Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-14
dress, 321 West Second street, as far
as he knew whose name was A. }.
Schroeder
More Details of Robbery.

More Details of Robbery.
Special to Times Republican.
Columbus Junction, Sept. 14.-Two OF
the men who held up fsock
Island west bound train NO.
II, near Let's during the night. got
on the train at Muscatine. They mia IN
a water closet of one of the coaches
and when they approached place
about five miles from Muscatine called
Whisky Hollow, where there IS
sharp curve they saw a fire alongslde
of the track, which evidently was the
signal from the remainder OF the gang
of robbers. The two men on the tram
pulled the signal cord for the emer-
eeney brakes and the train was quickly
stopped. The men rushed forward 10
where their confederates were waiting
and had already covered the engineer.
fireman and express messenger, John
Mcclure.
Used Nitroglycerine.
The robbers seemed to have safe
expert with them. In ten minutes they
had applied nitroglycerine to the safe
and wrecked it. Dynamite would have
also wrecked the car. but the car was
only slightly damaged, the door pelns
blown out. The men then TOOK the
contents of the safe, compelled the
crew to uncouple the engine, maze 1he
fireman and engineer get out OF the
cab and started down the track IN the
engine at frightful rate OF speed.
Just how far they went is mat
ter now in dispute. Sheriff Macarthur
of Davenport, who came down mere
early. saws the engine was abandoned
east Of Fredonia. Waterman van
Auken of Columbus Junction says II
was abandoned near the bridge over
the Iowa river just east of Columbus
Junction. Both, however. agree that
the robbers reversed the engine and
allowed it to run back wild toward
the train. 1t was found one-half mile
west of Let's. where it had died, the
fire having been put out with water.
Boodhounds Useless.
Sheriff j. w. Wright of Fairfield ar
rived early and went to the place
where the engine was found dead. he
brought bloodhounds with him, but as
it began to rain two hours after TINS
hold-up occurred the dogs could get
no trace of scent.
Ed Clifford of Davenport, agent for
the United States Express Company at
that place, when interviewed by
press representative here, said:
"The robbers must have had safe
expert with them. Nitroglycerine was
used, being the first attempt to use
this explosive in this part of the coun-
try that I know anything about. But
the hold-up men were poorly rewarded
for their efforts, because the safe con-
tanned no money, and all they could
possibly get was several packages OF
cheap iewelry. There were at least
five men in the gang and probably
eight"
Where is the Messenger?
No one here seems to be certain
what became of Express Messenger
MCGUIRE. Some reports have 1t that
he returned to Chicago, and others say
that he went on thru to Kansas
City with his train, The train went on
as soon as possible after the delay
occasioned by the hold-up.
Party from Davenport.
In the party that came down early
on the special train from Davenport
were besides Mr.. Clifford, Sheriff Nc
Arthur, Deputy Sheriff Eggers, Police
man Al Feers and Jens Jensen, all OF
and two Rock Island rail-
way detectives. G. p. Mitcler and G.
T.. Lamme, both of Rock Island. These
officers first went thru to Fredonia and
then back to Let's whence they went
to the scene of the hold-up. Then
they went to where the engine Of No.
IL died. They got on the morning
train at Let's and came to Columbus
Junction.
Searching River Bank.
Two parties of detectives were made
M and one started out to search the
banks of the Iowa river in the direc-
ton of Wapello on the Columbus juno
ton side while the other party went
down the river on the opposite bank.
Sheriff Macarthur found two hats
east of Fredonia which are thought to
have belonged to some of the robbers.
These hats are a white straw and a
black felt, the latter having the band
torn out. Sheriff Macarthur thinks
there were only five men in the gang.