Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-22

companion is described as a trife
above FIVE feet, and heavier set than
the elongated member Of the team.
The officers of the road have mott
fed the police authorities throughout
the country, supplying descriptions of
the bandits, together with the stolen
swag, but thus far have not received
the slightest trace of their movements
after leaving the train near Sheffield.
SHOT HOLES IN HOSE.
The story of the heldup as CLEANED
from members of the train crew resid-
ing in Chicago is told in this mornings
Record-Herald. In part that papers
account follows:
When their signals failed to stop
the train the bandits shot the air
brakes hose full of holes, bringing the
coaches to a standstill, jumped from
the car they we're in and escaped.
"As the train plunged westward
from Bureau the eight passengers in
the Los Angeles compartment car
were aroused from midnight slumbers
to deliver their money and jewelry at
the muzzles of revolvers.
Satisfied with the results of their
Is minutes labors in the Los Angeles
car the robbers turned their attention
TO bringing the train to a stop. Their
amateur efforts on the signal cord
we're of no avail. The engineer, VIII
liam Gallagher, of Chicago, ignored
their erratic signaling.
Meantime the robbed passengers
and the porter were kept obediently in
| line. Other passengers on the train
were in Ignorance of the scene in the
Los Angeles car.
SHOOT THROUGH AIR HOSE.
The bandits finally accomplished
the hating of the train by firing shots
through the air hose. Thanks to the
automatic air brake system the per-
foration of the air hose had the effect
of bringing the train to an immediate
stop.
THE two bandits leaped from the
train and disappeared in the darkness
just as members of the train crew
awoke to the situation. And a day and
night search has revealed no trace o.
the hold-up men.
THE men boarded the train at Blu
reau when it was stopped to take on q
water supply, according to the conduc
tor, John Arzner, of Chicago. In the
confusion about the yards there they
easily accomplished their purpose.
PORTER Is TERRIFIED
They hid in an unoccupied com
partment until the conductor haC
made the trip through his train as il
done after each stop. With the con
ductor gone they lost no time in get
ting busy. A surprised colored porter
! J. A. Martin, also of Chicago, was sool
J convinced of the value of silence. Re
volvers were displayed.
AT the robbers direction the por
ter aroused all the sleeping occupants
of the car. They were lined up in tn,
aisle, warned against any cutlery ant
The collection taken. The bandits CAV,
commands in a convincing tone, bu
: attempted no brutality.
Both men and women passenger
r were kept lined up in the aisle unit
the robbers were ready to alight. The
y, tried to force the porter into sigma
! ing the engineer to stop. The colore
e man failed, either through ignoranc
5 or intent. They tried their own han
: on the signal cord with as little SUI
| cess.
FIRES At THE HOSE.
"The engineer credited the quee
signaling to disorders in the mechal
) ism and the train went forward, spec
: unslackened. Then 1t was that III
bandits conceived the idea of shootin
+ the air hose. Dangling from the oDel
. ed vestibule door, one of the bandit
fired four or FIVE shots at the hos
u One or more took effect.
THE conductor, realizing som
i thing was wrong, rushed from the o
servation car at the rear of the trai
He reached the Los Angeles sleep'
. Just in time to see the two fleeing
8 the darkness. The robbed passenge1
Il were by this time worked up to
= state of almost hysterical eXcitemeI
Pursuit of the bandits was out
the question. The train had bee
Al stopped about five miles east of She
% field, so preparations were made
= once to run on TO that town and sci
~ out the alarm. 1t was about % mi
n utes past midnight when the ira
II pulled into Sheffield.
CHASE Is STARTED.
~ Official report of the hold-up "
70 made there. starting the chase Of Z
"A outlaws b. both railroad and sta
n. authorities. The train was stopped
= Rock Island and an inventory TAX
- among the robbed passengers.
49, Louis Best, the Rock Island age
"A at Bureau, has reported that the no
a up men were noticed about that ci
., for two days prior to the hold-up. Tn
were seen about the railroad var
shortly before the arrival of the lin
ed.
49, ".The robbers rounded up all I
valuables on the Los Angeles c
while the train was travelling IS mill
I According TO the engineer, it was
'iS Commute run from Bureau TO the st
= caused by the bandits. The stop W
q made in the center of a desolate pie
* OF country.
3 THE Los Angeles car. Nottlnghs