The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-12-24
'AW RED LIGHTS ON cAPIUL
DOME FLASH SIGNAL.

DOME FLASH SIGNAL.
The two bandits. one masked In q
white handkerchief and the other in q
blue. had by this time forced tho en-
sine crew to uncouple the tender and
combination baggage and express car
and made them move this part Of the
train down the track about three hum
bred yards. From the chair car we
could see them plainly In the NOON
light. 1t seemed only a short distance
over the tops Of the trees to the dome
Of the state Capitol that glistene cd
brightly.
The bandits lined UP engineer. fire.
nan and express messenger Ayres be-
side the front part Of the train, then
While the man with the blue mask kept
hem covered and fired down the side Of
ne train occasionally. the man with tho
white mask got into the express car
ie fired live shots of nitro-glycerins
nd dynamite, but failed to smash the
safe.
1T seemed not moro than twenty min
utes after Flagnan Roller started for
help when I saw the red light on the
csme OF the capitol flash out its warn
Ing which means to the police that
something big Is happening. knew this
means aid would soon be on the scene
lut apparently the robbers didn't.
The robbers dragged out one canvas
sack OF papers. evidently under the I'm
preston It was money and after rifling
Ii and scattering II over the ground
started away across n meadow. They
lad not yet DISAPPEARED into a cornfield
when Flagman Roller arrived with a
Sheriff's posse on n switch engine.
when W. fha train hnr a IN
and got under way It was after O'Clock
The bandits had kept US standing there
about an hour and half"
FELT LIKE AN ACTOR IN NOV.
ING PICTURE SHOW.
II felt like an actor on q moving pic
ture film throughout the engagement"
said F. NJ. Ayres. express messenger.
From the time that the man with the
white mask stuck his head In the door
until the bandits disappeared ahead Of
tho posse, i shook.
''whe nthe manin the white mask had
exploded three charges under,the safe
The yelled out the door: Say. Bill. send
in that dynamite
"Du used me ~ . messenger.
took The package wrapped In burlap
Just - MI handed IL TO me, ana under
849e8SS
the man In the car. He Axsd two more
Shots after that.
.Fhs rosssr. a,aa~ 81 . a,n.s, a.
fer ~ know"
J. d. Dolan. a passenger. Of Bloom
'tnSton. ILL.,. said any man among the
passengers with q revolver might have
capturei both robbers. They paid little
attention to the back OF the train" he
said. land in stopping the detached part
90 close to the train they left all their
movements uncovered. / could see them
working as I stood in the chair car
window. The man with the canvas sack
took It over the fence into the meadow
and sat down and tore II open. He
nnfsht have been looking for a four
leafed clover for all the haste he
showed"
SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,. Dec. IA posse
started early to-day to renew the hunt
for the four bandits who held UP the
Alton Hummer" fast passenger train
, on the Chicago anS Alton Railroad.
shortly aftes midnlght near lies juno
ton. four miles south Of here.
After uncoupling the engine and ex-'
press c~s-from the train and compelling
the engineer to take them more than
two miles down the track. the robbers
made Ave unsuccessful attempts to blow
epen the express safe with nitro-gly-
cerine and dynamite.
According to the railroad and ex-
press officials the bandits secured only
a few packages which were of small
value. While the highwaymen were
working with the engineer and fire.
man. Flagman Horace Smith slipped
away to lies Junction, where there Is
a telegraph office, and notified the
railroad officials here and at Bloom
ing.on.
The robbers worked forty-five min
utes In the express car. thus giving a
switch engine carrying officers time
to reach the scene before the highway
men could get away When the rob-
hers heard the engine approaching
they fled, firing few shots at the
officers as they disappeared In the
darkness. The express car safe, II is
said, contained a large sum of money
and valuable tewelry shipped by Chi
cago jewelers. to Christmas purchasers.
The money safe was badly shattered.
bit was not opened.
The passenger coaches and sleeping
cars stood on the tracks more than two
hours until the engine and express cars
were brought back and the train started
or Its way to Kansas City.