The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-01-21
DARING
ROBBERY
Express Safe Thrown
Off a Train.
WAS NOT MISSED FOR AN HOUR
sunset Limited Of Southern Pacific
Boarded by Masked Men on En-
tering Long Tunnel.
WAS NOT MISSED FOR AN HOUR

SAN FRANCISCO. Jan. 21.-The
Southern Pacific Sunset limited. west
bound. was boarded by masked men
near Tunnel :. a few miles from Paso
Robles early this morning. The ex-
press safe was thrown off and the dis
covery was not made until an hour
later. The amount in the safe is un-
known but it is believed to have been
at least $4,000. Posses have been sent
20 the scene.
While the train was coming slowly
up the grade into the tunnel the rob-
bers boarded it and battered down the
large doors to the first express car in
which there We're no messengers. The
door was locked at San Louis ObispO
after several thousand dollars in
money and valuable had been placed III
the safe. The train then proceeded
nOrthWard with the express messen-
gers in the adjoining car to the rear.
They noticed no suspicious characters
around the station. neither did the
conductor or other trainmen. This
makes it almost certain truth that the
robbers boarded the train as it was
proceeding slowly up the grade. When
the tunnel was entered they immedi-
ately began their work of breaking in
the door, using long iron rods and
hatchets. The noise was not heard by
any of the trainmen. They must have
worked at the dOOr for Is minutes "a
least, as the safe was thrown out near
ii little station called Thiles, in the
San Lucia mountains. The sheriff s
deputies fOnud the safe blown open
early this morning and made an i'm
mediate attempt to trace the robbers.
1t is believed they live in the vicinity.
No arrests had been made up to
noon. A peculiar thing about the rob-
berry is the fact that it was not dis
covered until the train left Paso Robles
on the way north. one of the express
messengers noticed the door had been
broken open after the train pulled out
of PasO Robles station, and when it
reached San Miguel gave an alarm.
The engineer and conductor as we'll
as the whole train crew knew nothing
of the robbery. Not a single one could
offer the slightest clew and the brOk-
Ell express car alone told the story.
The Wells Fargo officials will not
give out the exact amount the robbers
secured. but it is known to be large.
Many valuable express packages were
in the safe. AS we'll as considera bic
coin.
The first information of the hOldup
was received by Superintendent Aglar
of the Southern Pacic. 1t came in a
message sent by Conductor f. H. Mey-
ers from King City. 1t merely stated
that the safe had been thrown off the
train by unknown parties. Upon re-
ceipt of the message Superintendent
Aglar ordered an engine out Of San
Louis Obispo. which was boarded by
Sheriff WINS of San Louis Obispo
county, number of deputies and rail-
road employees. who were sent full
speed to the scene of the robbery.
Alter d UIlcl SedFCn tnc SAFE Was 1OunO
but no trace of the robbers.
That the men who committed the
crime We're familiar with the custom
of the express messenger and his help
er in leaving their car and going into
the baggage car during the early
morning hours there can be no doubt
and suspicion naturally points to a
frequenter of one of the depots along
the line or to an ex-employe as the
leader.
The mystery surrounding the rob-
berry is made deeper by the failure of
the bandits to blow open the larger
safe which is believed to have con-
tanned between $4,000 and $4,000.
The superintendent of the Wells Fargo
Express company declares that the
safe taken could not have contained
a great amount of valuables and that