Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1894 — A DASTARDLY CRIME. [ARTICLE]

A DASTARDLY CRIME.

j euthem Pacific Train Wrecked--and Robbed. 1 Switch Ton«d and the Express Car Blown Dp tviih Dynamite. A dispatch from Los Angelos, Ca!.. Feb 18, says: Southern Pacific train No. 20 wa* robbed at Roscoe station this morning, ibont 1 o'clock. Tne train reached Buraank, about six miles north of tho city, md reported back all right. At Roscoe, lour miles north of Burbank, there is no itation but a siding. As the train approached the siding the engineer. Thomas, law too late that the switch was misplaced and vainly tried to stop the train, ant he could not do it, and the engine and two fruit cars of oranges went Into the ditch, the engine turning over and burying the engineer and fireman. Tho two fruit :ars were a total wreck. As soon as the wreck occurred three masked men sprang ouf of the bashes and commenced a fusilade, and every one knew that the mission of the desperadoes was robbery. A few seconds later a couple >f dynamite bombs were placed under the Express car. The messenger refused to apen the car and the whole side was blown off. Brakeman Foster rose to the Emergency as soon as he heard the shots, •nd made a run for a neighboring ranch bouse, where he saw a light. Hers be got a team and drove back to Burbank and gave the alarm. Two tramps had gotten on the pilot of the Engine and were stealing a ride, when the locomotfve Jumped the track. One of them was hurled, fifty feet, and marvel* snsly escaped Injury. Tile other, James Daly, was caught and buried beneath the debris of the engine. He was instantly rilled, his body being horribly mangled The wrecked engine went down the bank ten feet. Engineer Thomas Jumped and run, but Fireman Masters was pinioned between the cab and tender and died as ha ivas taken out. Harry Edgar, the express messenger in charge of the WellsFargo Co npuny, and the only person !»• the car, gave a version of the affair as follows: -The first thing I knew there was a terrible shock and I at once knew, there was a wreck, but of course did m' Know what was the matter. The explosion of a dynamite bomb was tbe next thing heard at the right hand door. 1 was standing near the center ol tho car when the bomb exploded. It shattered the door into splinters and th« whole car was st n filled with smoke. The robbers then began shooting, warning me in the meantime to open the dooi the door quickly. They shovel a rifle Into the door. I obeyed them under tbt penalty of death. Two robbirs came is and got all they cotl.l. I opined the Wei Is-Fargo box, and they took what little silver there was. I saw only tws men.” After gathering together their booty the robbers placed it in gunny sacks, and, mounting horses, galloped off In the direction of the mountains. It Is not knows how much treasure of the Wells-Fargi Company the robbers male pff with, btf it is supposed to be a very large amount