Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-04-08
MURDERED BY ROBBERS
Express Messenger O'Neill Was Killed
in Cold Blood.
GOT THE CONTENTS OF EXPRESS BOX.
Shot Down By Hghwaymep as He Was
Opening the Door Of Express Car-Unable
to Open the Lock, the Hlghwaymen Then
Blow Up Safe With Dynamite, Destroying a
Part OF Its Contents.

Sacramento, Cal, (SpeciaD .-Three
masked men held up the Oregon Ex-
press, Southbound on the Southern
Pacific railroad, at Copley, near Kes-
wick, killed w. J. O'Neil the express
messenger, and carried off the con-
tents of the express box. The train
is known as No. IS, and stopped at
Copley, a small station, for water. AS
the train came to standstlll, three
men jumped on and cut the train in
two, taking the engine and express
car down the track a short distance.
They stopped the engine and de-
manded that Messenger O'Neil open
the express car He refused, where
upon they blew open the car with
dynamite and deliberately killed
O'Neil by shooting him drought the
head. The bandits then robbed the
car of its contents, but it 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 dis
appeared with their plumber.
Engineer B. F. Joesink then ran
his engine to Redding to take back
Sheriff Richardson and a posse OF
eight men. Joesink says that after
stopping at Copley the noise OF draw
ing water drowned the noise of shots
that must have been fired in the ex-
press car, as w. J. O'Neil, the mes
senper, was killed by bullets. Pre-
sumabiy the three masked men at.
tempted to rob the express car ana
the messenger made a tight. Inc
first that Joesink knew of Of the hold
ed was after O'Neil was killed. lie
and his fireman, J. F. Stury, were COM
PEELED to dismount. They, with l.
A. Bissell, engineer Of the second en-
CINE; A. A. Raymond, a fireman;
Iohn Depanger, conductor OF the
train and a brakeman, were compelled
to march back to the express car,
where they saw O'Neil dead.
The robbers tried to force O'Neills
helper, who was in the baggage car
when O'Neill was killed, to open the
safe, but the helper showed that he
could not do so. The robbers COM
PEELED the party of seven to place SIX
Sticks of giant powder on top. OF the
safe. Then they had a heavy. box set
on the dynamite, to which 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 oc-
Cured. 1t wrecked the entire car.
Engineer Joesink is not certain that
the robbers got any plumbers 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 look around. II they
had any plumber he did not see It,
They told him they wanted to be
carried to Keswick Station, FIVE miles
south, but as they neared that station
they told the engineer to run right on
by that station to point 200 yards
south of there, where bridge. spans
the river. When he stopped they
alighted on the river side. The ottlcers
believe they made straight for Kes-
wick