The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01
MURDER THE
MESSENGER.
Three Masked Men Hold Up the
Oregon Express.
shOos Express Messenger for
Refusing 20 Open His Car.
BLOW UP THE SAFE.
Entire Car Is Wrecked by the
Explosion.
Robbers Force Train Crew to
UncOupIe the Engine
And Take Them to a Point
Shoot Express Messenger for
Refusing 20 Open His Car.
BLOW UP THE SAFE.
And Take Them to a Point
Where They Disappeared.

Redding. Cal, April Three masked
men held up the Oregon express train
at Copley. ten miles north of here, last
night. killed Express Messenger O'Nell,
and carried off the contents Of the eX-
press box The train is known as No
I5. and stopped at Copley a small sla-
ton. for water. The robbers DleW up
the car and killed the messenger pc
fore getting the treasure box Inc
highwaymen forced the train crew 10
uncouple the front engine ana COM
DeUed its engineer to draw theul -
Keswfck station, five miles south'
where they disembarked ard dlsap-
DETAILS OF THE ROBBERY.
Sacramento, Cal, April Lust be-
fore IL O'Clock last night as the Oregon
express reached CopIey. near KesWlck,
three men boarded The train iney
soon cut the train in two. tdhlhS ' ttS
engine and express car down the lTdCh
a short distance. They stopped the en-
z.rc crd demanded that Messenger
O'SSssi G-en The EXPRESS Ca iie re
fused, whereupon they blew up tne e.
press car with dynamite and deHDeT-
ately killed O'Neil by shooting MN
through the head. The bandits then
robbed the express car Of its contents
1t is not known how mueh they goI
After robbing the express car the
men cut the car loose and getting on
the engine compelled the engineer 70
70 ahaaa When near Keswlck the
peared in the night with their piunder'
Engineer JOesink says that artsr STOP
ping at Copley the noise OF drawing
water drowned the noise of the shots
that lust have been fired in the ex-
press car. Presumably the masked
men attempted to rob the express car
and the messenger made a fght.
The first that JOesink knew OF the
hold no was after O'Neill was killed
and his firemen, ]. F. Stury, were
compelled to dismount. They with A.
- BssseH, engineer of the second en-
aytnc A Raymond a fireman, JACK be
Danger conductor of the train, ana a
brakerr an were compelled to march
back D the express car, Where they
found O'Neiu dead. The robbers tried
to for O'Neill's helper, who was in the
baggage car when O'Nein was killed
TO open the safe but the helper showed
that he could not do so. Then the
robbers 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 Then all
but one of the robbers left the car He
lighted the fuse. The party had just
reached the locomotive when the ex-
plosion occurred. It wrecked the entire
car. Engineer Joesinz 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 look around. If they had any
plunder he did not see it. They told
him they wanted to be carried to Kes-
wick station, five miles south, but as
they neared that station they told the
engineer to run right on by the station
TO a point a couple of hundred yards
south of there, where a bridge spans the
river. When he stopped they alighted
on the river side. The officers believe
they made straight for Keswick En-
gineer Joesink backed his engine to
Keswick, reported for orders to run to
and
eight men. At 1:30 he started back with
his heavily armed crew.