The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-07-18
AND DANGEROUSLY SHOT
ONE IN STREET CAR
HOLD-UP.
Took Place in the Suburbs o.
Portland-Six Masked Men
Terrorizeed the Passengers
and Escaped Without
Leaving'a Clue.

six masked men held up car No.
81 of the Oregon Water-Power &
Railway Company, at the Southern
Pacific crossing on East Eleventh,
near Division street, at1l:45 o'clock
last night, robbing the 40 passen-
gers and shooting B. F. Day
through the back with 38- -calibre
revolver. Day will recover. A re-
ward Of $500 has been offered by
Chief of Police Hunt. There is not
the slightest clew to the perpetrators
and no arrests have been made.
The ilI-fated car with it's load of
human fraightleft the city station
at the corner of First and Alder
streets at 1920 O'CLOCK. Conductor
NJ Mattson and Motorman Nye were
in charge. There wsre between 40
and so passenger. including men,
women and childrsn. many Of them
returning to their homes from the
opening Of the Woodman's carnival.
The car sped along at a rapid rate
until the crossing of the Southern
Pacific, near Division street, was
reached, where a stop is always
made, both for the crossing and for
the switch just b-yord.
Without warning, other than a
gruff command to stop the car, Mo-
torman Nye was confronted with
two long barreled six.shooters. The
front door and the vestibule doors
were closed, but the men behind
the masks pushed the barrels of
their weapons through holes in the
gates, where they could back up
their threat to shoot unless their
instructions were obeyed quickly.
At the reer Conductor Mattson was
confronted with the same condi-
tions. and the desperadoes had con-
troll of the situation. Aside from
the four men at the front and rear
platforms, two others, masked and
heavily armed, stood guard outside,
where they could command a view
of the approaching thoroughfares.
The coast having been cleared,
the robbers began their work. Age
or sex cut no figure with the ruffl-
ans, as thsy rifled the pockets of
every passenger, taking money and
valuables, except some which they
overlooked in their harry to finish
their work.
At the outset the men seemed to
think that Day, the young man
who was shot, intended to escape.
One of them kept his revolver
pointed toward Day, and once ord
cred him to make room in the rear
door for the other masked man to
pass through. Day turned with
his nack to the man who spoke, and
with an oath the robber placed the
revolver to Days back and fired.
Witb a cry of pain the wounded
man fell to the floor. But, not
wavering for moment in the face
of the terrible crime just perpetrat-
ed, both highwaymen at the rear Of
the car picked up their victim,
whose lifeblood was flowing from
the wound. searched his pockets,
robbed him of three silver dollars,
and gold watch and chain valued
at $50. They then turned him ov-
er to Conductor Mattson, with in->
to attend to- him until
they completed their work of rob-
bing their helpless victims.
With quick diApatch, denoting
previous experience, one man
from each end of the car began to
search and rob passengers, and the
system was followed up until they
met half way up the car. After
they were through with their des-
perate work, they alighsed from the
car, and ordered Motorman Nye to
proceed toward Sellwood, which he
did. One highwayman remained
on the front platform until the car
was going at almost full speed, then
swung off, and, going back. proba-
bly, joined his companions. Then
the desperadoes vanished as if into
thin air.
After turning the desperate trick
of robbing right and left on the
street car, the sextet of desperadoes
held up and robbed o. N. Bittner,
whom they met and passed down
Milwaukee street. He reported the
robbery to thegpoliee shortly after
ward. He is positive there were
six in the party. They still wore
their masks when they held him
up.
It was impossible today to obtain
a complete list Of the passengers on
the unfortunate car, but from all
that could be learned the total loss
to passengers and the company will
not reach $500. From Conductor
Mattson the robbers took 1886.
Day was operated on by two eur
r. S-1