Five Masked Men, a $50,000 Payroll, and a Train Robbery That Fell Apart

April 27 — Five masked men attempted to hold up Northern Pacific passenger train No. 2 this evening about 8 o'clock six miles this side of Cle Elum, which is ninety miles east of Tacoma. The plot miscarried because the train ran 1,000 feet after being signaled to stop, instead of 1,680, which the robbers had calculated on. The railroad had knowledge that the attempt was to be made, and had planned a warm reception.

At Nelson's station, where the express car was to be robbed of $50,000 sent to pay off the Roslyn miners for March, the engine stopped. The two robbers who were to board it were too scared to run the remaining distance. The train accordingly went ahead. These two men started across the bridge, ran into the posse, were captured and taken to Ellensburg. Their names are Hank Harrington and Jack Harrison. The others escaped.

Harrington recently finished a term in the penitentiary for burglary. Harrison came to the state three years ago from Kansas. They will be tried in Kittitas County. Extra guards have been placed at the jail to prevent escape.

One of the five robbers was a railroad man, who kept the company posted as to what was being done. The robbery was set for Wednesday, but the shipment of money to Cle Elum was postponed to Friday to give more time to set a trap for the gang's capture. The robbers likewise deferred action. The cash was not shipped on yesterday's train as expected, and a force of men were concealed in the express car. The company's plan was to kill all the robbers except the man who was betraying the officials. Two Tacoma men under Sheriff Stimson, of Kittitas County, were posted at the bridge, where the engine and express car were to be run. Tools and dynamite had been left there, and a quick job in opening the safe was the programme. Stimson's posse was to co-operate with the men in the car. When the engine stopped 500 feet in front of Harrington and Harrison they were afraid to make the attempt at boarding, and the train finally pulled away. The scared robbers, after taking off their black cloth masks, started over the bridge and ran into the posse, which put them under arrest. Officials and officers will not say who gave the railroad its information. A posse is chasing the other two men who escaped.

Ellensburg, April 27 — Special. The passenger train from the west was forty minutes late last night, and soon after its arrival here the report was circulated that it had been held up at Nelson's Siding, near Cle Elum. None of the passengers knew of it, but two men were brought in and lodged in the county jail. The story goes that the officials had been expecting the event and had a posse of detectives aboard. When the train reached the siding it was flagged, and the engineer stopped. Detectives at once began an investigation and soon arrested two men a short distance ahead of the engine. One report says that three shots were fired, others say there were none. The men gave up without resistance. No evidence was made public that they tried to rob the train, but this impression has been allowed to gain circulation. Both men carried revolvers, but made no attempt to use them, as far as can be learned. Superintendent McCabe has been here today with detectives and the prisoners have been undergoing the process of 'sweating.' McCabe left this evening without giving out any further information. One of the men, named Harrison, lives near the siding, which is a flag station. The other gave his name as Lefell. Nothing seems to be known of him. They claim they were flagging the train to get on, and say that their arrest was a great surprise. Everybody connected with the affair is very reticent, and the whole thing has a mysterious air which people are unable to comprehend.