Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-11-27
DIES MONIES MEN ARRESTED.
Suspected Of Completely In Rock Isl
and Hold-Up Near Davenport.


and Hold-up Near Davenport.
Davenport, Nov. 24.-Five masked
men. swinging switch lights. before
pile Of ties, two miles west Of Daven,
port stopped the Rock Island Kansas
City express at 1880 Friday evening
and before they had left the train the
express car was dynamited and sum
OF money said to aggregate $4,000
was taken.
Express and railroad officials de
clare the loss will not reach anywhere
near $4,000. One statement is that
but 81 900 was taken. The safe, which
was guaranteed to stand four hours
attack, yielded to two attacks with
dynamite and its contents were left
at the mercy of the robbers.
The Davenport police arrested Rich
ard L. Ridley and Luther ID. Hayward,
strangers, on suspicion, the former be.
ing shown, it is claimed, to be hard
character by letters in his possession.
and apparently being recently out OF
the penitentiary. Both came here from
Des Moines. Most of the letters in
their pockets were received while
there.
Men supposed to be the Rock Island
train robbers stole team and wagon
from William Rohmer, whose farm was
reached by a mile tramp through
heavy timber. The robbers drove
northward on a run and near daylight
passed a farm house four miles from
the scene Of the robbery. The farm
er's description tallies with that of the
trainmen.
T. W. Hoffman arrived here this af
Ia x.vfth
pack of bloodhounds reported to be
noted thief catchers. They immediate
ly went to the scene OF the hold-up and
were put on the trail Of the robbers.
The police at Muscatine think they had
the gang in Jail there a couple OF
weeks ago. Other parties report see
ing them in the neighborhood Of the
scene Of the robbery during the past
day or two.
Engineer Shelter stated that wheD
he had passed the glucose works,
about mile from the depot, he saw
red light across the track. The
headlight revealed a pile of ties on the
track, and the red light began to swing
across the track. Shelter brought the
engine to quick stop, and the rob.
bers, five in number, Immediately took
firemen were covered with pistols by
two robbers. The other three went to
the rear express car, the third in line
and ordered the brakeman to un.
couple it.
The brakeman was then put on the
main section of the train which was
left on the track. The pile of ties was
removed by the robbers and the en-
gineer compelled to pull his train
about two miles further westward,
where the train was stopped. The rob
bers then turned all Of their attention
to the express car. Express Messen.
ger Gregory was then taken in charge
at the point of a gun. He was placed
on the sldetrack where he was kept
under guard. Two men entered the
car, attacked the safe, although the
safe was three foot cube provided
with a time lock. The robbers used
dynamite, the first charge being rather
light, but the second was terrific and
caused the earth to tremble. The top
and side of the car were blown out
and the interior of the car wrecked
The top of the safe was blown off. The
men then rifled its contents and made
their escape from the car, but before
doing so made the train crew take the
engine and cars back to the main train
They then disappeared in the dark.
ness.
Davenport, Nov. 24.-The men who
held up the Rock Island express train
and broke open and cleaned out the
safe in the express car just west of
this city are believed to be in hiding
In the Cedar river bottoms. an ideal
refuge for fugitives from justice, about
fifty miles northwest of here. Officers
and bloodhounds have found all clues
leading in that direction. The team
and wagon stolen by the bandits, and
with which they made their break.
neck drive through the darkness to-
ward the Cedar have not been found,
and are believed to have been abandon
ed in the swamps.
Yesterdays sensation was caused by
a telegram from the railroad agent at
Buchanan, a small station on the Bur
lington, Cedar Rapids and Northern
that he had been held up and locked
into his station by the bandits. A
special train carrying heavily armed
sheriff's posse was at once rushed
from Davenport to Buchanan. but be-
fore its arrival the Cedar county
sheriff had captured the gang that
figured in the incident. They proved
to be common tramps, who had drawn
a gun on the station agent when he
ordered them away from the station.
The BRIGGS and cross roads Of the
low lands on the Cedar are closely
guarded in the hope that the robbers
have not carried out their evident pur.
pose of getting out of the neighbop
hood through some point on the North.
western line. In their fight they
crossed the Rock Island main line and
several branches Of that system, but
were evidently afraid to board any OF