Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-05-20
Then They Reversed Engine and
Sent 1t and Mail Car Back
into Train.
10 PASSENGERS INJURED
Heroic Work by Train Grew which
Had Been Driven Off the Engine
Prevented More serious re-
sults-Rcportcd That Ban.
dts Got 100000.

spokane. Wash. Nav 1s.-FoIlowi,r
the hold mp Of a Great Northern ms
senger train by six bandits between
Colbert and Mead last night, 10 ner-
sons were injured when the Iocomo-
tive and the mail car cut off from the
rest of the train ran back wild after
the bandits had rined the mails of an
Unknown amount. and collided with
the rest Of tho train. which had been
left standing where the bandits got
possession Of IT.
Having taken tho detached mail
car down the track considcra bio dis
lance, tho robbers looted tho register
cd mail and, reversing the engine. sent
the locomotive and the mail car crash
ing back into tho passenger coaches
Tho conductor saw the Wild cars
ha king down the track at - miles
an hour and he and another trainman
placed n tie on the track to arrest
their flight. but the cars. though part
ly stopped by this means. plunged into
the coaches. throwing passengers from
their seats cutting them with glass
from broken windows. trainman.
nerved TO the task, srranc aboard the
locomotive as the collision occurred
and shut off the steam, stopping the
havoc.
When the train reached Colbert late
last night. some switching had to 10
done. While the engine crew was
busy ~ this work. two men sprang
into the cab and thrusting a revolver
gainst the bodies Of Engineer vii
liam Miller and Fireman John Hall.
ordered them to do as commanded.
The engineer and fireman complied
and the mall cars were cut off from
the rest of the train by four other rob
bers The locomotive and the mail
car then ran up the track few miles.
Then the engineer and his fireman
were forced to leave the cab. Two
Of the robbers went to the door of IN"
mail car and ordered it opened, Their
command was ohn%ed by benjamin T..
Trump. mail clerk. who was hurried
away from the cars with the engine
men by q dozen revolver shots. Man
ming the locomotive themselves, the
outlaws took the mail cars down the
track and looted the registered mail
Then they started the locomotive back
| towards the rest of the train and es-
capped.
brakeman cut in the telegraph wire TO
send word to Spokane. While he was
husv telegraphing. about n half hour r.
ter the locomotive ana the mail car
had disapueared, he saw the powerful
| locomotive careening towards the coaches
| in whIch many persons We're asloep as
the robbers had acted quietly in s"iz-
ing the mail car. Many of the pass
| e IA
until awakened by the collision that
was only eased by the quick work Of
| the trainmen.
As soon az Conductor Robertson rea-
lized that n collision was imminent he
called on the brakemen and porters 70
aid him While the conductor and an
other mon threw 4 lie across the track.
a brakeman stood ready to board tho
cab as soon as the shock ~ the collision
checked the impetus Of tho wild locomo-
| tive TIE mail car was partly derailod
by the tic end the wheels plowed into
! the ballast while the steam impelled
locomotive wheels continued to whrl on
the rails. The brakeman was instantly
| in the cab where he seized the throttle
and shut off the steam and applied the
| brakes Passengers tumhled from seats
and iostled in herths, rushed out to as
certain the cause of the shock None
was fatally hurt.
Two snecal trainloads Of deputies We're
| hurried from Snokane when the word nj
| the hold ny was received and doctors were
| taken along to caro- for tho injured, NJ
| trace Of the robbers was found to-day.
| While il is reported that the bandits Oh
tanned a large sum Of money from th'
registered mail, tho amount being placed
at s2o.0o0 railroad officers and mail IN
spectors say the amount stolen Is mo-
known. One of the bandits who entered
| the cab was more than six feet tall an
evidently was an experienced engineer A:
the two robbers entered the cab, this mar
said To the engineer;
| you have heard ~ us before,
| indicating that they had been involved Fl
similar hold ups in tho vicinity Of Spokane
| within the last few months.
T. y. Wilson and wife Of spokane were
the most seriously injured of the pas
sengers. fo suffered a fracture Of twt
ribs ard Mrs. Wilson was severely
| I'D