The Topeka state journal., 1902-11-22
II MASKED MEN.
They Hold Up the Rock Islands
Ft. Worth Train
At a Point Three Miles from
Davenport, Iowa.
MADE A BIG HAUL.
Booty Is Estimated as High as
$4,000.
Explosion of Safe Was Heard
Five Miles Away.
USED RED LANTERN.
Flagged the Train and I'm
coupled the Express Car.
Passengers We're Not Molested
and Nobody Was Hurt.
USED RED LANTERN.
Flagged the Train and I'm
coupled the Express Car.
Passengers We're Not Molested
and Nobody Was Hurt.

Davenport, Ia, Nov. pa westbound
passenger and express train on the Rock
Island road known as No. IL was held
up by II masked robbers soon after
midnight this morning at a point three
miles west of Davenport. The robbers
uncoupled the express car and ran it
two miles further west. to Gale siding,
where the safe was blown open with
dynamite The explosion was heard in
Davenport.
The train which was robbed left Chi
cago at sos last night. 1t was the fast
train that runs through to Fort Worth
via St. Joseph and Kansas City.
Ten men of the local police depart
ment have hurried to the scene of the
robbery. It is not known here how
much booty the robbers secured. At
2:15 a. m. it was definitely learned that
the contents of the safe from the ex-
press car. No person was injured. 1t
was nearly two hours after the hold
up before the train could proceed The
robbers succeeded in stopping the train
by placing red lantern on the track
and when the engineer saw the danger
signal he brought the train to d stOD.
Five masked men boarded the train. de-
taching the mail and express cars, and
forcing the engineer to accompany th"m
took these cars westward. leaving the
rest of the train standing on the main
track. Near Gale siding the express car
was blown up. The train usually carries
a large amount of money.
ESTIM &TING THE LOSS.
Des Moines, Ia. Nov. 22.-Lecal officers
of the Z. S. Express company state that
the loss in hold-up of the west bound pas
senger train on the Rock Island system
near Davenport at midnight will not ex-
ceed three or four thousand dollars. On
the other hand, it is stated at the local
railroad offices here today that the loss
must have amounted to ten or twenty
TOD n
| large quantity of money and jewelry for
Omaha and Denver.
The safe was a screw combination with
time lock- one of the best the company
has and it is thought it contained an un-
/ usually large quantity of valuables-
Posses of policemen and citizens are
securing the woods this morning. The
highwaymen are believed to have taken
the plunder to some island in the Missis-
sippi where they buried it, then crossed
to the Illinois shore and are in hiding in
the dense woods.
The bandits boarded the train at the
glucose works. west of Davenport, as
passengers. They soon made their pur-
pose known and after capturing the en-
gine crew, detached the engine and ran
it to Rockingham where they looted the
safe and made Off
TRAIN IS LATE.
Kansas City Mo, Nov. 22.-The fast
west bound express on the Rock Island
system held up near Davenport, will not
reach Kansas City before noon 1t was
due here at $50 this morning. No details
of the robbery have been received in this
city at either the offices of the railroad
or express company. Superintendent Oar
Rossin, of the United States Express
company, said he was unable to state the
amount of money carried on the train.
The robbery evidently had been care
fully planned. The train, which wa,
due to leave here at 1928 p. m. was 81
minutes late and pulled out for the ives
after short halt. 1t had just passed
through the suburban village of Rock
ingham, on the outskirts of the Rocl
| Island yards when the engineer saw {
red lantern on the track and brough
his train to a stop.
AS he slowed down two robbers sprane
on the footboard of the engine and GOV
cred himself and the fireman with re
volvers While the engine crew wa
thus kept quiet others of the gans
menaced the crew and passengers in th
coaches. One of the bandits uncoupleI
the express and baggage cars from tn
rest oe the train and then the enginee
was ordered to pull out.
, Two miles west of Rockingham Their
is A stretch of heavily timbered country
and in this the engineer was ordered Il
stop. The bandits blew up the through
safe with dynamite, using an eXtremel.
l heavy charge.
After wrecking the safe the robbers
J mounted the engine and ran down tn
track. 1t was reported they left the 10
eomotive at a small station called Buf
? falo. and escaped in the darkness.
The name of the engineer is Shaeffe
and the conductor is Trumbun. Bot
are with their train which proceede,
: west after q delay of two hours.
The explosion of the dynamite use
in blowing up the safe badly damages
the car, but so far as known no one wa
9 injured.