The San Francisco call., 1904-09-12
TrainRObberSESCapG
Into the United
States.
Posse Hot On the Trail Of
the Canadian Pacific
Bandits.
Highwaynen Tap the Wires and Send
a Strange Message as a Part
Of Their Plans.

VANCOUVER, 3. c, Sept. Ito
days developments in the case Of the
robbery Of $1,000 from a Canadian Pa
cific Railway train fifteen miles east OF
here on Saturday night show that the
robbers hed for the United States and
are probably now safely across the bor-
der.
The robbery was planned to the
minutest detail After having robbed
the express and mail cars the robbers
forced Fireman Freeman to uncouple
the engine and with It they started for
a point which they named two miles
down the track toward Vancouver.
When they approached the place the
leader said. This is the place" ana
ordered a stop. The robbers clambered
Off together. the leader backing away
and covering the engineer with his re-
Volver Now go back 10 your train" he
commanded. and the engineer and fire.
man started back 10 where their cars
had been left
This morning the special train carry
ing the posse arrived al daylight on the
scene ana went over the vicinity with
The fireman. The latter showed where
the robbers jumped of. From there the
tracks led plainly along the railway for
200 yards, then through q field to the
bank Of the Fraser River. close at
hand. There the three had jumped into
a boat. which they doubtless had pre-
FiOusly prepared, and crossed the river.
on the other side they started for the
international boundary by the Mount
Lehman road distance Of eleven
miles They may have had horses, and
could have reached American territory
by daylight to-day.
BANDITS TAP THE WIRES.
The police are watching this district
and inclosing the roads on all sides. so
that there g. stiil = chance Of the men
being captured before they reach Blaine
OF Bellnglam. They left nothing be-
hind o. give the slightest indication OF
their identity Their masks and outer
clothing were either taken away or
sunk iu the river The registered mail
sack was carried away.
The mystery 81 Increased by the re-
cCipt of a telegram yesterday from an
unknown source directing the telegraph
operator ar Mission 10 have the express
sgeut open the safe. The scheme OF this
message was evidently TO suggest that
the gent al Vancouver was away, or
for some other reason that the com
bination could not be opened here. The
telegram was signed D. for the dis
patcher, and is thought 10 have been
and using their own Instruments The
message was sent from no station
along the route.
The safe fTas opened. but contained
nothing. The robbers had a bag Of dy-
Mantle with which TO blow it open if
Necessary. The sending Of this tele-
gram, together with other circum-
stances. shows that the robbers were
familiar with local conditions. It is be-
lieved the robbers climbed on the blind
baggage at Mission.
Neither the fireman nor the engineer
heard q sound until the revolver in the
hand Of the leader touched the drivers
shoulder. when the engineer turned he
found this revolver and two rifles lev
oled at him from the coal tender. The
only man in the train crew who had a
gun was the express messenger, and
be promptly put il away when the rob-
bers appeared at his door with the
uluzzles Of their rifles sticking into the
ribs of the fireman and engineer.