The San Francisco call., 1904-11-29
Bandits Demand a Hundred
Thousand Dollars From
Two Railways.
Failure of the Lines to Comply Is
Followed by Series Of Disasters
and Holdups.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Nov rs
Foiled in an attempt to secure 500 900
by blackmailing the Canadian Pacific
and Canadian Northern railways, an
organized gang of desperadoes is now
fulfilling threats to blow UP the various
lines at different points throughout the
Canadian Northwest. The police au-
thorities also attribute several hold ups
and similar outrages which have been
computed during the past two months
to these men. So successful have they
been and so completely have they hid
den all trace of their identity that trav-
cling by rail has now become danger
Gus. and the country is in a state of
terror as TO what desperate detd will
next be attempted.
On August G. j. Bury, general SUI
perintendent of the Canadian Pacific
Railway. and E. A James, general
manager of the Canadian Northern
Railway here, both received the follow
ing letter. The words were printed In
ink and the postmark was Winnipeg. 1t
was unsigned:
I'VE are in need of 100000 and have
decided TO hold up the C. z. and c. n.
to the tune Of $4,000 each If you de-
eide to treat with us you will place on
your south train white markers instead
of green"
On receipt of the letters the executive
agents Of the two railways held a joint
meeting. After a short discussion it
was decided not to take any notice of
the demand. However, extra precau-
tons were taken and special service
men were sent out with each train and
a vigilant eye was kept on the tracks.
On August IL both railway officials
again received similar communications.
They read as follows:
I'VE have written you once before on
this matter, but 1t seems that you are
ignoring. us. It seems that you are not
aware Of the fact that you are dealing
with men who know their business, and
as we take you to be a business man
you will readily see our supremacy in
this matter, and unless you agree to
our terms trains will be interfered
with"
Another conference between-the Off
cials of both railways resulted, and 1t
was again decided to ignore the mems
requests, and make an even more
searching investigation into the mat
ter. In the latter part of August third
letter was received.
FIVE KILLED IN WRECK.
Greater efforts than before were made,
to run down the gang, but although
these have been continued ever since
nothing has been effected, and wrecks
and hold-ups of an endless number,
some involving loss of life, but others
not so serious, have been committed
under the very noses of the detectives.
The first of these took place on Sep
tember 1, when the train conveying
Lord Minto, the late Governor General
of Canada, and party was wrecked.
Five persons were killed outright and
many others were injured.
On September IL the Canadian Pa
cific transcontinental train was held up
by armed men at Mission Junction. B.
c., and booty to the extent of several
thousands Of dollars was taken. This
was the first train hold-up in the his
tory of the Canadian railroads.
Innumerable attempts, news of which
has been withheld by the railway au-
thorities, have been made to wreck diff
ferent trains, but the watchout has
been so sharp that many of these have
been frustrated. For weeks when the
disasters have been at their highest
every bridge on the western line was
watched, the railway companies fearing
that they would be blown up. Bank
hold-ups have been extraordinarily nu-
merous during the past two months,
and these are all attributed to the men
who tried by threats to blackmail two
great Canadian railroads.