Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1902 — BULLETS FOR BANDITS. [ARTICLE]

BULLETS FOR BANDITS.

Hailroads and ExprcssCompaniesUnit* to Stop Train Robbing. Train robbery as an industry is to be throttled through concerted action of railroad and express companies, operating from headquarters scattered throughout the middle West. Of lute there has been an epidemic of railway kohl ups, extending from the banks of the Mississippi river over the great plains to the foothills pf, the Rocky Mountains and beyond in tlie lonely wildernesses of the far West. While the latter territory may be expected to be occasionally invaded it is the daring exploits carried on by the bandits nt the threshold of centers of civilization which have determined sonic of the officials concerned to make a decided and permanent stand against their common enemy—the knight of the red lantern, dynamite stick and Winchester. Officials of some of the roads directly interested, through incidents of this character which are of recent origin, have been spurred to drastic measures. The Davenport robbery of the fast Chicago, Rock Island and ncific train was the straw that broke the camel's back. The railroad company, in conjunction with tlw Euitrnl States Express Com-_ puny, issnqd a joint reward during tile day of SSJHMI for the arrest and conviction of the knights of the road who intercepted their train, and running mv< with the engine and express car blew tlie latter vehicle to pieces with a dynamite bomb. The companies are seemingly at the mercy of several roving bands of desperadoes. The purchase of dynamiteproof safes seems to but offer an additional incentive to tlie ingenuity of the cracksmen, and they never fail to let daylight into a strong box of any pattern. Armed messengers are of little or no avail, for refusal to open tlie door of the express car calls forth a threat to dynamite the framework of the car and the messenger first and afterward to blow open the safe. In addition to a declaration of a new policy to follow these robbers until captured. the Burlington road entered the field with an announcement that a dead train robber would lie worth to any of its employes. It was inferred by some w ho heard of the order that dvad train robbers would be preferable to live ones. “We have given all our trainmen to understand.” said I'. A. Delano, general manager of the Burlington road, “and also the express messengers, that a dead train robber is worth .SI,OOO to any of them. All of our conductors and trainmen carry revolvers, and we are encouraging them to do so. and to learn to shoot straight. 1 am in favor of a concerted action on the part of railway managements and express companies which shall have for its object the hounding of train robbers to the ends of the earth. "One tiling we ought to have, and that is a federal statute which will cover all cases and w hich w ill make it the business of the government to chase and catch train robbers, instead of being the business of State authorities. Train robbers have a wholesome fear of the government secret service, w hich is much more effective and better organized for catching criminals than the State machinery.” "Anything that can be done to bring this sort of business to a stop is a wise movement,” said H. IL Wi Hiatus of the St. Paul road. "It is getting to be a serious matter. I do not know that I would personally be able to advance any particular method calculated to arrive at sneh n result, but it is time the train robbing industry was destroyed.” “I think that anything that can be done in this direction will be a benefit,” said J. T. Harahan of the Illinois Central road. "I hardly know about the proposition of killing people, because it might, through accident, happen that innocent people would be killed. So far as our road is concerned, we have been rather lucky. We never let up on the robbers. Our operatives chased one man who held up two of our trains through St. Louis, where he killed a policeman nnd wounded one of our special agents, until he was surrounded in a swamp not far from New Orleans, where the robber took his own life in preference to surrendering.” "Something ought to be done when life and property of law-abiding people are constantly in danger.” said .1. 11. Barrett of the Chicago and Alton. "While our road has not been greatly bothered by train bandits, nevertheless 1 feel certain that the management would not hesitate for an instant to bear its fair share of any burden brought about by a concerted movement to eradicate this evil. I know of no bettor time to begin than right now.”