Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-13
MOUNTED MEN ROB A TRAIN
Burlington Express Held Up sOon Af,er
Midnight Near Butte
BANDITS SECURE BUT uTTLE MONEY
Posse f. Quickly Organized and II IL
Believed that H VIII BE Inn
possible for Robbers
90 Escape.

BUTTE Mont. Feb. l2--The Burlington
express, No s, eastbound, was held up
shortly after midnight on the Northern
Pacific tracks, eight miles east Of here,
near Homestead by hve mounted men.
They covered the sides OF the train With
their guns, uncoupled the engine, mail ana
express cars and ran them ahead OF the
train about two miles.
The trainmen OF the passenger train,
after the robbers had left with the engine
and cars, hastened back toward Butte and
met an incoming freight train, the engine
OF which was uncoupled and run to Butte
and the alarm given. sheriff and posse
and force of police have left for the scene
on q special train. The railway officials
have asked the penitentiary oficials for
their bloodhounds.
Sheriff Quinn and posse. when about a
mile and a half out of the @itv. were met
by Division Superintendent Boyle, who was
a passenger on the train held up. Super
intendent Boyle rushed to the front Of the
train when It was stopped by the robbers,
but refrained from shooting, fearing he
would hit the trainmen.
Every oficer in the city has been called
TO South Butte and all approaches to the
city are carefully guarded. The sherin
secured the country, but found no trace
Of the robbers. Detective Murphy, how
ever, arrested william McCullagh on sus-
,picion this afternoon and found s4S5 In his
possession.
The robbers fred two charges Of dyna-
mite, blowing the safe to pieces and wreck
ing the express car. The safe, according ia
the railway people, contained nothing OF
value.
The train was a double-header and the
engines with the mail and express cars
were run about 600 feet ahead OF tho rest
OF the train. In a few moments after the
train was stopped there we're two ex
plosions OF dynamite. which wrecked the
express car. The roof was blown of, bu;
no one was injured.
Amount of booty Not Large.
Reports as to the amount OF booty secured
by the robbers vary. The express mes
senger says that the robbers did not ge
more than $500. In other quarters II IL
said the plunder will amount to severa
thousand dollars. It is also said that sew
eral OF. the mail pouches were rihed.
railway mail clerk, whose name cou1C
not be ascertained, was shot by the hold
ups. 1t is not thought mis- wound is dan
gerous.
< When the express messenger realized tha
there was a holdup he tossed a package o
money that he held in his hand upon
rack above his head and this money wal
probably saved. This will not be deflnitel!
known. however, till en- opportunity Il
given for a search OF the wrecked car.
There is evidence that the Northern Pa
cinc holdup last night few miles east o
Butte. was done by two robbers, who drov,
to the scene of the robbery in a buggy ant
after stopping the train and lcoting the ex
press car and mail car, turned and drov,
back to Butte again.
The bloodhounds from the state prison
were on the scene Of the robbers trail
o'clock this morning. After the expires
messenger threw the package Of money VI
in the rack he jumped out OF the car oil
the other side. In the exchange of shot
he is said to have been hit by bullet Ii
the hip, but he and the other trainmel
went on with the train and he was not hur
badly enough to cause him to return t,
Butte.
Reward is ORered.
HELENA. Mont, Feb. 12.-The Northern
Pacific Railway company has offered a re
ward OF 5000 for the arrest and conviction
OF the ave men who are said to hav
held up the Burlington express east O
Butte this morning. The company will pa
the $1,000 reward for the entire gang. o
81 900 for each member convicted.