Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-08-07
TRAIN ROBBERY in ILLINOIS
Hold-up on the Chattanooga,
Burlington g. Quincy.
SIX SACKS OF MONEY STOLEN
The Amount of Their Contents
Not Known.
One of the Highwaymen Was Killed, But
No Passengers Were Afoiested-The Place
Was Well Adapted to Flight and the
Other Robbers Escaped With the Booty.
..Oeiated Press Dlspateh y special wire.

Associated Press Dispatch By Special Wires.
Mt. Carroll, Ill, Aug. "a daring
and successful train robbery occurred
at Marcus, on the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy railway, five miles north of
Savanna, last night
The fine yestibule passenger train of
II coaches, Conductor Emerson in
charge, was tagged at little station,
aud six masked men boarded the en-
CINE. The engineer and fireman obeyed
the imperative orders, and the robber
at once uncoupled the engine and ex-
press car from the train and ran a
quarter of mile up the track. They
then blew up the express car with
dynamite, ran the engine north a dis
lance of a mile from Hanover, where
the locomotive became dead and the
robbers abandoned it and escaped.
One of the highwaymen was killed,
being shot above the eye and also in
the leg. He INST instant death while
in the engine, and his body was dumped
TO the ground by his companions as
they sped away. The express messen-
ger, Bye, claims to have done tho
shooting. The deed was done quickly,
the trsinmen and passengers making
secured, but the amount is not known
The passengers we're not molested.
There WAS no way OF telegraphing
news of the hold up, and fiagman
walked back and gave the alarm. a
special train Of citizens and several
policemen at once proceeded to the
scene, but as the track runs along the
Mississippi River and the country is
we'll adapted to a successful flight the
robbers easily escaped. The work was
evidently that OF experts, as they went
at it coolly and methodically.
The train attacked is one of the
finest in the world, and usually carried
considerable money, which must have
been known by the highwaymen. The
dead robber was stranger in this
vicinity. He was a middle-aged man
and we'll dressed.
In the pocket Of the dead highway
man was found an Iowa Central
mileage credential from Grinnell to
Gilman, Iowa, issued in the name OF
A. L. Jacobs.
Four explosions were required to
complete the destruction of the safe,
and the car was badly wrecked. The
robbers were eight in number, all
masked. They evidently were railroad
men, one being a good engineer. The
bandits had arranged to ditch the en-
tire train of nine heavily-laden coaches,
had not the signal to stop been needed.
Several passengers in the buffet car,
including tho porter, were held prisoners
during the struggle to crack the safe.
1t Is now thought the dead robber was
killed by a comrade by mistake.
TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS STOLEN.
Chicago, Ill, Aug. 6. -Foiiowing is
the official account of the robbery,
issued by the general manager of the
Chicago, burlington & Quincy rail-
way:
Train No. AZ was held up last night
about 11.30 o'clock at south switch,
Marcus, about 10 miles north of Sa-
wanna, I'll. The switch was turned,
and the train tagged. Tho two head
cars, consisting of mail and express
and composite car, were cut of and
taken to the north switch, where the
safe in the express car was blown open
with dynamite and the contents taken,
after which the engine was cut of by
the robbers and started north. AS the
robbers left, the express messenger
fred at them. One robbsr was found
dead about one mile north of Marcus,
and his body was given over to the
coroner. At least six men we're con-
cerned in the robbery. So far as is
known, only az, in silver were
secured. None of the crew was hurt,
and none of the passengers molested.
The express end of the ritied car was
badly damaged.