The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-10-24

As an incentive to the officers of the law
to capture the murderer of Engineer W.
ii. O'Neill, who met death while trying to
defend the property of the Northern Pa
cihc from desperate robber the railroad
company has sent out the following notice /:
"The Northern Pacific Railway CON-
pany will pay reward OF $1,000 for the
capture and delivery to authorities, dead
or alive, Of the train robbers who robbed
No. 2 this morning. Should the robbery
have been committed by one man the
reward will be $1,000 for his capture; !;
If committed by two men the reward will
be $4,000 for the two or $2,5oO for
either one. If committed by more than
two men the reward will be 5000 for
the capture Of all, or $4,000 for the cap
ture of any one."
Killed at His Post.
Engineer O'Neil was killed at his post
OF duty. lie was shot down by an un-
known man who held up the Northern Pa
ciie West Coast Limited, between
and o'clock this morning in what is
known as Mukey canyon, three and one
half miles west of Drummond ONeill
was shot III the abdomen when he tried to
grapplc with the robber who covered him
with two revolvers while in the engine
cab.
The fireman had been sent out to ex-
tinguish the headlight and was lust re-
turning to the cab when O'Ncil was shot.
He jumped from the engine as the shot
was fired and hid until the robbery of the
express and mail cars had been committed.
The robber, or robbers, made little by
the desperate deed. The charge of dyna-
mite failed to open the safe in the express
car and the postal authorities state that
the contents of the registered packages
amounted to but small sum.
Reports are conflicting as to the number
of men engaged in the robbery. The fire.
man. mail clerk and expressman say they
saw but one man who did all the work and
all the shooting. The coductor and pas
sengers insist there were two men at least
engaged in the holdup.
A Daring Exploit.
The stoping of passenger train No. 2
on the Northern Pacific early this morn
ing was one of the most daring exploits in
the criminal annals of the West.
So lar as known, but one man was en-
gagged in the attempt to rifle the express
safe. That one man seemed to be host
in himself, when he killed one, cooped up
a whole train crew and an entire train
load OF passengers, and kept three men at
work obeying orders.
Singlc-handed. the desperate captured
two cars. the express messenger, the cleo
trician of the train and the postal clerk
and went about his task of rihing the mails
and attempting to blow up the safe in the
express car, with as much coolness and
nerve as il engaged in entertaining com.
pany.
1t is believed that the robber boarded
the train at the water tank, which is To-
Gated about 900 feet west of Bearmouth.
where stop was made for water. lust
after the train passed through Bearmouth
station where no stop is made, the fire.
man started to put in fire.
Looked Into Two RevoIvers.
Just as he turned to gather scoopfu,
of coal, the fireman was startled to hear
a yell and turning around found a man
standing on the coal pointing two big
revolvers at his head
Throw up your hands," shouted the
man, elevating his voice to overcome the
roar OF the train, Throw up and obey
my orders and you won't get hurt"
The man slid down the coal onto the
engine deck and forced the fireman
against the left seat of the cab. He
covered Engineer O'Nell with one re-
volver and ordered him to throw up
his hands.
"You mind what I say" said he to
the engineer. "If you don't III blow
your head off"
Then the robber turned to the fireman
and commanded
"The first thing you do, go out and
put out that headlight and be quick about
1t and mind you come back here"
Heard Shot.
The fireman lost no time in obeying