The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-09-03
KILLS BANDIT
WITH A ROCK
Quick Action Of Engineer on
a Train Robber.
TWO SUSPECTS CAPTURED

and Engine Crew Forced to Walk to
Express Car-Fireman Dashes Un-
der Coach and Engineer Strikes
Bandit With a Rock and Receives
Bullet Wound in Return.
Colorado Springs, Colo., Sept. 3.-1n
a desperate attempt to hold up west
bound Colorado Midland passenger
train No. four miles west of Divide
an unknown bandit was instantly
killed by a rock thrown by Engineer
Frank Stewart, after he had shot the
engineer in the leg.
Sterling and Charles Martin, two
young men who were found near the
scene of the holdup, are held for in
vestigation as to their completely in
the robbery. Sterling Martin was
slightly wounded in the head by a
bullet.
The highWayman craWled over the
tender as the train slowed up at
siding to meet the eastbound train.
AS he stopped the train Stewart
turned to see his fireman, Paul Bach
man, standing with his hands above
his head, and heard the robber say,
Put up your hands or I'll blow your
head off,"
The robber then forced both men to
leave the engine and marched them
before him to the express car.
Engineer Tells Of HoIdup.
According to the story told by Stew
art, who was brought to a hospital
here, the robber ordered them to tell
the express messenger that they were
in peril of their lives; that the train
had been held up and that the robber
was determined to have the money in
the express car. Stewart states that
the robber fired several shots at the
heads of passengers who looked out to
see what was happening.
when we got to the express car"
said Stewart, my fireman dashed un-
der the car and crawled to the other
side. The robber leaned under the car
to shoot at him and when he took his
eyes off me struck him with all my
strength with rock l had picked up
as jumped off the tender. AS did so
he whirled and shot at me, the bullet
striking me in the leg. I guess my
blow finished him, for he never moved
after the rock hit him. 1 must have
tainted, for the next I knew the con-
ductor and express messenger and
group of excited passengers we're
standing about me"
When the remainder of the train
crew heard the shots they seized weap-
Ons and rushed to the head of the
train, firing as they came.
Stewart was given immediate medi-
cal attention by physicians who were
on board and was brought to Colora-
do springs. His condition is not seri-
GUS.
Sheriff Maps Two Suspects.
Shortly after the holdup Sheriff Won
Publ and a posse secured the country
near the scene of the attempted hold
up and discovered the Martin broth.
ers hiding in the brush.
Sterling Martin avs dazed by bull
let wound in the head He is out on
parole from the state reformatory. The
Martins claim they were riding the
blind baggage and were beating their
way to Grand Junction. They say
Sterling Martin was struck by stray
bullet from the bandits gun. They
are held for investigation.
The dead robber wore cloth mask
and gunnysack tied about his neck.
He was armed with two cheap re-
volvers which had evidently been un-
used for some time. The engineer and
fireman say he spoke with a Swedish
accent.
There was nothing on his person to
identify him. His body was left at the
scene of the holdup until the arrival
of the coroner from Cripple Creek.
There was no unusual shipment of
money in the express car, but the
bandit told the fireman as they
marched along the train that he in
tended to rife the passengers as we'll
as the Wells-Fargo box.