People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1894 — BOLD WORK. [ARTICLE]

BOLD WORK.

Montana Commonwealers Travel Eastward on a Stolen Train. They Capture an Engine and Some 6ara, and Start for Washington Over the Northern Pacific—United States Marshal to Stop Them. TROOPS MAY BE CALLED OUT. St. Paul, Minn., April 26. —Shortly after midnight Monday night about 500 men at Butte, composing the Butte contingent of the Coxey army, entered the engine house of the Northern Pacific railroad, appropriated and prepared for service an engine and proceeded to make up a train, composed of five coal cars and one box car. This action occurred after a struggle of four days between the local authorities and the mob, which on Monday assumed such proportions as to overawe the officials of the law, and the departure from Butte was made without any opposition upon their part. The train was manned by members of the mob. It, crossed the main range of the Rocky mountains early in the morning and reached the main line at Logan, 75 miles from Butte, at about 4 o’clock. After a short discussion as to the method of procedure they left Logan bound eastward. Before leaving they were told by the operator that they must expect to meet west-bound trains, to which they replied that if the road officials did not clear the track they would do it for them. The train was run at a speed of 40 to 45 miles an hour. At Bozeman they stopped and prepared breakfast The train was stopped suddenly at Timberline, 14 miles west of Livingston, Mont, by a cave-in in the Timberline tunnel. The accident to the tunnel occurred at 8 o’clock Monday night, and it was learned at 6 o’clock that the damage had been repaired and the army was on its way again. Superintendent J. D. Finn and Chief Train Dispatcher C. A. McCune, of Livingston, were notified at 1:30 a. m. that the Coxeyites had succeeded in stealing a train at Butte* and were rushing over the road toward Livingston. A warning was wired to the leader of the band to look out for other trains, and the reply came back that the regular trains would not be hurt if they were kept out of the way. Such trifles as running orders were not to deter the Coxey brigade, and from the time they left Butte until they reached Bozeman the officials were kept in a fever of anxiety lest a collision should occur.

Livingston, Mont, April 26.—Sheriff Conrow received a dispatch Tuesday from Cullen & Toole, of Helena, attorneys for the Northern Pacific, instructing him to arrest Gen. Hogan on the charge of the larceny of a Northern Pacific train, and a warrant was sworn out by the company’s local attorney to be served when Hogan arrived. Superintendent Finn left at 1:45 p. m. in his private car going east The Coxeyites dug themselves out at Timberline at 5 o’clock, passed Livingston Tuesday evening, and are going eastward at the rate of 40 miles an hour. All regular trains have been ordered to clear the track to prevent a collision and enormous loss of life. The train came over the mountain from Butte at the rate of 55 miles an hour and is evidently in the hands of experienced men. St. Paul, Minn, April 26.—Late Tuesday night United States Marshal Bede received sensational orders from Attorney General Olney and Judge Caldwell, of the United States circuit court, directing him to recapture the train stolen at Butte by 500 Coxeyites. The Third regiment at Fort Snelling has been notified of the grave situation, and if the Montana train stealers do not surrender meekly there will be bloodshed. This is the telegram Mr. Bede received from Attorney General Olney: “Execute an injunction or other process placed in your hands by a United States court for the protection of persons and property against lawless violence by employing such number of deputies as may be necessary. If execution Is resisted by force which cannot be overcome, let the judge issuing the process wire the facts to the president with request for military assistance.” Marshal Bede received the following from Judge Caldwell: ‘‘Little Rook, Ark., Anril 25.-To the United States Marshal, District of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn.: If the persons who forcibly and illegally seized a train of cars on the Northern Pacific in Montana belonging to the receivers of said road should bring the same into your district it will be your duty to seize the same and restore the possession thereof to the receivers appointed by the United States circuit court for your district. It will be your duty to summon a posse sufficient for this purpose. The attorney general of the United States has been requested to procure a direction to the general commanding the department to render you any assistance necessary to execute this order.”