Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-05-15

three bandits near Wagner. a station
short distance west of the Valley
county boundary line and the treasure
boz of the express car was relieved O.
currency and various articles OF value
10 an amount estimated as high as
$4,000.
The robbery was perpetuated In
broad daylight and among its exciting
features was the shooting of a brake
man and a male and girl passenger.
each Of whom escaped with more or
less serious wounds from the rifles
carried by the bandits.
The stories told by the parties who
were on the train differ in some minor
details but all agree that the robbery
was executed in such an orderly man.
ner that 1t was the work Of experts
at the business. AS the train was leav-
ing Malta, Conductor Smith noticed
what he supposed to be a tramp on
the front end Of the mail car next
to the engine. He tried to drive him
off after the train started but the
man pulled a revolver and said he
would shoot him.
The conductor returned to the
coaches and as Sheriff Griffith Of
Valley county was on the train ar
ranged with him to arrest the man
at the next siding. When the train
approached EXter, the next siding west
Of Malta, the conductor signaled the
engineer to stop but the train only
SlaCkened speed. The conductor sig
nailed a second time but the train did
not stop. Engineer Jones during this
time was covered by a gun and was
told by the tramp that If the train
was stopped he would kill him.
when the train reached a point
three miles east of Wagner, the engi-
neer was forced to stop and two more
men appeared armed with WinChesters.
Brakeman Whitside got off the rear
end Of the train and was shot through
the arm near the shoulder, shattering
the bone. A. w. Douglass, travelling
auditor of the Great Northern. Mon
tana division, swung out on the steps
on the south side of the car and was
shot through the left arm near the
shoulder. but only received a flesh
wound. Gertrude NJ Smith Of Toman,
Wis. bound for Seattle, leaned out OF
a window and was shot in the right
arm, but not seriously injured.
Two Robbers Stood Guard
Two of the robbers stood guard over
the train, while the third man
marched the engineer and fireman to
the express car. The express messen-
ger was ordered to go into the first
coach and order all the passengers
back to the next car, as they were
going to blow up the safe in the ex-
press car and did not want to injure
anyone.
The bandits then climbed into the
express car with a rifle and placed
the dynamite and ordered the men
under guard up to the engine, telling
them to stop close to the track and
they would not be injured.
The first shot sent the roof Of the
car flying through the air but failed
to crack the safe. The engineer and
firemen were made to carry down a
second charge of dynamite. but Jones
pleading lame, the eXpressman was
made to carry the charge intended
for him. The second shot also failed,
but the third blew it open. Fireman
O,Neil was taken into the car and
made to hold the sack which was
filled with plumber. The robbers es-
capped on horses that were picketed
nearby, proceeding in a southerly di-
reCtion."
The rest of the article was devoted
to descriptions of the bandits, for
whom a 5000 reward was offered.
One had long beard on his chin
and a weeks growth of whiskers COW
cred the rest of his face" This bandit,
contrary to fictioned badmen. had his
revolver suspended from his neck with
leather loop. Another carried his
gun in bootleg Scabbard" while the
third, particularly noticeable for his
shooting proclivities," was believed to
be halfbreed.
Oddly enough, the men rode black,
white and buckskin ponies. A sheep
herder about a quarter of a mile from
the scene of the robbery was curious
and was fired upon, the bullet striking
his saddle. His curiosity satisfied, the
sheepherder fled abruptly and notified
authorities at Wagner. Within short
time posses from Malta and Glasgow
were on special trains for Wagner.