The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-14
FAMILIAR
old METHOD
BURLINGTON COAST TRAIN ROB
BED NEAR LINCOLN.
RED LIGHT AND DYNAMITE
Robbers Follow Regulations in Every
ParticuIar-Make Way With
safefuI Of Gold.

Lincoln, Neb., Oct. 12.-Masked
men held up Burlington train No. Al,
the Pacific coast express, four miles
cut of Lincoln, shortly before 2 O'Clock
yesterday morning. They used ex-
plosives on the express car, shattering
it badly, and after w%recking the safe,
rifed it Of it's contents.
Train No. Al reaches Lincoln at
1885 a. M. and leaves for the north
west 10 minutes later. 1t was a few
minutes late yesterday morning. 1t
was in charge of Conductor Lyman
and Engineer Clayburg. On the crest
of a hill midway between the city and
the town Of Woodlawn, the engineer
saw a red light waved across the track
and brought the train to a standstill.
Two men sprang quickly into the cab
and covered Clayburg and his fire.
man with revolvers. They lost no
time in giving their orders and were
just as promptly obeyed.
The express car was cut from the
remainder Of the train and run ahead
a short distance. The robbers found
the door locked and after commanding
Messenger William Lupton to open it,,
and getting no response, fired two or
three shots into the car. The door
was then opened. A heavy charge of
dynamite on the safe literally tore it
to pieces. Fourteen packages, said to
contain $100 each, were taken, to-
gether with other valuables. The two
men who were in the car politely babe
the trainmen good morning, jumped
from the a and disappeared in the
darkness. The passengers were not
molested, nor were the trainmen ask
ed for their belongings.
While the robbery in the express
"a was going on, a third robber walk
ed alongside the track by the passen-
ger coaches firing his revolver occa
sionally to keep the passengers quiet.
Brakeman Moore, who alighted from
the rear coach to go ahead, found a
revolver pushed into his face, with a
warning to go back where he had
been. He was the first to give the
alarm. The robbers were cool, talka-
tive and apparently experts. The
whole job occupied scarcely ar hour.
The train was run back to Lincoln,
the wrecked express car taken out
and at 4 O'Clock it resumed it's journey,
the original crew going out with it.
Following it was an engine carrying
Malone and two bloodhounds and
three police officers. At the scene OF
the holdup the hounds took the scent,
and the pursuit of the robbers was
actively begun. Every town and vii
lage marshal and every county sher-
if in southeastern Nebraska has been
notified of the robbery and told to be
the watch.
The booty of the robbers consisted
principally of gold coin. This made
the burden of the robbers exceedingly
heavy, and accounts for the broad
trail discovered by Chief Hoagland.
The robbery was originally planned to
take place at st. Joseph, and the rail
road men were on the lookout. One
of the criminals tipped the deal off
to the company, and this probably
accounts for the shifting of the crime
to Lincoln.
Up to 10 o'clock no news Of the
capture of the Burlington train rob-
bers had been received. It developed
during the day that there were four
one of whom remained at
distance from the scene of the
holdup, guarding the horses and bug
gy in which they all escaped with the
plumber. 1t is evident that the rob-
bers separated, two on foot going
north, the others, in the buggy travel
ing eastward.
Estimates of the amount secured
rom the Adams express safe range
all the way from $4,000 to $4,000.
Company officials refuse toysay a word
aobut their loss, and the only author
tative statement is from General SUI
o~erintendent Calvert of the Burling-
on, who is positive that the robbers
lid not secure more than $4,000.
The Burlington company has post
ID a reward of $1,000 for the capture
If any one of the robbers.
WEST EoR FUEL.