Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-12-02

The fast Chicago, Rock Island anc Pa
ciic train No. IL was held up two miles
west of Davenport, Iowa. at IL o'clock
friday night by a gang composed of from
twelve TO fifteen men,
The express ear was blown to p.eces
with dynamite, and the gang. after Sc
curing the conrenta 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 half of the center
of the city. The robbers swung red
lantern at the crossing. causing the cngi-
neer to stop entirely instead OF going On.
Three men suddenly sprang into the
cab, two of them coming over the tender
and showing ravolvers into this faces of
the engineer aud tiremen.
Holt Passen gers 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-
glneer to start On. They cut OF the ex-
press car and hauled it nearly two miles
down the track, and then ran il on the
side track at Dale station.
The trainmen were held at the point
OF revolyers while two men blew open
the express car with dynamite and pro-
ceeded TO wreck the safes The two ex-
plosions that wrecked the ear were heard
all over Davenport. but it was long
time before the cause was known. 1t
was at first thought some of the trainmen
had been killed, but no one wis injured.
Large Amount La Stolen.
How much was secured is not known.
but 1t is known that the company was
carrying a large amount
Train No. ii is the through train that
left Chicago at Gs05 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
Oh combination baggage ana express
car, TWO day coaches, two chair cars aad
two sleeping cars, which run through 10
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 LAB
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 few
minutes word was received from n tele-
graph station Rear the scene of the hold
up giving notice that the robbery 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 we've notified
at once and a big squad was rushed to
the scene at once on a special engine. 1t
is believed, the robbers, after commit
ting the crime AND securing tie booty,
returned to the city.
Eleventh Hold 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 1t, 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 is.
one OF the company's express trains was
robbed IN Texas On Oct. $ another
was held up in Oklahoma.
The Burlington Railroad has Jared
even worse. On April one of lis trains |
was held up neer 1T. Joseph, Mo-, and
on May % another attempt vns made
near the same place. On Aug. the
Burlington suffered heavy loss near sa-
wanna, H., and more recently. on Oct
10, at Hubbell, Neb.
The Denver aid Rio Grande was held
up on July 10. Attempts were made en-
Great Northern and Northern Pacific
trains on Aug. and Aug. 81, both being
failures.