The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-06
MESSENGER SHOT
BY THE BANDIT
WelIS-FargO Express Car
Robbed on the Santa Fe.
VICTIM IS FATALLY HURT
PERPETRAToR OF THE DEED A
NEGRO.

OS ANGELES, Cal, Dec. The ex-
press car on Santa Fe Overland
passenger train No. ]. west bound
was entered by an unknown bandit
this morning. some time between . and
O'Clock. Wells-FargO Express Mes
senger Evan O Roberts was shot
twice and fatally wounded, and the
way safe riled of its contents The
robber then leaped from the ear while
the train was running at fun speed
/ and escaped.
I The robbery occurred somewhere be-
/ tween Needles and Daggett. but was
not discovered until the train reached
/ the latter place. Conductor Hawes
I opened the door of the express car at
I Daggett and found Messenger Roberts
/ lying on the floor of the car in a semi
1 conscious condition and the contents
( of the rided safe scattered about the
/ car.
/ Messenger Badly Hurt.
! Roberts was so seriously wounded
! that ne was unable to tell how the rob
I berry occurred except to say that he
! had discovered someone on the blind
[ baggage shortly after the train left
/ Needles and had opened the door, when
/ the man, whom he took TO be a negro,
/ SpLdIS lISlQc anu DcLOLE AlG mes
! senger could draw his revolver opened
/ fire, shooting and wounding him
I twice One of the bullets struck Rob
/ erts in the left breast. passing through
/ his body, the other striking him I'm the
( right side. Roberts fell 70 the floor
and the rObber Immediately went TO
/ the open way safe and took what he
I wanted of the contents. He then
/ opened the door and leaped out. Rob
I erts was so badly hurt that he was
unable to make an Outcry.
Booty Secured Unknown.
The amount Of money and vaIuables
/ secured is not known at this time
Messenger Roberts was brought to this
city on board the train, which arrived
shortly after noon today.
The way safe contained envelopes
holding money and checks which were
/ being sent TO the general offices by
| station agents along the line. Santa
Fe officials here decline 10 make any
; statement regarding the amount OF
money that was likely 10 have been
in the safe, but maintain that IL was
not large.
Messenger Roberts was q resident OF
Los Angeles and was one of the oldest
and most trusted employees Of the
Wells-FargO company.
The bolt on the door at the end OF
the express car was broken, showing
that the rObber had used force in
gaining an entrance. The interiOr~~nG-
the car indicated that the messenger
had made a game resistance and Crap
pied with the robber before being over
powered and finally shot by him.
The bandit is believed 10 be enc OF
a number Of cOlOred tramps who have
been around Daggett since the con-
struction work Of the Salt Lake road
reached that place.
Assistant superintendent Pridham Of
the Wells-Fargo company, stated that
the amount taken from the way safe
was only a few hundred dollars The
principal treasure safe was locked and
the rObber was unable TO force an
. entrance.
Messenger Roberts is at the Sisters
hospital in this city and is expected TO
live but a short time Examination
. by the surgeons proved that he had
been shot but once. the bullet striking
him in the breast and passing entirely
through his body.
Much Money Aboard.
The Wens-Fargo company was eT-
pecting a large shipment Of United
States pension money, totaliinE $780,
Co., it is said and it is possible that
this shipment may have been on the
train. II is known that the local Of
! fcials We're greatly exercised over the
robbery and at BarstoW placed a sub
messenger on board the car with
orders TO guard everything in ii with
the greatest secrecy. Officials refused
to discuss the reported shipment or
pension money in any way. 1t is not
certain, however, that this safe was
. not entered. as the TObber rifed the
pockets of the messenger as he lay on
the floor of the car and took away his
keys to the two safes. II is also re-
p ported that more than one man was
concerned in the hOldup
Assistant superintendent Pridham OF
: Wells-FargO stated late this afternoon
b. that the amount taken from the eX-
r. press car would not exceed 500. He
: would not say that the United States
pension money was not in the car. but
stated positively that the main safe
b was not entered at ALL