Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-08-01
B. & 0. TRAIN Held UP
Mail Car Dynamited and Wrecked
80 Miles From Chicago.
ROBBERS SECURED NO BOOTY
At RevoIver's Point They Compelled
Engineer to Detach Mail Cars From
Train-Thought They Were Open

At Revolver's Point They Compelled
Engineer to Detach Mail Cars From
Train-Thought They Were Open
Ing the Express Car.
Chicago, Aug. 1.-The Baltimore and
Ohio passenger train from the east,
which was due to arrive in the Grand
Central depot, Chicago, at 9 O'Clock
last night, was held UP by five masked
men at 8 o'clock between Edgemore
and Grand Calumet Heights, Ind, 81
miles out from Chicago.
One of the mail cars, which con,
tanned no money, was dynamited and
made after the two mail cars had been
detached from the train and run a
quarter of mile ahead. The failure
of the robbers to make a rich haul
was due to the fact that the express
car, which contained the trains treas
ure, was in an unusual place. 1t was
the third car in the train. After wreck
ing the mail car and obtaining no
booty the robbers disappeared in the
darkness without attempting to rec
tify their mistake. The only loot that
they carried away with them as re
suit of their adventure was the gold
watch of the engineer.
The place where the robbery oc'
Cured is a lonely district in which
few people live, and houses are far
between. No better place for a train
robbery could be desired by the rob
bers.
The train was running at high
rate of speed as it passed Calumet
Heights, and Immediately after pass
ing out of sight of the station Engi'
neer J. W. Collins saw directly in
front of his engine a large fire, on
which some rails had been placed. He
slowed down, and as he did so three
jumped into the cab and covered Col
Inns and his fireman, James Whipple
with revolvers.
Then they made them step down and
go back the length of two cars. They
ordered the men to uncouple the first
hustled the two trainmen back into the
cab, and still keeping the engineer
covered with revolvers, directed him
to pull up some distance from the rest
of the train.
Collins ran up 200 feet and was then
directed to stop. He did so, and while
one of the men remained to guard him
the others jumped off, and, hurting dy-
Mantle at the door of the car which
they judged to be the express car,
burst open the door. Hastily climbing
in to get at the safe, they were aston
ished to find that they had broken
into a mail car. They threatened the
engineer with death for not telling
them that the cars which he had I'M
coupled were not express cars, and
ordered him to return at once and I'M
couple the next car behind the bag
gage cars. Climbing once more into
his cab, Collins backed his engine
down, coupled on to the third
car, 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, as before. He
drew away from the balance of the
train about the same distance as on
the first occasion and the robbers still
leaving him under the charge of one
of their number, made for this car.
When they reached it, they found,
to their great wrath, that they had
attacked another mail car and that it
contained no money. The train had
been delayed now fully 80 minutes, and
fearing that if they delayed any longer
help would be coming to the train
crew, the robbers gave up their attempt
to rob the train, and jumping down
ran into thicket of scrub oaks at
the side of the track and disappeared.
The train was hastily made up, and
came on to Chicago, arriving here
somewhat late, a stop having been
made at Whiting to report the robbery.
officers were at once sent after the
robbers, and within an hour after the
robbery large posse was on their
trail