Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-10-27
SUSPECT IS CAPTURED.
Man Suspected of Completely in the
Northern Pacific Robbery Cap
tured in Montana.
Officials Inclined to the Belief That
the Right Man is Not Yet in
Custoday. ...
Later Particulars of the Robbery and
the Killing of the Engineer,
O'Neill.

A report from Helena says that the !
man suspected of having held up and
robbed the Northern Pacific train neat
Bearmouth, Mont, was captured near
Missoula and ID in Jail there. A re-
port has reached the Northern Pacific
headquarters at st. Paul that suspect
has been captured but it is not believed
to be the right man. The officials
have trace of a man who was mixed up
with robbery on the Southern Pacific
railroad about a year ago, and he IS
being followed by the officials It is
believed an arrest will soon be made.
Later particulars of the hold up have
been given by the train crew. It ap-
pears that the North Coast Limited al
ways stops at BeaTmouth for water
The station is small and no passengers
are expected to get on OF off there.
The train conductor had begun his run
at Missoula, forty miles back. and had
just finished going through the coaches
when the train was stopped ait the
command of the robber. The con-
ductor feels certain that the bandit did
not get on the rear of the train, but
that he rode ON the platform back Of
the engine.
The shooting of O'Neill was due to
| an accident. When the engineer
! stopped the train at the command of
the robber, he stepped down to the
deck CT the engine, and in doing so up
set and put out a lantern. The rob
Der evidently regarded that as a hos
tile act and opened fire.. discharging
five shots, one of which took effect in
O'Neill's abdomen. The robber then
| turned his attention to the baggage
and express car in which were the cleo
trlclan and the baggageman. Failing
to. gain admission he placed a stick of
! dynamite at the side door and shat,
tered the door so it could be opened.
just what the two men inside the
| car were doing while the robber was
climbing into the car is not known, but
as soon as he got inside he took COM
mand at once. He first placed a
charge of dynamite on the top of the
small company safe. The charge not
cnly failed to open the safe but it
wrecked it to such an extent that moth
ing could be done with it. The charge
however, broke the electrical connec-
| tlons and every electric light in the
| train went out. The robber then
turned his attention to the large ex-
press safe and used an extra large
charge OF explosive in an attempt to
blow it open. The charge failed to
do its work. but it left the car a COM
plete wreck, the sides and ends bulged
out the frame racked the roof ready
| to crumble in.
The robber then ordered the elect1d-
| clan to cut off the mail car from the
! rest OF the train. but was told that he
did not know how The robber made
the attempt himself. but did not sue
| ceed He directed the electrician,
whom he had appropriated as his per-
sonal attendant, to cut open the reg
istered mail pouches.
At the beginning of the trouble the
conductor dropped off the rear of the
train and realizing what was up fired
/ tive shots toward the front of the train
IN order to let the man or Gnen know
1 that the passengers knew what was
| going on and to save them from moles-
| tation. E-f
The wounded engineer had climbed
| from the cab while the robber was try
ing TO. get into the express safes, and
1 lay on the damp ground in agony for
nearly an hour before he died. He
ktold the conductor that he was shot
and asked to be taken to place where
something might be done for him. The
fireman jumped from the cab as soon
as the robber began to shoot and did
not reappear until the train was ready
to proceed
The chase after the robber was rem
dered difficult because of snowstorm
which set in about the time the train
pulled away from the scene OF the trag-
edy. By morning there was about
three inches Of snow on the ground.
Around the Northern Pacific head
quarters at St. Paul, some were inclined
to think that there we're few cases OF
cold feet" when the robber was doing
his work Every express car on the