River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-10-16
ROBBERS SUCCESSFUL.
Train Held Up by Gang of Four Men
in Nebraska and the Express.
Safe Dynamited.

Lincoln, Neb., Oct. I3-Plunder val
ued by some as high as $4,000, most.
of it gold coin, was secured by four
bandits, who held up the Pacific coast
express on the Burlington road just
outside this city early Saturday morn
ing. Officers claim the loss may not
exceed $4,000. The robbery was bold
one and carried out with perfection
OF detail that prevented serious oppo-
sldon by the train crew or the neces-
slty for injuring anyone in either party.
Inc whole affair was completed In an
hour, and the robbers had a good start
before an alarm could be given.
Officials of the railroad had been
warned in advance of the intention
to rob the train, which was to carry
large sum in sold. The plan was
to commit the crime near ST. Joseph,
Mo-, section famous for such deeds,
but apparently the gang learned that
their plan had been tipped off, y so
they shifted the scene When no at
tack was made at the spot expected,
the railway men concluded the robbery
had been abandoned. The railroad has
offered reward of 81 900 for the cap
ture of the robbers and posses with
bloodhounds are searching the entire
district.
Train No. Al reaches Lincoln at 10: So
a. M, and leaves for the northwest
ten minutes later. 1t was a few min
utes late Saturday morning. On the
hill midway between the city and the
town of Woodlawn the engineer saw
red light waved across the track, and
brought the train to standstill. Two
men sprang quickly into the cab, COW
ering Clayburg and his fireman with
revolvers. They lost no time in Civ
ing their orders, and they were just
as promptly obeyed. The express car
was cut from the balance of the train
and run ahead short distance. The
robbers found the door locked, and
after commanding Messenger William
Lupton to open it and getting no re-
Spouse fired two or three shots into
the car. The door was then opened.
A heavy charge of dynamite on the
safe literally tore it to pieces. The
contents were taken out and the rob-
bers prepared to go. The two men
who were in the car politely babe the
trainmen good morning, jumped from
the car, and disappeared in the dark
ness. The passengers were not mo-
Tested, nor were the trainmen asked
for their belongings. While the rob-
berry in the express car was going on
a third robber walked alongside the
track by the passenger coaches, firing
his revolver occasionally to keep in
quisitive passengers quiet. A fourth
rObber remained with the two rigs in
which the men fed.
The robbers were cool, talkative, and
apparently experts. The whole job oc-
cupied scarcely an hour. The train was
run back to Lincoln, the wrecked eX-
press car taken out, and at four o'clock
it resumed its journey, the original
crew going out with it.
Following was. an engine carrying
Chief of Police Hoagland, Detective
Malone and his two bloodhounds, and
three police officers. At the scene of
the holdup the hounds took the scent
and the pursuit OF the robbers was be-
gun. Every town and village marshal
and every county sheriff in southeast
ern Nebraska has been notified of the
robbery and told to be on the watch.
A police officer working on the
case said Sunday evening that ac-
cording to figures given him by an
official of the express company there
was close to $4,000 belonging to the
company in the booty secured by the
robbers. The figures given him were
in the form of detailed statement
covering the denominations anG the
numbers of pieces of each denomina-
ton. He figured these up and found
the total to be in the neighborhood
of the above sum.