The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-06-22
EAST-BOUND PASSENGER
TRAIN FROM PORTLAND
ROBBED IN MONTANA.
Express Car and Safe Dynamited
Posses in Pursuit With
Discriminatory
Said to Be
$50, 900.


posses of officers, all determined
men, are today pursuing bandits
who, at II o'clock last night, held
up and robbed the North Coast linn
tied train of the Northern Pacific
railway near Bearmouth station.
But two masked men are supposed
to have accomplished the bold hold.
up and they are supposed to have
been members of the notorious
"Kid" Currie gang. They got a.
way with a sum which it is believ-
ed to have reached $50, 900, although
express officials are reticent regard
ing the amount.
The holdup occurred near the
same spot and was similar in ma
ture to that Of two years ago in
which Engineer O'Neil was killed.
The train stops at Bearmouth to
take water and it was at this time
the robbers. boarded the tender of
the engine. After leaving the wa
ter tank the train had only proceed
ed short distance when the engin-
eer and fremen were covered with
guns 10 the hands of two masked
men who had climbed over the coal
from the rear of the tender. The
engineer and fireman we're ordered
to throw up their hands, and at a
distance of about two miles from
the station Engineer Wade was
ordered to stop the train, which he
did. The two robbers then forced
the engineer and fireman to accom-
pany them to the express car,
where the express messenger was
ordered to open the door, which he
refused to do. One of the masked
men then handed the engineer a
stick of dynamite and ordered him
to light it and place it against the
express car door.
After the explosion the force Of
which completely shattered the
door and side of the car, the engin-
eer and fireman were forced to pre-
cede the bandits into the car and
the attack on the safe was at once
begun. A half dozen sticks of dy'
Mantle were placed on the top o
the strong box and ignited. Tht
terrific force of this second charg'
completely demolished the interio
and side of the car and hurled tn
safe a distance of ten yards from
its resting place.
i The contents of the safe was appar
emily unharmed and after securin.
them, the robbers warned the trair
crew that they would not be harm
ed if they made no resistance ant
obeyed instructions. One of tn,
masked men accidentally strucl
the engineer during the proceeding
and during his conversation, Will
making an apology, called the en-
gineer by name. This gave rise t.
the suspicion that the robbers ma.
be railroad men.
After the looting of the safe wa
completed the engineer and firemel
were ordered back to the engine b.
the robbers, who kept them covere'
with revolvers. When the trail
crew reached the engine the robber
shot out the lights on the rear c
. the train and quickly disappeare
{ in the darkness.
Passengers we're under seats an
secreting valuables in ever
conceivable place that offered bic
, ing place. The rear breakman, re
!. alizing what was going on, quietl
+ slipped from the train and mad
e his way to Bearmouth, where b
e reported the affair to the superir
q tendents office in Missoula. Shortl
before l o'clock a sherif's poss'
left Missoula for Bearmouth.
At the break of day posses wit
!. bloodhounds started in pursuit
I the bandits. The safe blown ope
}, contained shipments of currency e
q route from Portland to Chicago an
New York.