The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-08-20
BANDITS ROB EXPRESS CAR
Hold Up . Train Near Savanna, Ill.
and Blow Open Safe.
suppssed to Have Got Sao, ,ooo-Ons Of
the Rebbors Aftsrwsrd Found
Dead By the Track.

Chicago.-One train robber dead and
Ave others escaping with $4,000 In
silver as their booty Is the result OF o
daring hold up near Marcus. ILL.,. OF the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy's special
from this city to St Paul and Mlnne'
apolis. The money stolen was all that
was In the car. which was wrecked by
dynamite. and the bandit killed wa.
shot by William Byl. the Adams Ex.
press Company messenger IN charge
Of the car robbed. who dred four shots
at the robbers as they fed In the dark
ness with their plunder.
Whether Byl killed the bandit out.
right and the others tried to carry the
body to q hiding place Is not known.
Detectives working on the case profess
to believe that the dead robber was
shot BY his comrades to prevent his
being taken alive. The crew Of the
train following the one held ca found
the body about one mile North OF Mar
Gus.
None Of the passengers on the train
was molested. and as the robbery took
place away frOm the heavily loaded
passenger and sleeping cars. many OF
them had no knowledge Of the robbery
until later on
All the money the bandits obtained
was In silver and was tied up In four
sacks. each sack weighing lis pounds.
and the railway and express officers
hoped this handicap would hinder the
robbers and make their capture more
easy.
Danger signals were shown BY the
bandits, and the engineer shut on the
steam and applied the brakes. The
moment the train came to stop one
Of the masked robbers sprang aboard
the locomotive and thrust q revolver
into the face Of the engineer and an
other at the fireman. Both members
Of the engine crew were threatened
with death unless they obeyed the com.
mands Of the robbers.
Meanwhile q second bandit stepped
between the express car and the pas
senger coaches and cut the train in
two. He then sprang into the cab and
ordered the engineer to pull up the
track. When the locomotive, with the
express car. had proceeded short dis
tance to a point far from any human
habltation the robbers ordered a halt
The engineer. with q revolver muzzio
pressed close to his ear. had nothing
to do but ooey.
The robbers were we'll equipped for
the task before them. They drew
sticks Of dynamite from bulging pock'
cts and went toward the express car.
taking along the engineer aud fireman.
Arriving ut the door Of the express
car, the robbers commanded the engi.
neer to compel the messenger to open
it. The robbers then set OF the dyna.
mite In their possession. This blr" the
express car to pieces. The bib ,afe
in the car was then shattered By an.
other explosion Of dynamite.
Meantime q 6agman on the train
of coaches that had been left O few
miles back on the road. suspecting
what had happened. started on the
dead run for Savanna to give th'
alarm. On the way he heard the
sound OF the double explosion that
wrecked the express car and the safe.
After q run Of several miles the dag
man arrived at Savanna. He wa
breathless, but be managed to ten q
short story Of the fate Of the train.