Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-12
POSSE AFTER ROBBERS
OFFICERS IN CLOSE PURSUIT OF
MEN WHO HELD UP TRAIN.
Parties Who Robbed Canadian Pacific
Express Are Thought to Have
Crossed the Boundary.

VANCOUVER, B. c.. September PA
posse including Canadian acific railway
detectives, provincial police, Vancouver
city police and Post Office Inspector Green
field have inspected the country near the
scene of the train robbery which occurred
Saturday evening about seven miles west
of Mission Station, B. c.
Footprints indicated that the robbers had
taken rowboat near the village of War
neck and rowed across the Frazer river
and thence proceeded to the American
boundary line, eleven miles distant, half a
dozeH miles from Blaine, Wash
Besides 5000 in gold dust which they Sc
cured from the express messenger there
are known to be several packages of bank
notes consigned to local banks in the regis
tered letters
The railway officials are working on the
false telegram sent to the express mes
senger at Mission to have the safe open
giving him the idea that the express agent
IN vancouver, who alone had the combina-
ton here, was absent.
Trailed to Lynden.
BELLINGHAM, Wash, September 12.-
Detectives have trailed three of the men
who held up the Canadian Pacific train
near Mission, B. c., to the town of Lynden
about twelve miles from Bellingham The
three men on horseback crossed the river
near Mission, and made their way down the
guide meridian line to Lynden where they
arrived early in the morning, their horses
plainly showing the hard travel.
A dispatch from Winnipeg last night says
Armed robbers held up the Transconti-
mental express on the Canadian Pacific rail-
way at Mission Junction, b. c., last night
and secured booty amounting to about $40,
nod tn. Ia fi,,,1.
crossed the Fraser river into American ter
ritory.
Engineer Scott had just pulled his train
out from Mission Junction and was getting
up steam to make up time lost, when a p.s-
tol was pointed at the middle of his back
and he ordered to stop the train.
Looking back, he saw his fireman covered
by pistols in the hands of two other men,
who had evidently climbed in over the ten
der from the blind baggage car.
AS soon as the train was stopped the en-
gineer was taken back by two of the men
and was compelled to uncouple the baggage
and express cars which were next to the
engine. In the meantime the conductor
and train crew were being held by fourth
man, who ordered them to go back into the
train and keep quiet
AS soon the express car was free the
cars were pulled ahead about ten miles to a
point past Silverdale, where the express
messenger, Herbert Mitchell, was ordered
to open the doors of his car. He refused
10 90 SO anu tUe UdHuiAS piouuceu scNtidi
sticks of dynamite. Mitchell saw that it
was no use to put up a fight and surrender
ed. He was then compelled to open the
safe, from which the men took between
$1,000 and 5000 in gold dust "and about
81 600 in currency.
They next visited the mail car, where
Mail Clerks Thorburn and Lough were
forced to give up the registered package,
which 1t Is estimated was worth about
1000. The train was then pulled on about
eight miles further to a point near the
town Of Warnock, where the men took to
the woods at the south side of the track.
The hold-up Is the first that has ever
taken place or been attempted on the Cana.
dian Pacific. and the point chosen by the
robbers was the best suited for such an at.
tempt on the system. AT this pont the line
runs through heavily timbered hills. and
with the boundary SO near that pursuit Is
almost impossible.