The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-17
$4,000 AS BOOTY
OF N. P. BANDITS
North Coast Limited, East Bound,
Held Up in Montana by
Two Men.
DYNAMITE SCATTERS
THOUSANDS IN CAT.
Bloodhounds and Posses on Trail
Of Robbers Expect Capture
Before Nightfall.
Special to The Journal.

Bearmouth, Mont, June 17.-With
$4,000 in booty from the thru cur
rency safe Of the Northern Pacific's
North Coast Limited, two bandits are
fleeing toward the Blackfoot country,
and posses are in hot pursuit, their
leaders confident the capture of the
fugitives is a question Of only few
hours.
The shold-up was similar to one two
years ago at nearly the same spot, in
which Engineer O'Neill lost his life.
The bandits boarded the tender at the
Bearmouth watertank, and after re-
naming quiet until the train had gone
a mile and a half, they crawled over
the coal. covered Engineer Wade and
Fireman Reed with their guns, and
told them to throw up their hands.
Engineer Wade, commanded to stop
his train, Immediately complied.
The engineer and fireman We're or
dered from the engine, and with the
bandits went back to the express car.
The express messenger was COM
manded to open the door, but re-
fused.
The engineer was next ordered to
light a stick of dynamite, of which
the robbers had a large quantity, and
he placed the lighted stick against
the car door. The force of the explo-
sion wrecked the door and the en-
gineer and fireman were compelled to
piSCSuS lie .UdlldllS 1lllO Lie CAL. w u0f1t
admission was gained five sticks Of
dynamite were placed on top Of the
safe and ignited, but the force of the
charge was insufficient and larger
charge was used. The second charge
exploded with terrific force, blowing
out the side of the car and hurting
the safe forty feet.
Treasure Strewn About.
So great was the force Of the explo-
sion that for radius of forty feet
gold and silver coin, bank notes in
packages, and loose bills of all demons
nations, with other valuables, were
the bank notes were piled in heaps.
according to the stories of the en-
gineer, firemen and two boys who saw
the robbers coolly fill two sacks with
plumber, besides craming handfuls Of
bank notes and coins into their pock-
cts.
After rif1ing the safe Of its valuables
crew to remain quiet. One of the
robbers accidentally struck the en-
gineer with his revolver and in apollo
giving called him by name, indicating
a possibility that the robber may be
a railroad man.
The party then left the express
car, the men were ordered back to
| the engine, being covered with guns
until they had obeyed.
The robbers then passed to the rear
Of the train and, after putting out
the train lights, disappeared.
Meanwhile the passengers We're ter
ror-stricken and had crawled into
| every hiding-place that offered. The
rear brakeman had slipped off the
| rear Of the train and run back to
Bearmouth.
A posse was Immediately sum-
moned and an engine, a car of horses
! and Superintendent Thalmer's private
scene. The posse includes Sheriff
Thompson, Undersheriff Sterling.
George Saunders, Ed Larson, Chick
White, James Mccartney, James Ia
Dor and William S. Carter.
Four Men Suspected.
Four men have been in Bearmouth
for the past two or three days and,
| it is said, have been laying in large
| supply of groceries. The theory is
that they have a rendezvous not far
from the scene of the hold-up.
! Deputies Watson and Murray are
| on their way from Missoula UP the
He'll Gate canyon to head off escape
| in that direction, while two other Of
| ficers left the train at McCarthy's
/ Bridge.
| The railroad people had been ex-
pecting the holdup for the past two
/ days, but looked for it on the Philips
| burg branch.
Two boys, Ralph DAILY and AL Hor-5
| ton, were stealing a ride on the blind
baggage land both say they can iden-
i tify the men.
The train was in charge Of Com
] ductor Grant. The wrecked express
| car was brought to Bearmouth.
i Bloodhounds from the Deer Lodge
penitentiary followed the train rob-
bers to a place where the robbers had
! tied a horse. The dogs there lost the
scent and returned.
i Superintendent Palmer of the
Rocky Mountain division with a posse
4 of forty men in three divisions is pur-
! suing the robbers.
i Sheriff Thompson declares the rob-
bers are but a few miles ahead and
will be captured before night.
4 The railroad company offers a re-
ward of $4,000 each for the arrest and
conviction Of the robbers, the state
i will probably offer a reward of 1,00a
for the capture of the robbers.