The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-13

sASSS AA0hSo SOSS0OuAo AuAAAA6NO1
through train, which leaves Butte at
1880 p. M, when about four miles
this side of that place was stopped
by masked men and detained for an
hour and So minutes while the robbers
were making desperate efforts to rob
the express car. Although the des-
peradoes fired a number of shots only
one person was wounded, and he by
a man who was putting up a fight with
the holdups.
When the train reached the point
indicated the engineer saw a small
fire close to the track, which looked
like a signal, and he slowed up. In
stantly a couple of men appeared and
gave a signal to stop the train. The
engineer was not fast enough in re-
spending and they fired several shots
into the cab. Neither one took eff
feet, but one of the windows was
broken and pieces of flying glass
struck the engineer and slightly cut
his face. One of the robbers now
mounted the engine, while the other
walked up tt the baggage car and de-
manded admittance, emphasizing his
demands with pistol shots. The car
was opened and the robber entered
and ordered the baggage ma to get
out, keeping close to him to see that
he obeyed, and covering him with his
revolver.
The shooting and talking was
heard by the mail clerk, w. M. Bell,
and he opened the door of his car to
robber, who was masked tell the bag
gageman to elbow her up" Mr.. Bell
called to them to wait until he could
get out, as he did not want to be
blown up with the car, and called the
attention of the robber to the fact
that the car he had designs on was a
mail car. In compliance with the or
der of the robber Mr.. Bell got ONO the
ground.
The engine and mail and express
car. we're now uncoupled and the en-
gineer was forced to run them ahead
several hundred feet from the rest
of the cars.
Mr.. Bell was made to accompany
the robber and baggageman into the
express car, where he was compelled
to assist the baggageman to place a
charge of giant powder onto the large
safe, while the robber stood back and
directed operations. The fuse used
in exploding the dynamite was wet
and refused to burn. After several
attempts it was finally ignited and
the three men jumped out of the car.
An explosion followed, but the safe re-
manned intact and a second attempt
no more successful than the first, al
though one corner of the safe was
badly cracked and one of the hinges
partly blown off. The force of the
explosions was great enough to al
most completely wreck the car and it
was taken off after the train arrived
at Livingston.
While waiting for the first explosion
the robber who was standing guard
, over them struck Mr. Bell on the side
of the face with his revolver, evident
ly for no other purpose than to vent
his anger on some one, for he sub
sequently told the mail clerk that he
was sorry he had struck him. The
man acted as though drunk and stag
, gered considerably when walking. To
this fact Mr.. Bell attributes the as
: sault on himself, as nc other offer of
violence was made.
On board of the train was Super
l %intendent Boyle, who was in n of
the rear cars. AS soon as he realiz-
ed what was going on he got out and
began shooting at the robbers. One
of his bullets struck Mr.. Bell, infict.
: ing a painful wound in the f1eshy part OF
his body. The bullet hit him in the
side and ranged forward and then
seemed to be detected, as it entered
the flesh and imbedded itself to a
depth Of about four inches, where il
still remained when he arrived here
this afternoon. The wound was
dressed by a doctor at Whitehall and
as it did not inconvenience him very
much Mr.. Bell declined to remain be
hind, preferring to come home to be
treated.
In telling about the affair Mr. Bel
I stated to The Gazette that he saw
! only two man one of whom WAS ahorj