Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-08-13
ROB EXPRESS TRAIN.
MASKED BANDITS TAKE So. oSo
FROM BURLINGTON LIMITED.
Torpedo Track Near Savanna, Ill, and
Halt Flyer Northbound- Train Crew
Forced to Remain Quiet While Safe

Train No. Al of the Chicago. Burlington
and Quincy Railroad was held up by six
masked robbers at 1880 o'clock Tuesday
night, the express car blown up with dy-
Mantle and tie safe robbed OF a sum
estimated to be $1,000.
The robbery took place about 125 miles
from Chicago between Savanna. H.,
and Marcus, flag station eight miles
north OF that place. Torpedoes were plac-
ed on the track by the bandits and as
the north-bound train exploded them the
engineer shut off the steam and applied
the brakes, thinking that there was dan
GER ahead.
The moment the train came to stop
one of the masked robbers sprang aboard
the engine and thrust a revolver into the
face OF the engineer and another at the
fireman. Both members of the engine
crew were threatened with death unless
they obeyed the commands of the rob
bers.
Cut the Train in Two.
Meanwhile another bandit stepped
between the express car and the passen-
ger coaches aE~l cut the train in two. He
then sprang aboard the engine and order
ed the engineer to pull up the track.
When the engine had proceeded a short
distance to point far from any human
habttation the robbers ordered a halt
Inc engineer, with revolver muzzle
pressed close to his ear, had nothing to
do but obey.
The robbers were well equipped for
the task before them. They drew sticks
OF dynamite from bullying pockets and
went toward the express car, taking
along the engineer aud fireman.
Arriving at the door of the express car,
the robbers set off the dynamite in their
possession. This blew the express car
to pieces. The big safe in the car was
then shattered by another explosion of
dynamite.
The money having been revealed when
the safe was blown, one of the robbers
began to pick up the cash and throw it
into a bag he took from pocket. NJ
Robbers Flee Into Woods.
When the pile of money in sight had
vanished inside the bag the "coin col
lector" gave the signal and his confed-
crates marched the engine crew back to
their posts. The engineer and fireman
were told to pull out as fast as possible
from the scene.
The moment the locomotive began to
move the robbers fed into the blackness
of the night and the big patch of woods
that lined the railway track. As they
were disappearing in the brush Express
Messenger Byl fired and killed one of
them. The authorities have been unable
to determine the identity of the dead
man.
Meantime a hagman on the train of
coaches that had been left a few miles
back on the road, suspecting at once
what had happened. started on the dead
run for Savanna to give the alarm. On
the way he heard the sound of the double
explosion that wrecked the express car
and the SAFE.
After a run OF several miles the flag
man arrived at Savanna. He was then
GREATNESS. but he managed to tell short
story of the fate of the train.
officers Start in Pursuit.
Policemen and railway officials were
hurriedly summoned by the station agent,
to whom the fiagman had reported. 1t
was then / o'clock and some difficulty
was encountered in getting engines and
men together.
At 1870 O'clock, however, an engine was
attached to a coach and the later, filed
with heavily armed officers and railway
employees, started from Savanna for the
scene of the robbery. 1t was the inten-
tion of the officials TO beat the woods on