Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-01

also On the ground.
| The looted train was made up OF an
| engine, three express cars and tWG
sleeping coaches, filled with passengers.
At about 1.30 A. Nj. it was running
through I.ewistown narrows, wild and
| lonely mountain gorge, through which
flows the Juniata river, when sudden
| ~ a dynamite cap exploded and the
engine driver brought the train to
standStill.
When he looked out to see what the
trouble was, masked man. holding a
revolver in either hand, confronted
| him.
Are there any mail cars on this
train" demanded the highwayman.
mo- was the reply of the startled
engineer.
The engine crew was then forced. at
| the point of the gun, to accompany
the robbcr to the first express car,
where the messenger was looking out
to discover the cause of the sudden
stopping of the train. A revolver was
pointed ut the messengers head. and
threatening to blow up the car with
dynamite. the robber forced the mes
| Sc nGDrs of the two express cars and en-
| CINE crew to carry all the gold and
| bullion stacked in the first car to the
| side of the track. Conductor l. r.
| Poffcnbtrger of Harrisburg, Pa, who
came up while this work was being
accomplished was ordered back by the
| bandit, who emptied one of his re-
volvers at him, one of the shots pene-
| trating his hand and the others graz
| ing his body.
Despite the appearance of three pas
sengers VINO had been awakened by
the shooting the robber calmly order
! cd the crew back on the train and
compelled them to steam away. leav-
| ing the bullion beside-~tile tracks,
| was recovered later by a posse sent
on special train. When the train
was leaving. he called out:
| "Good-bye and good luck; | hope to
| see you again
| 1t was reported tonight that, in ad-
| dition to the pennies several thou
sand dollars in currency was missing,
but the express company officials re-
| fuse to announce the exact amount OF
| their loss.
| No clue to the robbers identity has
vet been discovered. He is described
| as being about five feet eight inches in
height, and was dressed in dark cloth
ing and wore SLOUGH hat pulled well
| down over his eyes. He used excellent
| English, but had slight foreign ac-
| cent.
| Agent Hamaker of Lewistown sent &
| safe TO the scene of the robbery to
receive six bags of pennies on which
the seals had not been broken, but
| # n
knife to ascertain the contents ana
abandoned by the robber in disgust.
| With practically every detective and
| officer employed by the Adams Express
90. engaged in a search for the lone
bandit, the prediction was made to-
night by the Pennsylvania Railroad
officers that his apprehension is bur
| a few hours off.
| He was traced short distance up
! the mountain side adjacent to the
scene of the hold-up. Currency was
dropped in his PERCEPTIONS flight serv-
| ing as a guide for the posse ana OIL
GERS en- his trail.
The highwayman, it is said. took
$1,000 in bullion and 5000 in pennies
from the car and all of this has been
found along the trail except $65.
| Tewis+own. IA. Aug. 31.-Robbers
STONED a westbound express train on
the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad at the mar
rows eight miles east of here at z
lo'clock this morning, robbed the ex-
press car of $1,000 in gold and escaped
Into the mountains. Conductor Poffen-
berger of Harrisburg was shot through
| n.l,% !, rrh
Reports to the Pennsylvania Railroad
in this city say that lone robber ac-
conplished the holdup When the sharp
lexplosion of the cap brought the train
to a standstill a masked man stepped
out Of the bushes and covered the en-
ginemen with revolver The highway
man then moved along to the baggage
car but could not open it. He then
went to the next car. which was the
express car and ordered the Adams Elk
press Co.'S. messenger to open the door,
The messenger obeyed. The safe in the
car contained $4,000 in money and
bullion.
The robber cody called to the fire.
man of the train for help and the rob-
her. still wearing his mask, gathered
M some bags of money and, with the
fireman in the lead and also carrying
hays of coin, started up the mountain
side. At point about 300 yards up the
incline the two men laid down their
burden and the fireman was ordered
back to his train. At this juncture,
however, two or three of the passen-
gers who had been aroused by the I'M
usual stop, came upon the scene and
their presence encouraged the train
men to offer resistance.
The robber opened fire, but the only
damage he inflicted was to send bull
let through the hand of Conductor