The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-03
UNARMED BANDITS
Two Boys Rob Passengers on a
Great Northern Train.
We're Stealing a Ride on the
Blind Baggage.
TRAIN WAS HELD UP
By Robbers Who Blew Open the
Express Car.
Youths Took Advantage of the
General Excitement.
IAIN WAS HELD UP

Portland, Ore, Oct. 3.-A special to
the OregOnian from Seattle, Wash,
says that the Great Northern overland
train leaving Seattle at $50 last night
was held up and the baggage and ex-
press cars dynamited half a mile east
of mile post 10, about five miles from
Ballard. It was II o'clock before the
train pulled into Edmonds, and the
most meager reports were sent to the
local Office. Three men are known to
have done the work Two boys who
got on the blind baggage here, as soon
as the hold up began entered the pas
senger coaches and began holding up
the passengers. They were captured.
They say two of the men were on the
blind baggage when they got on and
the third got on at Ballard. All were
well dressed with rain coats and
slouch hats.
So far as reported no one has been
killed, but it is reported that Charles
Anderson, express messenger. is slight
~ injured. Manager Warning of the
Great Northern Express company said
he did not know the contents of the
safe, but believes it was a small sum.
After securing the contents of the safe
the three men started off in an east
erly direction. It is believed other
members of the gang were ahead of
the scene of the hold up and the rob-
/ bers joined them.
The train was DELAYED two hours
and half and then pulled into Ed
monds, making a brief report before
proceeding.
The two boys claim to never have
met the hold ups until they got on tha
! train and are. in no way connected
! with their work. The idea to hold uD
the passengers occurred to them after
the explosion A posse has been or
ganized.
Conductor Grants report of the
hold up shows that at least seven men
/ were engaged in the robbery. The con-
ductOr believes there were others fur
ther down the track but they did not
| take any part, possibly because the
I train stopped too soon. When once in
side the car the robbers began dyna-
/ miUng, the first explosion being of
SIX sticks. the second of IL and the
third OF IS
While the robbers We're engaged on
the safe the two boys who had been
riding on the blind baggage slipped off
and went through the train attempting
to hold up the passengers. They had
no guns but took advantage of the
dmidity of the passengers while the
shooting was going on outside.
The boys, who gave their names as
frank Alfred and Roland Gibbs are
now IN jail at Everett. A passenger
on the train says their method while
gong through the coaches consisted
more of begging character than a
hold up No one was injured serious
~ although fusillade of revolver
shots was kept up. Stories differ as
to the number of robbers engaged IN
the job. There were at least three
there may have been four or even
seven.
The express messenger says he does
not know how much was obtained by
the hold ups. The local safe was not
molested.
Got S346 From Safe.
Seattle. Wash. Oct 3.-Five thousand
dollars reward is offered by the Great
Northern Express company for the can
ture and identification Of the bandits
who held I'D and dynamited the east
bound flyer north of Ballard last night
-Four man are believed to have been
implicated, at least two working around
the train outside, while two blew open
the safe in the express car The story
told by the two boys now in the Everett
ride and had nothing to do with the
robbery, is now generally believed.
The sheriff and deputies today found
an abandoned horse and wagon about
a mile and a half north of the scene of
the hold-up. The horse was badly spent
and showed evidences of being hard
used. The officers believe it to be the
outfit reported yesterday morning as
having been stolen from the barn Of w
F. Calhoun, near Kent. Kent is fully
twenty miles from the scene Of the rob-
berry
Division Superintendent Scot said to-
day that so far as known s346 in cash
was taken from the safe. No state
ment has been made regarding express
matter.