Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-07
ROBBERS HOLD UP A TRAIN
Six Masked Men hob Burlington Express At
Marcus, nhnsiE
ONE OF THEN IS INSTANTLY KILLED
Others EasiIy Escape After Rininr
the Contents OF the Express Car
and Obtsinine a eonsidera-
Bile SUM OF Money.

enc obtaining GOnstdera-
Bile Sum of Money.
MoU4 CARROLL, ILL.,, Aug. GA daring
and successful train robbery occurred at
Marcus. on the Chicago. Burlington q
Quincy railway, ave miles north Of savan-
nah. about midnight.
The fine vestibuled passenger train Of
eleven coaches. Conductor Emerson in
charge. was tagged at the little station and
six masked men boarded the engine. The
engineer and fireman obeyed the inpera-
tive orders Of the robbers and at once un-
coupled the engine and express car from
the train and ran them q quarter OF a mile
up the track
II. They then blew up the express car with
dynamite. ran the engine north distance
OF a mile from Hanover and the locomotive
becoming dead. the robbers abandoned It
and escaped.
Ono Of the hishwaymen was killed.
being shot above the eye and also in the
leg. He met instant death while on the
engine and hts body was dumped to the
ground by his companions IS they sped
away Express Messenger Byl claims to
have done the shooting.
The deed was done quickly, the trainmen
ahu bhh1cuBofb Auhhhhb no uoteuoD. DIX
sacks Of money were secured, but the
amount is net known. The passengers we're
not moiested
There was no way Of telegraphing news
Of the holdup. and a fiagman walked back
and gave the alarm. A special train Of citl-
Eens and several policemen at once pro-
ceeded to the scene. but. as tho track runs
along the Mississippi and the country Is
well adapted to a successful flight, the rob-
bers easily escaped. The work was evi-
IDENTIFY that OF experts, as they went at Il
ooolly and methodically.
The train attacked Is one Of the finest
IN the world and usually carries consid-
cradle money which must have been known
BY the robbers.
About the Dead Highwaymsn.
The dead hishwayman was a stranger in
this vicinity. He was a middie-aged man
and we'll dressed.
In his pocket was found an Iowa Central
mileage credentiai from 0rinnell to Gilman,
Ia, issued in the name Of A. L. Jacobs.
-Four explosions were required to COM
plete the destruction Of the safe and the
car was badly wrecked. The robbers were
six in number. all masked. They evidently
were railroad men, Ouu p1iTi5 y SSS-- -
gineer. Messenger William Byl fred fve
shots at the robbers. but without avail, and
an attempt was made to blow him up in
his car.
The bandits had arranged to ditch the
entire train had not the signal to stop
been needed. Several passengers In the
buftet car. including the porter. were held
prisoners during the struggle to crack the
safe.
II Is Thought the dead robber wac killed
by q comfade BY mistake. The BODY WIS
put on the tender and run BY the others
q short distance and then thrown into tho
weeds
Oficiai announcement Was made BY the
cfIicials Of both the Burlington road and
the Adams Express company that a purse
Of $1,000 would be made up by the two
companies and given to Express Messenger
Byl for his bravery.
OmeiaI Account Of Robbery.
CHICAGO, Aug. e.-Following Is the on
eial account Of the robbery. issued by the
general manager Of the Chicago. Burling-
ton q Quincy railway:
Train A. was held up last night about
1850 at south gwitchs Marcus, about ten
miles north of Savannah. III. The switch
Ragged. The two head cars. consisting OF
mail and express car and a composite
cars, were cut on and taken to the north
switch, where the safe In the express car
was blown open with dynamite and con-
Isnts zen 81, taken; h1 aItsJ r whicn tns tnFine was
As the robbers left the express messenger
hred at them. One robber was found dead
body was vas given over to the coroner. cor s AT AZ
least six men were concerned In the rob-
was secured None OF the the, crew iSS was "a hurt hurt
end q Ss dsf @SsssS ~ss badly
Engineer Relates HIS Experience.
LA CROSSE. Wis. Aug. s.--The Burling-
ton train which was held up near Savannah
arrived here at 10 o'clock and q twenty
minute stop was made for breakfast. En-
glneer John q. Mooney Of Minneapolis told
a vivid story Of the holdup. He said:
The robbers stopped the train by swing
ing white light As soon as Il stopped
two men jumped into the cab and .ceYered
fireman to cut on the engine. After this
was done one OF the men, who was point
engine up a ways and ran her up half
a mile Then they ordered me to jump OF
Sna Ssr ere oneS k by tosro ne me trsin
sengcr and another robber. They took us
to the rear OF the BUFFET car and told US
They, worked for an hour opening the safe
and finally brought the engine down again
sros frn Fl the y train they toid me- to jump issf on
and run. which most assufedly did. They
ran the engine up seven miles and left
Mr.. Mooney said that he had been run
ming on the Burlington for fifteen years
and this was his hrst experience, ana he
sincerely hoped II would be the last with
robbers. Six guns staring one IN the face
is nong too pleasant sensation 20 expert
enee. Mr.. Mooney believes the robbers
killed one Of their own number, either pur-
p0sely or accidentally. Several shots were
tired, some BY the robbers and the rest BY
the express messenger. The dead man was
dumped on a short distance from where the
affair occurred. the robbers having taken
his body on the engine before the start
away was made.
Mr.. Mooney says that all the men wore
masks, but that while one was holding a
gun In hls face. the handkerchief which
concealed his entire face. except the eyes.
fell on, and that he managed to get a good
look at him. He could identity him. he
says. as the young man had a sandy COM
plexion. was about nve feet eight Inches
in height and wore good clothes.