Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-10-29
Lone Robber Holds Up Northern Pa
cifie Train But Does Not Succeed
in Getting Any valusbIes.
EXTREMELY DARING HoLD.Up
The Desperate Compelled the Train
men to Assist Him and Shot the
Engineer In a Scuffle.

The east bound passenger train on
the Northern Pacific was held up last
Thursday night about three miles west
of Drummond. Engineer O'Neal was
murdered and the baggage and ex.
press car destroyed by dynamite.
The passengers were not molested
and nothing of any considerable value
was secured by the robber. 1t is not
known where the robber boarded the
train, but 1t is thought that he climbed
aboard when the train stopped at
Bearmouth for water. The first inti-
nation of his presence was when he
was seen climbing over the tender of
the engine. His face was masked and
he held revolver in each hand when
he commanded the engineer to stop
the train. The fireman escaped TO
the brush and the engineer was or
dered to step to the ground.
The robber climbed down on the
same side as the engineer and as
they stood beside the engine, ONeal.
who was a much larger man than the
robber, grappled with him. He caught
the mans right hand and the latter
Immediately shot him with the revol-
yer which he held in his left. O'Neal
dropped to the ground. shot in the
groin. He lived until the train reach
ed Drummond, but died shortly after
reaching that place.
After shooting O'Neal the man hur-
ried to the door of the baggage and
express car, In which were the bag
gageman and electrician and brake
man. AS the men apeared at the door
to see what was going on they were
quickly covered by the revolvers and
ordered to get out of the car. They
were then forced to walk ahead of the
robber and yell out to the passengers
that anyone attempting to leave the
coaches would be killed. This gave
the impression desired by the robber
that the train was being held up by
q gang instead of by one man.
The car containing the baggage and
express was uncoupled and the cleo
trician ordered to get on the engine
and pull the car up the track away
from the coaches. He asserted that
he could not run an engine, but was
ordered to open the throttle, which
he did. but the engine did not move.
He was uncuccessful in his effort to
separate the engine and car form the
rest of the train and the men were
marched back to the baggage car.
The rubber placed charge of dy-
Mantle beneath the express car and
made one of the trainmen touch on
the fuse. After the explosion, which
blew out one end of the car, 1t was
found that the safe was still intact
80 the second charge of dynamite was
used with the result that the door of
the safe was blown in SO that 1t was
impossible to get at the contents. Baf-
fied in mis- attempt to get the money,
the robber sat down on a pile of ties
close to the track and talked to the
railroad men for half an hour. express
ing his sorrow at having to shoot
O'Neal.
Friday which resulted In nothing of
Importance being discovered. The en-
tire secret service of the detective
force Of the Northern Pacific was at
the scene OF the hold-up last week
and 1t was thought that the despera-
do rode out of the country on the
same train that he held up. Several
stories are told by the officers that
may have a possible connection with
the man. The clearest one appears to
be that furnished by Engineer Moore
of freight train, which passed the
point where the hold-up occurred but
q short time previously. who says that
q man closely answering the descrip-
tion of the bandit rode on his train
from Drummond to the Bearmoulh
water tank. where the passenger train
stopped later. and near where the hold
up occurred. ~. ne. ID