Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-12-03

The fast Chicago. Rock Island and Pa
cific train No. II was held up two miles
west of Davenport, Iowa, at 10 o'clock
Friday night by gang composed of from
twelve to fifteen men.
The express car was blown to pieces
with dynamite, and the gang, after Sc
curing the contents of the express safes,
fed.
The train was stopped as it was slow
ing up for a crossing inside the city linn
its, within a mile and a half of the center
of the city. The robbers swung a. red
lantern at the crossing, causing the engi-
neer to stop entirely instead of going ON.
~ Zee men suddenly sprang into the
cab, two of them coming over the tender
and showing revolyers into the faces Of
the engineer and fremen.
Hold Passengers in Coaches.
As soon as the train came to a stand
still part of the robbers stood guard over
the passenger coaches, preventing any
interference, while the rest forced the en-
gineer to start on. They cut off the ex-
press car and hauled it nearly two miles
down the track, and then ran it on the
side track at Dale station.
The trainmen We're held at the point
of reyolvers while two men blew open
the express car with dynamite and pro-
ceeded to wreck the safes. The two ex-
plosions that wrecked the car were heard
all over Davenport, but it was a long
time before the cause was known. 1t
was at first thought some of the traiumen
had been killed, but no one was injured.
Large Amount Is Stolen.
How much was secured is not known,
but it is known that the company was
carrying large amount.
Train No. II is the through train that
left Chicago at Cos Friday afternoon. 1t
is split in Davenport, part being sent on
to Kansas City over that division Of the
Rock Island road. The train held up is
the Colorado Springs express, consisting
of combination baggage and express
car, two day coaches. two chair ears and
two sleeping cars, which run through to
Denver. The train reached Davenport
late and was in the city nearly half an
hour, being made up, and it left the city
on time at 11:43.
Crew Reports the Robbery.
No notice of the holdup was received
in Davenport until the train dispatcher
failed to locate the train at a junction
where it is always reported He sent out
messages asking about it. Within a few
minutes word was received from n tele-
graph station near the scene of hold
up giving notice that the robbie. had
been accomplished. Within short time
the train crew, who had fed from the
coaches, ran up to the station and re-
ported.
The police of Davenport were notified
at once and big squad was rushed to
the scene at once on special engine. 1t
is believed the robbers, after commit
ting the crime and securing the booty,
returned to the city.
Eleventh HoId-Up for 1902.
The Rock Island holdup Friday night
is the eleventh notable affair of its kind
during the present year More men were
concerned in it, for previous robberies
have been committed by bands of from
three to five men. This time the train
bandit fraternity seems to have assem-
bled for general convention.
This is the third time a Rock Island
train has been robbed since the begin
ming of the present year On July 1S.
one OF the company's express trains was
robbed in Texas On Oct. 8 another
was held up in Oklahoma.
The Burlington Railroad has Jared
even worse. On April 5 one of its trains
was held up near st. Joseph, Mo-, and
ON May p another attempt was made
near the same place. On Aug 6 the
Burlington suffered heavy loss near Sa-
wanna, ILL.,, and more recently, on Oct.
10, at Hubbell, Neb.
The Denver and Rio Grande was held
up on July 10. Attempts We're made en-
Great Northern and Northern Pacific
trains on Aug. 5 and Aug. 81, both being
failures.