This robbery was not the first train
robbery in the United States, which took place on May 5, 1865 near North
Bend, Ohio on the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad. This robbery was a significant
event in the history of the MONON Railroad. The MONON Train robbery happened
next to the "Big
Rock" on the tracks between Harrodsburg and Smithville.

Could the rock pictured to the left of the image be "the big
rock"?
From the 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 baggage man'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 baggage man in the face; Weber jerked the bell rope, the robber stood and
looked at him a moment, then turned, passing out at the door and jumped from
the train...
The train pulled up to Bloomington where the men were 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 morning the search was renewed, and the man was tracked about a
mile. Not 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).
A man named Chambers was convicted
of the crime and many people were uncertain if he committed the crime or not.
It was thought that "
someone" had to be found guilty of the crime or others with the same motives
would feel the robbery got away and would be greatly tempted to do the same.
-Courtesy Clear
Creek Township, Monroe County-
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