Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1902 — FAST TRAIN HELD UP. [ARTICLE]

FAST TRAIN HELD UP.

ROCK ISLAND FLYER STOPPED IN DAVENPORT, lOWA. Express Car Dynamited and Safes Are Looted—Twelve Men Do DeedCoaches Cut Off and Engineer Forced to Haul Safes Two Miles to Siding. The fast Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific train No. 11 was held up two miles west of Davenport, lowa, at 12 o'clock Friday night by a gang composed of from twelve to fifteen men. The express car was blown to pieces with dynamite, and the gang, after securing the contents of the express safes, fled. The train was stopped as it was slowing up for a crossing inside the city limits, within a mile and a half of the center of the city. The robbers swung a red lantern at the crossing, causing the engineer to stop entirely instead of going on. Three men suddenly sprang into the cab, two of them coming over the tender and shoving revolvers into the faces of the engineer and firemen. Hold Passengers in Coaches. As soon as the train came to a standstill part of the robbers stood guard over the passenger coaches, preventing any interference, while the rest forced the engineer to start on. They cut off the express car and hauled it nearly two miles down the track, and then ran it on the side track at Dale station. The trainmen were held nt the point of revolvers while two men blew open the express car with dynamite and proceeded to wreck the safes. The two explosions that wrecked the car were heard all Davenport, but it was a long time before the cause was known. It was at first thought some of the trainmen had been killed, but no one was injured. Large Amount la Stolen. How much was secured is not known, but it is known that the company was carrying a large amount. Train No. T 1 is the itirbuglr train that left Chicago at 6:05 Friday afternoon. It Is split in Davenport, part being sent on to Kansas City over that division of the Rock Island road. The train held up is the Colorado Springs express, consisting of a combination baggage and express car, two day coaches, two chair cars and two sleeping cars, which run through to Denver. The train reached Davenport late and was in the city nearly half an hour, being made up, and it left the city on time at 11:43. Crew Reports the Robbery. No notice of the holdup was received In Davenport until the train dispatcher failed to locate the train nt a junction where it is always reported. lie sent out messages asking about it. Within a few minutes word was received from a telegraph station near the scene of the holdup giving notice that the robbery had been accomplished. Within a short time the train crew, who had fled from the coaches, ran up to the station and reported. The police of Davenport were notified at once and a big squad was rushed to the scene at once on a special engine. It is believed the robbers, after committing the crime and securing the booty, returned to the city. Eleventh Hold-Dp for 1002. The Rock Island holdup Friday night Is the eleventh notable affair of its kind during the present year. More men were concerned in it, for previous robberies have been committed by bands of from three to five men. This time the train bandit fraternity seems to have assembled for a general convention. This is the third time a Rock Island train has been robbed since the l>eginning of the present year. On July 18, one of the company's express trains was robbed in Texas. On Oct. 8 another was held up in Oklahoma. The Burlington Railroad has fared even worse. On April 5 one of its trains was held up near St. Joseph, Mo., and on May 27 another attempt was made near the same place. On Aug. 0 the Burlington suffered a heavy loss near Savanna, 111., and more recently, on Oct. 13, at Hubbell, Neb. The Denver and Rio Grande was held up on July 15. Attempts were made cn Great Northern and Northern I'eciflo trains on Aug. 5 and Aug. 27, both being failures.