The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-12-12
Tie Kentucky Railroad Robbirg.


CAPTURE OF THE WHOLE PARTY.
TIE louisville journal publishes q long nd inter
este count of the capture q we meu "1@ recently
55a7a e train On the Louisville aid Nashville rail
rasd. raar Franklin, Ky. we give the chi.f part 81
Bile ztues
one ii the party, Stephen ConweIl, yousg man Of
about twenty made full confession of the gaoe at-
fair From him we learn that two men, resi.tag near
Franklin, named King and Finn, conceived tho idea
after the robbery OF the pay trin. Ity argued
that if three men could get that larger giug could
rob any train. These then sought allies, and got
ten men besides negro who proved leafing spirit
In the whole affair The party met at mill about four
miles from Franklin, whore they matured tsair plans
They then rode down towards the railroad, when one
oi them proposed to stop az Converts holse till ne
could borrow hs pistols. COuwcI refused Z. loan bis
pistols and was anxious ID know what was going on
Finally they urged him 20 along, telling him the
whole plan. He accompanied them to the FL ice o. the
road il was agreed that the track should be torn
up. Here the negro showed them how 10 pay up the
track, and they forced the rail one sid; our but
they had time the other, as tseY heard
the train coming. So they piled some lo0ks rails ON
the track and moved back about three hundred yards
to await the train. Couwe says that the tain came
laundering along in the darkness full soeed, and
when il struck the rails the track it seemed to him
as if it jumped fifty feet Then he wished that he
safe home and had not come. As soon as the loco
motive rolled down the bank, tile gang rushed up be-
side the and fred each man, shot up 10 the air
They had agreed to do this to righen the passengers
and if any one returned the fire they were ito snoot
into the train. No fred, and the me.= entered
the cars leaving two and the negro outside as
guard while they robbed the passengers as soon as
they had finished this they started for tbs express
car but found that the had fallen itsside and
that the only open door the under SIDE. Be
fore they could open it the whole was ase They
then rided the baggage Of what they co5ld carry
mounted their horses and rode off four miles when
they stopped, plundered the baggage that tley bad
and divided the spoiIs Conwcll says that .han the
division was made each man had eleven collars in
money. They then dispersed, each going to s home.
Soon after the robbery some detectives we've sent
the track and some Of the military were sent down
there to hunt the thing out. The citizens Of Franklin
extended every in their power and by their
knowledge of persons and Places enabled tt=e officers
to get all the gang except the negro. lie clnnot be
found The citizens suspected Conwell from some ex
preston be mad been heard 10 use, and arrested him.
He Immediately confessed his participation IN the AZ
fair and told all he knew. Conwell taken 10 Frank
lin. While there he King one of the LEADERS, sit
ting in the telegraph office, listening to 9hat was
going on. The messages that were passing between
the authorities here and the people of Franklin rea
tive to the robbery, must have been amus.g to this
cool knight Of the road. He regarded as one Of
the citizens who was anxious to ferret the mpter out
As soon as Conwell saw King, he said "Tharcs one
of the Ieadersl' King walked out a little ways and
then tried 70 make his escape, but it too ate-the
military arrested him.
Ceuwel's testimony will undoubtedly Gaste the guilt
upof the right persons, and that, too ia iDdsputa-
bic manner He, himself, seemed very gieen and
awkward telling the story with peculiar vete that
seems rrPsi-tbIY funny lie hardly rcaliSes his posi-
ton, nor that he has committed any crime. Conwel'
lodged in Jail last night to keep him separate from
the Others who put in the military prison at Tay-
Tor barracks. The Others of the gang not aware
that Conwell has turned against them ana continue
defiant and protesting their ignorance Of the whole
affair.
The detectives who took passage on the morning
train succeeded in capturing three men, named james
?. Jackson David Russell and Jake Smith. They were
discovered lurking suspciousy along the railroad near
Rol Ky Hill As the northward train ou Of time
but nomentariIy expecting to meet the south going
train is necessary for it to cautiously around
the curves and keep up signals to avoid collision
This enabled the detective officers to observe the ma
npuvres Of the men and when within a few hundred
yards of Rocky Hill station, the detectives eape5
from the train, pursued and nabbed the suspected