Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1902 — ROB EXPRESS TRAIN. [ARTICLE]

ROB EXPRESS TRAIN.

MASKED BANDITS TAKE $2,000 FROM BURLINGTON LIMITED. Torpedo Track Near Savanna, 111., and Halt Flyer Northbound—Train Crew Forced to Remain Quiet While Safe la Blown Open—One Robber E lain. Train No. 47 of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was held up by six masked robbers at 11:30 o’clock Tuesday night, the express car blown up with dynamite and the safe robbed of a sum estimated to be $2,000. The robbery took place about 123 miles from Chicago between Savanna, 111. and Marcus, a fiag station eight miles north of that place. Torpedoes were placed on the track by the bandits and at the north-bound train exploded them tht engineer shut off the steam and applied the brakes, thiuking that there was danger ahead. The moment the train came to a stop one of the masked robbers sprang aboard the engine und thrust a revolver into the face of the engineer and another at the fireman. Both members of the engine crew were threatened with death unless they obeyed the commands of the robbers. Cut the Train iu Two. Meanwhile another bandit stepped between tbe express car and the passenger coaches and cut tbe train iu two. He then sprang aboard the engine and ordered the engineer to pull up the track. When the engine had proceeded a short distance to u point far from any human habitation the robbers ordered a halt. The engineer, with a revolver muzzle pressed close to his ear. had nothing to do but obey. The robbers were well equipped for the task before them. They drew sticks of dyuamite from bulging pockets aud went toward the express car, taking along the engineer and fireman. Arriving at the door of the express car, the robbers set off'the dynamite in their possession. This blew the express car to pieces. The big safe in the car was then shattered by another explosion of dynamite. The money haviug been revealed when the safe was blown, one of the robbers began to pick up the cash and throw it into a bag he took from a pocket. V v R obbers Flee Into Woods. When the pile of money in sight had vanished inside the bag the "coin collector” gave the signal and his confederates marched the engine crew back to their posts. The engineer and fireman were told to pull out as fast as possible from the scene. The moment the locomotive began to move the robbers fled into the blackness of the night and the big patch of woods that lined the railway track. As they were disappearing in the brush Express Messenger B.vl fired and killed one of them. The authorities have been unable to determine the identity of the dead matt. Meantime a flagman on the train of coaches that had been left a few miles back ou the road, suspecting at once what had happened, started on the dead run for Savanna to give the alarm. On the way he heard the sound of the double explosion that wrecked the express car and the safe. After a run of several miles the flagman arrived at Savanng. He was then breathless, but he managed to tell a short story of the fate of the train. Officers Start in Pursuit. Policemen and railway officials were hurriedly summoned by the station agent, to whom the flagman had reported. It was then 1 o'clock and some difficulty was encountered in getting engines and men together. At 1:30 o’clock, however, an engine was attached to a coach and the latter, filled with heavily armed officers and railway employes, started from Savanna for the scene of the robbery. It was the intention of the officials to beat the woods on both sides of the railway in an endeavor to catch the bandits.