The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-24
The PIucky Express Messenger
Shoots One RObber.
ANOTHER LEFT BEHIND
Has a Charge of Buckshot in
His Head.
Engineer Shot With Bullet
That Killed RObber.
Two Men Who Escaped Got
Nothing For Pains.

Portland ore. Sept. 24.-The Atlantic
kpress on the oregon Railway & Navi-
cation line. which left here at S:15
o'clock last night. was held up by four
masked men an hour later near Cor
bett station, 21 miles east of this city.
one of the robbers was shot and kill
ed by Express Messenger Fred Korner
and Engineer Ollie Barrett was serious
" wounded by the same bullet. After
the shooting the robbers fed without
securing any booty.
Two of the highwaymen boarded the
train at Troutdale a station is miles
east OF here. and after the train had
got under way they crawled over the
tender and. covering the engineer and
fireman with revolvers. told them to
stop at mile post q. which is near Cor
bett station When the train slowed
down. two more men appeared. Two
of the robbers compelled the engineer to
get out of the cab and accompany them
TO the express car while the others
watched the fireman.
The men carried several sticks of
dynamite and when they came to the
baggage car. thinking it was the ex-
press car. threw stick at the door.
Express Messenger Korner heard the
explosion and Immediately secured his
rifle and opened fire. The bullet pierced
the heart of one OF the robbers ana wenu
through his body. entering the left
breast Of Engineer Barrett, who was
just behind him. Barrett's wound Is
above the heart and is not necessarily
fatal
After the shooting the other three rob-
bers fed without securing any booty
and it is supposed they took to a boat
which they had moOred at the bank of
11-h he
occurred is on the bank of the Columbia
river and a precipitous mountain is
on the other side of the ba nlE The
easiest route of escape is by the river
The body of the dead robber was left
lying near the track and the wounded
engineer was brought to this city,.
Sheriff Story and four deputy sheriffs
left on d special train for the scene of |
the robbery at 12.45 a. m. The Oregon |
Railway & Navigation company offers a /
reward of $1,000 for the arrest of the |
highwaymen.
Tt is believed that the robbers are
amateurs from the fact that they mis-
took the baggage car for the express
car. The door of the car was badly
shattered but the trucks were not dam /
aged.
Shortly after the special train bear
ing the sherih's posse arrived at the
scene Of the attempted hOldup one Of
the gand of outlaws was found this
morning a short distance up the track /
badly wounded from a charge of buck /
shot which he had received in the head. I
He was placed on board the special /
train which was turned around and
headed for Portland.
The bandit said his name was James I
Corners, OF Portland. but refuses To
make known the names of any of the
other bandits or the direction in which I
they went.
BARRETT'S STORY.
ollie L. Barrett. the wounded engineer /
on the Atlantic express, the eastbound I
Oregon Railroad e Navigation train
which was held up at Corbett sta ation |
last night, who was brought to Port /
land and taken to the hospital, at an
early hour this morning told the follow |
ing story of the holdup:
About a mile beyond Troutdale two |
masked men climbed in on the blind !
baggage over the tender and through |
the gangway into the engine covering !
both fireman and myself with their re- |
volvers. They ordered me to run the |
train to Twenty-one Mile post and stop |
at a light which would be found there.
"At Twenty-one Mile post two other |
masked men came out of the brush and |
Joined US as the train stopped. The new
corners ordered us off the engine. The
bandits who had been hiding in the
brush carried two long willow poles on |
the ends Of which We're stick of dyna- |
1nite. These were placed in our hands |
and the fireman and l We're ordered to |
80 beck to the express car and order |
did not we were told to light the dyna-
mite and blow it open.
THE bandits kept up a fusillade of |
shots to warn the passengers to keep
their heads inside the windows. We /
were compelled to proceed down to the |
baggage car. where / called out to the !
messenger: 1t is Barrett Open the
door: don't shoot.
This demand had no effect. and the |
bandits took the dynamite poles from
our hands and placed them against the /
door of the car after lighting long |
fuses We were then ordered back TO /
the engine and stayed there with the |
bandits until the dynamite blew. the |
door ODen.
"As soon as the sound of the explo- |
sion died away 1 was ordered to go /
ahead of the party back toward the car. 4
Instead of obeying orders l stepped be- |
hind a rather slender man, one of the |
bandits, and the fireman followed me. /
The taller man was in the rear. We |
were twenty feet from the express car |
when the messenger fired and killed the /
robber in front of me. The bullet, we /
afterward found, went through his heart |
and then struck me in the left shoulder. /
AS / felt the bullet strike me called |
TO the taller man that / was shot and |
that my left arm had gone. The tall |
man told me 1t was all right: that / /
might go back to the engine with the |
fireman and go ahead. We examined |
the small man first. however. and found |
he was killed"
Revenue Emnlova Santanoad