The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-07-21
TRAM ROBBED;
ENGINEER SHOT
MASKED MEN GO THROUGH
NORTH DAKOTA TRAIN.
BULLETS FLY IN THE COACHES
ReckIessIy Blazing Away to Intimidate
Passe 1gers, the Three Bandits Get
About $5oo-Shot Fired Down Aisle
Of PuIman-Escape in Auto.


Of Johannesburg in Auto.
Grand Forks, n. d., July 2O.-Train
No. >, the eastmound north coast limit
ed on the Northern Pacific railway,
was held up by three masked robbers
near Buffalo, n. d., about IL O'Clock
last night The robbers secured about
$500 in cash by going through the
passengers and shot Engineer S. p.
olson of Fargo, twice in order to make
histor,. the train and made their
So" automobile. which had
been teV ng them near the scene
of the robbery.
The performance as executed was
one of the most daring ever perpe-
trated in this part of the country and
showed that the men We're no anna
tours at the business, as every move
ment was cleverly planned and ad-
mirably executed.
Shoot Up Day Coach.
When the train stopped at the high
bridge at Valley City the three men
boarded it and went into the day
coaches. Heavily armed and shooting
recklessly in order to intimidate the
passengers, they first lined up the
train crew at one end of the car and
then proceeded to search the passen-
gers in the day coach, one by one.
In all they secured about 500 from
this part OF their robbery.
The sleeping car was entered and
in order to awaken the occupants of
the berths a shot was fired down the
center of the aisle, narrowly missing
the head of one of the passengers and
unfolding itself in the wood work.
| Engineer Shot Twice.
! After searching the occupants of the
berths, they climbed out of the .diner
over the baggage and express cars to
the engine reaching that part of the
train when near Buffalo. They order
ed Engineer Olson to stop the train
so they could get off and when he re-
fused to comply with their wishes
two shots were fired at him, one
slancing off his watch and the other
striking him on a rib, injurying him
slightly.
After being wounded and seeing
that the men We're desperate Engineer
Olson stopped the train and the three
men, who We're all masked with polka
dot handkerchiefs, jumped quickly
from the train.
Engineer Olson, who is one of the
Oldest engine pilots on the system,
was brought into Fargo with the train
and is resting at his home there.
After leaving the train, the robbers
went to an automobile which they had
waiting nearby and drove off into the
darkness. The train was run into
Fargo, where the sheriff, every avail
able deputy and three deputy United
States marshals hurried back on a
special train to pursue the robbers.
Posses in Pursuit.
Posses also started out of Buffalo
fifteen minutes after the robbery and
every surrounding town in the north
west was telephoned or telegraphed
to look for the robbers. The express
and mail cars were not mOlested by
the men.
1t is not known what amount the
cars contained, but usually the north
coast limited carries considerable
amounts of money and It is thought
that the men took longer in getting
through the day coaches than they
had planned or they would have trieC
to blow up the express safe and rifle
} the registered mail pouches.