Township History Page
This artistic version of J.F. Bennett's photo of Monon Mikado 554
crossing under old Indiana 37 at Harrodsburg, was done by Hulcie Martin's
grandson. The engineer on this run was William Jackson. Hulcie R. Martin
was the fireman. Herb Reynolds and Dust Combs were the brakemen and
Reggie Maham was the conductor. The 554 was the French Lick Local
returning to McDole Yard in Bloomington.
HISTORY
The Train Robbery of 1885
Bloomington (IN) Republican Progress, May 6, 1885, page 2. NOTE: This
very lengthy item was abbreviated as noted by the ellipsis. George L.
Davis was noted variously as George K. Davis; Weber was noted variously
as Webber.
DARING DEVILTRY
Shot Down for a Few Dollars
The night express train that runs from Louisville to Chicago
had gone about 2 1/2 miles north of Harrodsburg last Wednesday night when
the bell on the locomotive was rung, and the engineer put on his air brakes.
The train was then laboring up what is known as the Smithville grade,
and it, of course, surprised the engineer to receive a signal to stop there.
Soon after the signal was given, and before the train had stopped, the
door of the smoking car was hastily dashed open and the baggage master,
Peter Weber, staggered in, exclaiming in excited tones, that "there is
a robber in the express car killing Davis and me!"
There were fifteen drummers
in the smoker, and they were panic stricken, none seeming inclined to move.
One of the drummers, an effeminate looking fellow from Louisville named
Richardson, fainted, and some trouble was experienced in restoring him
to consciousness.
The baggage master presented a frightful appearance,
the eyewitnesses say, his head a mass of clotted blood, and a rivulet of
fresh blood trickling from his face where he had been shot. Finally Tip
Wade and Conductor Chambers went into the baggage car where they found
the express messenger, George L. Davis, lying unconscious in a pool of
blood, his safe open and papers scattered about the floor.
Gradually the
story of the terrible deed was told by the baggage master, which was in
brief that he had been in the smoking car talking to Wade and went forward
from there into the baggage car after the train left the tank; that as
he stepped into the door he saw Davis lying on the floor, a man with a
club standing over him; that the man rushed at him and knocked him down;
that as he recovered he saw the messenger stagger to his feet and reach
for his revolver which was in a pigeon hold; the robber jerked it from
his hand and shot Davis, the expressman, in the head; that the robber then
pressed the revolver against Weber, the baggageman's head, commanding him
to get the keys from the expressman and open the safe on pain of death;
this Weber did, the desperado covering him with his pistol while with the
left hand he rifled the safe; then shot the baggageman in the face; Weber
jerked the bell rope, the robber stood and looked at him a moment, then
turned, passing out at the re!
ar door and jumped from the train...
The train pulled up to Bloomington where
the men war given all possible surgical attention.
There is but one living
witness, Weber, to this terrible crime, beside the assassin, and it is
not wondered if, in his condition, his head beaten with a heavy hickory
club and afterwards shot, his ideas and recollection of the dreadful affair
are somewhat confused.
After the train had proceeded on its way, J. O.
Howe, agent of the American Express Company, at this point took a locomotive
and with a half dozen men went to the scene of the robbery. The assassin
jumped off the train while it was yet in the cut and had walked south some
300 yards before leaving the track; he dropped several money packages which
were secured by Mr. Howe, the contents aggregating $338. Early next mooring
the search was renewed, and the man was tracked about a mile. Nor far
from the road, in a rocky ravine, was found $16.50 in silver, which he
had dropped, and blood was seen upon the ground and leaves leading his
pursuers to believe that he had been injured in jumping. Their search
was unavailing, however. On Thursday afternoon a train was made ready
and about 200 men and boys went down to the immediate neighborhood, giving
it a thorough search, but without any result.
A Chicago Special...Davis'
brother arrived from Louisville Thursday noon and found the wounded man
very low and beyond recovery. His wounds had been properly dressed and
all possible attention given him by Doctors McPheeters, Maxwell and Bryan.
Davis
was removed to his home at Louisville on the 5 o'clock train Thursday afternoon.
He has a bullet in his brain and cannot possibly live...
A Passenger's
Story...(Weber) describes (the robber) as a tall, muscular man, aged 35,
dressed in a light suit, and with a bristling light moustache...
The express
officials feel badly over the butchery of Davis as he was an efficient
and reliable man. He had been on the road something over four years and
had always been careful, brave and honest. He had been wounded several
times during his service. In the accident near Salem last Christmas a
year, when the train went through the bridge, Davis saved his safe and
all the valuables by dumping it out into the river while the train was
burning, and got off with the breaking of a shoulder and two ribs...
A
reporter of the Louisville Courier-Journal interviewed Webber (sic)...On
Friday night Davis, the man with a bullet in his brain, returned to consciousness
for a few minutes, recognized his friends, and it is rumored, described
his assailant. As usual, upon such occasions there is no end of rumors
which when boiled down are found to have no foundation in fact...
J. O.
Howe, the express agent, at this point says that the loss, deducting money
found, is but ten and fourteen hundred dollars (sic).
Don't forget to check out the RedMan Hall Museum.