Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-11-09
PRISONER IS
STARVING SELF
OLIVER cURTIss PERRY.
YEARS IN PRISON FOR OAR
ING HoLD-Up.

New York, Nov THE news re.
ceiyed from Dannemora prison this
week that Oliver Curtis Perry Is slow
ly starving himself to death in that in
stitution has revived memories of this
daring and noted criminal, who seven
teen years ago startled the entire
country with the holiness of his train
robbing exploits.
The crime for which Perry is now
serving practically life sentence was
the robbery of the American Express
company's special train on Feb. 81,
1892. One'c car Of the train was known
as the money car. In 1t was sent the
specie from the United States treasury
for western banks.
On the day of the robbery the train
left Syracuse at o'clock in the morn
ing. The money car was next to the
rear coach. When they were nearing
Weedsport Perry, who had ridden on
top of the money car from Syracuse,
let himself over the side Of the car by
means Of a rope. He smashed in the
glass with his revolver and ordered
the messenger to throw up his hands
The messenger shot at Perry. Then
Perry shot him twice. Perry climbed
into the car and there was despe-
rate fight.
The conductor heard the row and
stopped the train. Then he looked
out Perry looked out of the express
car when the train stopped, saw tho
conductor, and shot at him. The con.
ductor sent a brakeman back to the
next station to telegraph along the
line that they had a train robber on
board Then they went on to Port
Byron. They sopped at the station
and took care of the messenger, who
was badly wounded. Perry had dis.
appeared. At Lyons, where the next
stop was made, there was a big crowd.
Perry was in the crowd. He had evil.
IDENTIFY got off the further side OF the
train when 1t stood In the station.
Kept Crowd Back With Revolver.
The conductor recognized him and
made a rush for him. Perry kept the
crowd back with his revolver and ran
across the tracks to where coal train
was standing. He uncoupled the en-
CINE and jumped into the car and or
dered the engineer and fireman Ia got
out of sight. Then he pulled the throt
tie open and started at top speed. The
express trains engine was uncoupled
and a party started after him.
When they were about to overtake
him he stopped his engine, reversed it
and started back. AS he passed his
pursuers, who were on another track
he fired two shots through the cab
window. The pursuing engine was re
versed and backed after him. Perry
went ahead again. AS he passed his
pursuers this time he shot through the
cab again. The men on the pursuing
engine found they could not catch him
and went back to Lyons. Perry fount
the steam giving out and abandoned
the engine. He then started across
country. Finally he was captured a,
Newark
He was afterward convicted ant
sentenced to Auburn prison for a Ions
term Of years. He had served about 1
year and half when he was transfer
/ red to Mattewan as incurably insane
When he had been in Mattewan abou
two years he and four other inmates
escaped from that institution at latt
hour in the night. It was severa
weeks before he was again recapturet
and he was then transferred to Dame
mora.
4. He has been source of constan
trouble to his keepers and the new:
that he has refused to eat for foul
years and that 1t has been necessar.
| during all that time to force nourish
ment down his throat through tub,
does not surprise those acquainted
with the desperate character Of thu
man. One Of the most remarkabl,
features of the case is that he is stone
i Hind having hirnaalf rIlinad hisi r,x.t,,