The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-12-24
fIagman Gets Away and Notifies
Railroad Officials Who
Send Officers
ROBBERS MAKE THEIR ESCAPE

Springfield. H., Dec. 24-Posses
started early today to renew the hunt
for four bandits who held up the Al
ton Hummer" fast passenger train
on the Chicago & Alton railroad,
shortly after midnight near lies sta
ton, four miles south of here.
After uncoupling the engine and ex-
press car from the train, and compell
ing the engineer To take them more
than a mile down the track the rob-
Gers made five unsuccessful attempts
70 blow open the express safe with
nitro -gycerine and dynamite. Accord
ing 10 railroad and express officials.
tie bandits secured only packages of
small value The express car safe is
said 10 have contained a large sum
of money and valuable iewelry ship
ped by Chicago jewelers. to Christ
mas purchasers
While the highwaymen were work.
ing with the engineer and fireman.
Flagman Smith skipped away 10 the
lies Junction telegraph Office and no
tilted the railroad officials here and
al Bloomington,
The robbers worked as minutes in
the express car. giving a switch en-
!gne. carrying officers, time TO reach
the scene before the highwaymen
could get away. When the robbers
heard the engine approaching they
fed, firing a few shots at the officers
as they disappeared in the darkness.
The passenger coaches and sleeping
cars stood on the tracks for more
than two hours until the engine and
express car We're brought back The
train then started for Kansas city
1t IS believed the highwaymen
boarded the train a. Hes Junction.
which is an outer yard of Springfield
and an order point. They rode ou
the blind baggage until a short dis
tance from the Junction when they
covered the engineer and fireman with
guns, compelling them 10 stop and un-
couple the express car and engine
After firing a number Of shots at pas
sengers who ventured out To learn the
cause Of the delay the robbers com
PEELED the engineer 30 run down the
road for some distance. where they
ordered the express messenger out OF
his car and proceeded 60 attempt TO
blow the safe.
That the bandits were well inform
ed as To the possibilities Of pluuder In
the train is Indicated by q statement
of the express companys officials that
the safe which resisted the explosives
contained nifty thousand dollars in
money. jewelry ana other valuables.
In five distinct explosions the bandits
used enough nitroglycerine and dyna-
mite TO blow the state house 10 atoms.
Jacob Hartnet. of Chicago. and FL
mer Nigus. OF Springfield, were ar
rested here on suspicion of having
held up the Hummer Both deny the
charge. Earlier in the day deputy
sherifts arrested Ben Nigus. a brother
Of Elmer. Thomas Martin of Chicago.
Frank Wade. who gave his homo as
Rock Island, and a man named Jones.
Failing TO reach this treasure after
forty-fve minutes of most desperate
work, with the members OF the train
crew held at bay the passengers
frightened into spasms, and no ap-
parent suspicion that they would be
caught, the bandits opened an express
package containing papers Of no value
20 them and proceeded to avoid arrest
orly after the officers had arrived.
While the train was held by the
desperadoes. Conductor Boyd OF Chi
oago, followed by the passengers,
started to make an investigation. They
were repulsed by the command, Get
back there YOU" made very emphatic
by accompanying revolver shots. AZ
ter that the passengers were content
to remain safely under cover.
The pursuit was as spectacular as
the hold mp. When Flagman Smith
ran back and notified the operator
az lies. the latter wired the Alton Of
fees at Springfield. and switch en-
gine was pressed into service with
fifteen deputies. police officers and de-
tectives and sent TO the scene. Engi-
neer Hanks commanded the switch
engine To make the approach less
noticeable. he darkened his head light.
and trusted to the moon 10 prevent