The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-11-27
BIG TRAIN ROBBERY.
Express Car Dynamited and Big
Booty Secured
BY scripps-McRae.

BY Scripps- McRae.
Davenport. Nov. 22-Fifteen masl
ed bandits boarded the fast west
bound express train on the Rock Is
land road three miles west of here
this morning, detached the engine and
express car and two miles further west
drove the messenger from the strong
iron box of the United States Express
company and dynamited the safe, Sc
curing all of it's contents and making
one Of the richest hauls on record in
this section of the country.
The defamation from the discharge
| of the dynamite bomb could be dis
Itinctly heard in Davenport, five miles
/ distant. One car is off the track and
the express car is a mass of ruins.
So far as known none of the passen-
gers were molested, but it is feared
that harm be1ell the express messen-
ger.
The train which was held up was
known as No. IL and bound for Kan
sas City, and is due in Davenport at
1898 p. m. Last night, however, the
train was 35 minutes late. At this sta
ton two suspicious characters were
seen to board one of the coaches but
nothing was thought of the circum-
stance at the time, other than their
personal appearance. These men are
believed to have played prominent
! part in the results which followed
A Lonely Spot.
The scene of the robbery is some
what lonely spot, heavily screened
from the surrounding territory by a
heavy growth of timber.
1t offered an excellent spot for rob-
bers to consummate a crime of this
sort upon which they were bent. One
mile east there is a small switch yard
where a switch engine is stationed. 1t
was to this point that the train flagman
ran when the passenger train was
stopped. There the switch engine
crew carried him back to Davenport
as rapidly as possible.
Could Give No Details
The flagman was unable to give any
of the details of the robbery other
than that there were from twelve to
fifteen men in the party and that they
had uncoupled the engine and express
car and taken both a mile or so west
ward before using the dynamite.
Train No. II Is one of the popular
trains on the Rock Island road an is
known to carry in the express car
thousands of dollars for Kansas City
merchants and banks and their Cor
respondents throughout the west ami
southwest. This fact was evidently
known to the robbers, else they would
not have selected this special train for
their work.
Loss Will be Heavy.
Railroad and express company OFF.
Gals intimated when they heard of
the robbery and learned that the ban
dts had obtained all the contents of
the safe that the loss would be one
of the heaviest sustained by any of the
express companies for number Of
years. They declared that unless the
nights business was exceptionally
small that there must have been $780,
900 to $4,000 in the express COM
/ pany's safe beside other valuable of
no inconsiderable sum.
Later Report.
Davenport, Nov. 22.-Railroad and
express officials here this afternoon
declare that not more than $4,000 was
secured by the robbers this morning.
The express messenger escaped in
Jury, being held at bay by the robbers.
1t is currently reported and generally
believed the loss will be muchh great
er than admitted by the authorities.
Official Report.
Chicago, Nov. 22-An official re-
port of the Rock Island holdup near
Davenport this morning was issued to-
day. According to this report five
men held up the train. Three guard
ed the fireman and engineer, while the
other two went beck and forced the
express car messenger and baggage
man to go in with the engine crew.
They then returned to the combina-
ton baggage and mail car which they
ran I'D the road about one mile where
they blew the express safe securing
all its contents.
The railroad company says its loss
is $4,000, but does not know how much
the express company had in the safe.
The express officials say the amount
taken is not very large. After return
ing to the spot where TWO OF the rob-
bers' gang were holding guard over
the engineer and others the entire
five made their escape on foot. 1t
was sometime before the officials were
notified and the robbers got good
start. A posse with blood hounds are
in pursuit They are believed to have
struck the trail. The company will
offer $4,000 reward for the arrest OF
the gang The passengers were not