Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-01
HELD UP THE EXPRESS
Bold Robbery byThree Masked
Men in California.
KILL THE MESSENGER
BLEW OPEN THE CAR WITH
DYNAMITE AND THEN MURDER.
After Securing Booty They Cut Off En-
CINE and Compel Engineer to
Garry Them Ahead.
KILL THE MESSENGER

SACRAMENTO, Cal, April Three
masked men have held up the Oregon ex-
press, southbound, on the Southern Pacific
railroad at Copley, near Keswick, killed w.
j. O'Neil, the express messenger, and carried
off the contents of the express box.
The train is known as No. 49, and stopped
at Copley, a small station, for water AS
the train came to a standstill three men
jumped on and cut the train in two, taking
the engine and express car down the track
short distance.
They stopped the engine and demanded
that Messenger ONeil open the express car.
He refused, whereupon they blew open the
car with dynamite and deliberately killed
O'Neil by shooting him through the head.
The bandits then robbed the car of it's
contents, but 1t is not known how much
they obtained.
After robbing the express car the men
cut the car loose and getting on the engine
compelled Engineer Joesink to go ahead.
When near Keswick the men dropped off
the engine and disappeared with their
plumber.
Engineer Tells Story of Robbery.
REDDING, Cal, April 1.-Engineer B. F.
Joesink has reached here with his engine
to take back Sheriff Richardson and
posse of eight men. Joesink says that after
stopping at Copley the noise of drawing
water drowned the noise of the shots that
must have been fired in the express car, as
w. ]. O'Neil, the messenger, was killed by
bullets.
Presumably the three masked men at
tempted to rob the express car and the mes
senger made fight.
The first that Joesink knew of the hold
up was after O'Neil was killed. He and his
fireman, ]. F. Stury, were compelled to
dismount They, with E. A. Bissell, en-
gineer of the second engine; A. Ray
mond, a fireman; John Depanger, conduc
tor of the train, and a brakeman were COM
PEELED to march back to the express car
where they saw ONeil dead.
Robbers Used Train Men.
The robbers tried to force O'Neil's helper,
who was in the baggage car when ONeil
was killed, to open the safe, but the helper
showed that he could not do so. The rob-
bers compelled the party of seven to place
six sticks of giant powder on top of the
safe. Then they had heavy box set on
the dynamite, to which a fuse was ordered
attached All but one of the robbers then
left the car. He lighted the fuse.
The party had just reached the locomotive
when the explosion occurred. 1t wrecked
the entire car. Engineer Joesink is not
certain that the robbers got any plumber.
He was made to get upon his engine and
stay there until further orders came for
him to carry the highwaymen south.
The robbers stood at his back on the trip
down, their rifles pressing against him and
he dared not hook around If they had any
plumber he did not see it. They told him
they wanted to be carried to Keswick sta
ton, five miles SOUTH but they neared
that station they told the engineer to run
right on by the station to point 200 yards
south of there. where a bridge spans the
river. When he stopped they alighted on
the riverside.
The officers believe they made straight
for Keswick. Engineer Joesink backed his
engine to Keswick station, reported for Or
ders to run to Redding to get Sheriff Rich
ardson and eight men. He then started
back with his heavily armed crew.