Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1902 — EXPRESS CAR LOOTED. [ARTICLE]

EXPRESS CAR LOOTED.

Burlington Train Is Held Up Near Lincoln, Neb. Four expert highwaymen, armed, masked and equipped with a stock of dynamite, held tip the Burlington St. Louie-Portland night express four miles west of Lincoln, Neb., before daylight Saturday morning. The big safe in the Adams express car was shattered with a couple of sticks of dynamite, and all the valuable contents tumbled into a leather bag and carried off. The value of the haul is not known, but it is placed anywhere from SI,OOO to $50,000. The rpbbers devoted all their energle* to the express car. Other coaches were not invaded nor passengers molested. The robbery was one of the boldest and most cleverly carried out in recent history. No one believes the bandits were novices. When the train left Lincoln for the West it was a few minutes late. A mile beyond West Lincoln, or two miles from the city, os it sped down hill. Engineer A. L. Clayburg saw a red lantern near a bridge. The long train came to a standstill and from out the shadow leaped a masked robber. Springing upon the <ngine, he thrust a revolver into the face *f the engineer and gave his orders. They were obeyed. When a second robber lind uncoupled the express car from the train, the third, who had gone to protect Ihe rear, came forward and with the second man boarded the express car. At the word of the man in the engine, the locomotive and the first two cars moved away. Two miles further on, at a whistling post, one mile from Wood lawn, the train was stopped. In the darkness the figure of a buggy and a team of horses were seen. Assistance was at once given by the man in the buggy. While the robber who guarded the engine men cLosely watched his wards, the other three made hasty preparations for the explosion. Dynamite was brought from the buggy, placed on the safe and the fuses were lighted. In a few minutes the work of looting the car had been completed and the money had been deposited in the buggy.