the ravinc
and were seen later. one mounted on
a bay horse. one upon a white horse
one upoa a buckshn, heading south
ward at a furious gait. The booty
was plainly visible in n sack thrown
across the saddle bows of tho rider
upon tho buckslin horse.
The gang headed for the Little
Rockies range. lying across the Mir
River In an almost inaccessible coun'
try, consisting mainly Of bad lands
Posses were Immediately organized In
pursuit. one by a sheriff who hap
pened 70 be a passenger on the train,
The chances Of capturing the men are
exceedingly slim, since they have sew
eral hours start Of the posses, are
thoroughly familiar with the country
and have excellent mounts.
St. Paul, July 5.-Later reports seem
to indicate that the three robbers will
be captured this morning. Sheriff
Griffith, with a posse Of twenty men,
has surrounded them az Buck" Aliens
ranch. about 40 miles south Of Wag-
ner. the edge of the old Fort Belknap
reservation, on the west fork of the
Pouchette river Information that
reached here late this afternoon is tina,
the posse came in sight Of the men
about o'clock yesterday. near the
ranch, and driving them in, surrounded
them. It is probable they will not be
captured without a severe fight. and
at the latest advioes Sheriff Griffith
had not made the attack. Reliable in
formation received here to-day places