Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-10-30
A MAIL TRAIN ROBBED.
A Northern Pacific Mail Train
Held Up and Robbed at Mid
night in Montana.
THE ENGINEER KILLED AND MAIL RlFLED
Believed to Have Been the Work of
One Man-The Entire Country
Aroused, and Posses Out with
Rloodheupds-Rewa "Dead or
Alive"

MlSSoula, Mont, Oct. Sf.-Edst-
bound passenger train No. 2, on the
Northern Pacific, was held up by
lone robber, early Friday morning,
near Drummond, Mont, at place 10
miles from this city, and Engineer
Dan O'Neil was killed by the bandit,
who afterward rified the mail and
express cars.
The train, which included mail,
baggage and express cars. with nine
coaches. arrived at Missoula at 1920
p. m. from Portland and coast cities,
and proceeded eastward after short
delay at this station. 1t arrived after
midnight at a place two miles west OF
Drummond Here the train was sig
nailed to stop. and the engineer, ac-
cordingly, slackened speed.
Came Creeping Over the Tender.
While doing so, he saw man creep
ing toward him over the tender. The
man, who was armed, called to O'Neil
to stop the train instantly.
The engineer took in the situation
at once. and, pulling open the throt-
tie, tried to start the train at full
speed. The robber OWNED his pur-
pose. and fired at him. The shot took
instant effect and the engineer fell
dead at his post
Rifed Express and Mail Cars.
The robber then proceeded to rifle
the express and mail cars. He plum
dered the regular mail and blew open
the safe in the express car, which was
wrecked by the explosion. He also
dynamited the baggage car. The
amount of plunder which he secured
is not known at present, but it is sap
posed to be large.
Created Intense Excitement.
The excitement on the train was
intense The sudden stopping of the
train, followed soon by the explosion,
spread alarm among the train hands
and the passengers. The darkness OF
the night and the loneliness of the
place added to the general terror.
The robber boasted that he was the
man who took part in the hold-up of
the Southern Pacific train near Port
land, Ore, about a year ago. He
made this boast to the train hands to
terrorize them while he employed
them to run the train four miles, that
is, two miles east of Drummond. He
remarked that he would be hard to
catch. as he had horse in Drum
mond
BIoodhounds On the Trail.
Word was sent to Drummond,
whence it was telegraphed to Deer
Lodge, about fifty miles away, and
Warden Conley of the Deer Lodge
penitentiary, started for the scene at
once with bloodhounds.
Sheriff Prescott, with strong
force of men, also started at once for
the scene of the robbery on a spe-
cial train. The coroner went with
him
Found the Bandits Mask.
The mask worn by the bandit was
found on a mountain trail, two miles
from the scene of the hold-up. The
bloodhounds were given the scent of
the mask and Immediately took up
the Eall WEfcn was lHeH dpout
eight hours old
The Northern Pacific has offered
reward of $1,000 for delivery of the
robber, dead or alive.
The Murdered Engineer.
Dan ONeil, the murdered engineer,
lived in this city, and had wife and
five children. He had been in the
service of the Northern Pacific longer
than any other engineer.
1t is believed the robber boarded
the blind baggage when the train
stopped at water tank near Bear
Mouth. After the robbery the bandit,
taking one of the train crew named
Berry, for companion, marched up
the track without molesting the pas
sengers.
Said GoOd-By to Berry.
After going about a mile and a half
he told Berry good-by and took to
the woods The robbef is described
as short, heavy-set man, stoop-
shouldered. dressed like laboring
man, but wearing a light cap and
light shoes.