Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 October 1899 — MAIL TRAIN HELD UP. [ARTICLE]

MAIL TRAIN HELD UP.

ROBBERY ON THE NORTHWESTERN RAtUOAQ. Three masked men held np the Qrtcnge and Northwestern fast mail train So. % bound for the Pacific coast, at Meredith, 111., forty weven miles from CM rage, shortly after 11 o'clock Friday tiffin. After they had blown tike through sate and wrecked the express cor ■flay amcoupled tbe engine from the mail train and escaped on it to Conrtiand. Itimiel White, the engineer, was forced t» OTsay them to that point, where they deserted tbe cab for the darkness of the surrounding fields.

Just about 11 o'dock three men entered signal office W of the read, located midway between Elburn and Maple Fadk, and asked the operator, Clifton James, at what time the mail train would be flue. James tried to avoid a direct reply, but the lights from the windows eff the approaching cars gave them the desired information and they stopped only long enough to bind the operator in his chair with buckskin thongs, set the signals tto atop the oncoming train, and render useless the telegraphic instruments in the office.

The engineer of tbe mail train brought the cars to a stand in obedient* to ttfa* semaphore signals and at snee was cunfronted by tbe robbers. They bad adjusted handkerchiefs over the lower pant of their faces and each carried a hcaoe of long-barreled ominous-looking revolvers. Engineer White made no attempt at resistance, but his fireman, Joseph Jewel, tried to escape from the cab. He waa stopped at the point of a pistol and ha and White were led back to the test Of the four care that made up Otne man was left to guard the trait crew and the other two attacked the Fvjjrees car and forced Messenger F. A. Hopson to admit them. First he was taken to A* rear car and then brought back to open the local safe. He would not do tifis. The robber retired from the car again while the through safe was demolished with a charge of dynamite which blew a hole through the bottom of the car and tone great gaps in the roof. Just how much the safe may base contained is not known, bat it is amid that currency and packages of valuables were hurled into the fields. Two shots were fired daring the raid, one. at James McGrath, a brake man, who swung his lantern at the bead of the leader of the bandits, and a second alt Brakeman Palmer, who crawled faenoatb the cars, and ran to flag an east-bound fast freight which was almost due. Palmer escaped injury and stopped Re freight train with his shirt lor a After the robbers had deserted tbe engine of the mail train at Court laud Engineer White pushed on to BeknJh. Brakeman Painter had reached Elbnrn meanwhile and sent word of the robbeiy to W. E. Morse, Galena division superintendent at Oak Park. The victims of the robbery unite in declaring the bandits a determined group off men. They went about their wank quietly and without a sign of nervousness. One of them paused to barrow a chew of tobacco from tbe assistant express messenger, Elmer E. Painter. The night was exceedingly dark, «nd *th« greatly aided the thugs in their escape.