Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1875 — The Vandalia Outrage—The Brave Express Messenger's Story. [ARTICLE]

The Vandalia Outrage—The Brave Express Messenger's Story.

The excitement over the Vandal is Railroad murder and the attempted robbeiy has not yet subsided, especially in the vicinity of the attack. James Burke, the brave messenger, arrived in the city yesterday from Columbus. He left at midnight for Terre Haute in answer to a telegram from Superintendent Rhodes, of the express company, telling him to report to the agent at Terre Haute, where he is wanted as a witness. Mr. Burke isa squarebuilt man, thirty-two years old, and of Irish birth, having come to this country when seven years of age. He is a married man and lives at St Louis. He is intelligent in his conversation, and shows in his every manner that he is a man who can be depended upon in any emergency where pluck and cool, deliberate judgment is needed. He has been in the employ of the Adams Express Company for fifteen years. Ten years of that time he was stationed at Cairo, where reliable men were required owing to the troubles of the war. He has been running with the through cars from St. Louis to Colum bus for about two years anti a half. His story of the" attack is as follows: When we came to the tank I had my door next to the tank open a few inches, as I always had a feeling that it was not a safe place. We had hardly come to a dead stop before I heard the shooting, and for that reason I think there was a third man, who did tjje uncoupling while the two jumped on the engine. It flashed through my mind in a minute what was up, and I pulled the door to and saw that the catch caught. Before 1 had fairly Thumjhis the car was jerked fearfully, the throttle wide open. We had a long' train, and had a heavy grade ahead, so Ames had on a full amount of steam. I had heard of such tricks before, and began thinking what could be done. 1 opened my door again, and, looking back, saw that I was cut loose from the train, the lights of which could be seen plainly at the distance of three-quarters of a mile back. I thought at first I would throw the big safe out, and then 1 thought if I did that the noise would be heard by the robbers. 1 pulled my door shut again and began making my barricade, white the car was running at the rate of fifty miles an hour. The through safe which bad the money in was in the front end of the car next to the engine. I piled up the trucks so that I was barricaded in front of the side doors. Then all I wanted was to be left alone, but they did not aflbrd me that pleasure. We had run but about three minutes when they made the stop. It was as smooth ana regular as any I ever saw made. I think for this reason, and because they shot Ames, fearing he would recognize them, that they bad been employes of the road. When we stopped I heard several voices, in low conversation, and one of the persons came to the door and knocked lightly, saying: “Jack, open the door quick, quick.” It was said in a way to make me think that it was some of "the train men, who often rap at the door, and ask me to open it. The only light that came in the car was from the" small windows over the door, which enabled me to see between the two doors. They thought that I would give up and they, therefore, did not run farther from the water tank. They had a wagon there, and were ready to go up the cross-roads with the safe. They begged like good fellows, and said if I would let them in they would not hurt me at all, but I expect I would have met with poor Ames' fate. I said I wanted no mercy, and would give none. Then they l»egged again. I was standing near the door, and replied that I was ready for them, and shot once at the door while speaking. Then they quit talking so nice, and began calling out all the names you ever heard. The fellow who first spoke seemed to be the leader, and he called for the sledge-hammer and the crow-bar, which he said were,in the engine. They pried at the door the wrong way, and were prying it shut all the time. The doors slide so that it is hard for anyone outside to tell which way they do open. I thought sure they were going to burst it in then, and got behind mv breastworks, firing another shot as I did so, from one of my two “bull-dogs.” Then they left the door, and in a moment the car seemed to be surrounded and shots came against it from all directions except the one near the engine. They never came to that end any time, I guess, because they did not want to get near their work in the cab. They fired about seven shots, and then I heard the leader say: “ There is no use in trying it It is not'safe.” 1 thought this was a blind, and kept still, trying to hear them. From that time out it was as still as death, and the onlything 1 could hear was the water occasionally running from the tender to the boiler of the engine. I am sure I laid there an hour before the train men came - up. , During that time I imagined everything. 1 thought all the time they were outside waiting for me to open the door and see who were in sight. Well, you can't know what all I thought about. I also expected that they would suddenly burst the door open, but then I knew I copld get first shot at them, because theycould not see me. 1 never thought a bullet would go through the car. I showed some of them to gunsmiths and they say they are from carbines. They made lots of noise at all events. I did not think Ames was killed, as I thought they shot to scare him. When we got back to the tank I asked Jack Splann whose laxly that was on the platform, and he told me it was the engineer. The passengers were wonderfully tickled, and I guess would have shaken my hands off if 1 had let them got at me. Well, I. was mighty glad to get back to them again. One ‘young fellow, a reporter for a St Louis paper, tired the engine back to the lank. 1 was never in any trouble before of any kind except once when we were ditched on the Pan Handle at the time of the strike.—lndianapolit Sentinel. July 15.