The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-06-11
HELD UP BY
FIVE masked men
A Denver g. Rio Grande Passenger
Train Held UP and Robbed
Near Parachute, Col.
The ROBBERS Did MUCH DAMAGE,
But THEY DIDN'T GET MUCH MONEY.
Brakeman ShelIenbarger Wounded
In the Leg by a Shot Fired by One
of the RObbers--TwO Sherfns
with Posses of Farmers and
Ranchers On the Trail.

Denver. Col, June 8.-Denver & Rio
Grande passenger train No. 5, west
bound, from Denver, was held up by
five masked men three miles west OF
Parachute, a small fruit station mid
way between Grand Junction and Glen
wood Springs.
One sealed bag, containing specie.
was taken from the express safe, which
was dynamited. The express car was
badly wrecked by dynamite, but the
robbers were forced to taxi to the
mountains before they could gather
up the ~valuables in the car.
Sheriffs and Posse On the Trail.
Sheriff w. G.. Struthers and Deputy
Sheriff D. M. Hardy, of Grand juno
ton, are now upon the trail of the rob-
bers with q posse of farmers and ranch
ers, who were quickly summoned from
the vicinity Of Grand Junction.
Sheriff Frank Adams, with another
posse from Glenwood Springs, is also
securing the surrounding country.
When the train reached a point three
miles west of Parachute, two masked
men crawled Over the tender of the
engine They placed six-shooters to the
head of Engineers Allison and his fire
man, and demanded that the train be
stopped. Three men were waiting or
the tender. and as the train stopped
they quickly ran back and coupled the
express and baggage cars. These cars.
with The engine, were run two miles
further west.
Express Car Dynamited.
The members of the train crew were
ordered to remain with the passenger
coaches on pain of being shot. When
the point selected for the dynamiting
Of the express car was reached the en-
gineer and fireman were ordered down.
One CT the robbers covered them with
two six-shooters. The remainder of the
gang went to the express car.
Messenger d. NJ. Shea, of this city,
refused to open the door upon demand,
and piled the baggage up in front of
the door.
The lob! trs placed a stick of dyna-
mite at the side door of the car. The
entire door was blown away and half
a dozen trunks piled up against it
we're demolished and their burning con-
tents scattered over the car.
They Understood Conditions.
The great iron combination safe was
the only one in the car. The robbers
showed that they were cOnversant with
conditions on the road, for they did
not ever demand of the messenger to
open the safe. They knew that he did
not have the combination. This safe
can only be opened in Denver and in
Salt Lake City.
A stick Ct dynamite was placed
against The lock of the safe. Here the
robbers showed their lack Of knowl-
edge Of dynamite. Half the amount
of explosive used would have done the
work.
Brakeman Shellcnbarger Wounded.
Just at this point Brakeman Shellen-
barge, who had been ordered to re-
main with tie passenger coaches, two
miles behind, came running up the
track carrying a lantern. One of the
robbers shot At him. He was wounded
in the leg, and is now in the Sisters
hospital at Grand Junction.
When the robbers saw that the train
crew were coming they fed to the
mountains. One of them, as he jumped
from the express car, grabbed one
sealed bag which had been blown clear
out of the safe. This is the only
plumber which was taken. .
The engineer and the others who
had Leen under the aim of the robbers
wet to the aid of Shellenbarger, who
had fallen where he was shot.
The Alarm Given.
After the hold-up the engine, bag
gage car and express cars backed to
Parachute, where the alarm was given.
The scene of the robbery was but
GOO yards from the flow of the Grand
river, and it is believed that the rob-
bers had a boat hidden in the Grand
and that they used this to cross the
river, destroying it after they had
crossed.
The robbers who held up the Rio
Grande train at Unaweep, a year ago,
escaped in a similar manner. Sheriff
Struthers believes the robbers escaped
on horseback after crossing the Grand.