The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-07-24
CRIME IN IOWA

CRIME IN IOWA.
Passenger Train pitched by xssk
ed Hohbers-Bngineof cnos cn os
: Rxnroes safe Plundereo-~o,oV>
Reward Odor0o.
81 S,n.r;ntendcnt Kimball was callee
! from IS bed It half-past clever
a,clook lsst night to get information
- enc OF the boldest and most villain
ious outrages and murders ever perpe
jtrated in Iowa. The c., r. l. & p
train which left Council Bluffs At 4:2j
Yesterday afternoon was nearing
Adair, in Adair county, and when
within four miles of the station, the
engineer, John Rafferty,, noticed OBJ
structions ahead. It was . quarter
before eight o'clock railroad time,
while by kdair time it was scarcely .
| quarter past seven o'clock, the sun
having scarcely set, and the light
being almost as bright rs in broad
day. The engineer put his hand to
the rod which opens the Westing-
house brake, when he was shot by
| some man on the embankment, who
had been stationed there to see that
the speed OF the train was not slack
ened, but that it run full tilt upon the
obstruction. Rafferty, dropped dead
and in . second thereafter the loco
motive was upon the pile Of ties and
rails which was fastened upon the
track, and was Immediately thrown
upon her side, with the tender and
two baggage cars. The passenger
coaches went off the track also, but
remained upright.
One Of the baggage cars was used
for night express purposes, and the
express safe was inside; and no SOON
er was the car on its side than three
or four men sprang into the door on
the upper side, broke open the safe,
took possession Of its contents, and
got out-the persons belonging in the
car being either cowed by pistols or
overcome with establishment and the
excitement attendant upon a smash
up. The value Of the contents of the
safe was not known 1t the time of the
latest dispatches to Mr.. Kimball this
morning.
Assistant Superintendent Royce
was on the train. but was unhurt.
Some Of the train men were slightly
injured-but whether by robbers or
by the accident kilograms do not say.
None Of the passengers were hurt,
which is remarkable, as the coaches
were full of people. A party of Japs
were on board.
The work of robbing the safe occu-
pied but . moment, and before pas
sengers or anybody else could recover
from the surprise incident to the
accident, the robbers were off and
away. They were seven Or eight in
number, all wore masks, and left
mounted On feet looking horses, going
in the direction south Of Adair.
Mr.. kimball, who is FIRST Asst.
General Superintendent, was busy in
his Office here until after two o'clock
this morning telegraphing instructions
to station agents and others as to OPP
erations to capture the robbers. For
tuIately the numbering villains did
not injure the telegraph wires beyond
immediate repair. The agents west |
of Des MoiIles were instructed to |
arouse the people, and pursue the
robbers. Trains of coaches filled
ed with armed men left Council Bluffs
on the B. & NJ. and Northwestern
roads; these men were let off in
squads at chosen distances along the
lines where horses could be obtained,
and were to scour the country, to
arouse the people to assistance, and
make every possible exertion to over
,sul the villains.
The robbers had considerable start,
t was over four miles from the place
If murder to the nearest telegraph
station, the distance had to be walk
ID most of the way, and that gave the
murders time. Mr.. kimball offers a
eward Of $1,000 for the arrest and
conviction Of the robbers. The ad-
appears in another col
INN. The express company will
probably offer a reward-and with
hese incentives to exertion on the
art of shrewd men, it will be strange
indeed if some of the villains are not
augh. soon. Supt. Royce telegraphs
hat they looked like Missourians, and
we're evidently well skilled in bush.
shacking.-Dac. Gaz. OF Tuesday.
LATER.-From yesterdays Gazette,
which contains very full account of
The black deed, we CLEAN the follow
ing additional particulars:
The train left Council Bluffs at five
o'clock with four coaches aud two
sleepers, the rear sleeper being filed by
Q company of aristocratio Chinese on
their way to New England colleges.
There were also two baggage and ex-
press cars, in which WAS the through
California mail aud express matter.
consisting Of 81. 900 in the express safe
0uU three NOUo Vi OuJIIOU. w O6O ABOUT
Is miles west of this city, about half
past eight o'clock, at . sharp curve in
the road, an isolated spot with no house
within several miles in any direction,
the train moving at about 25 miles an
hour, the engineer, John Rafferty,
suddenly saw y rail move from it's
place, about 80 feet ahead Of the en-.
gine. Heinstantly reversed his engine
aud applied the air brake, and while
in the act Of doing 1t, bullets came
pelting into the engine like hail.
The train being very heavy, ran
about one hundred feet and stopped.
The baggage cars were badly smash ed.
As soon AZ the train stopped six large.
athletic men, masked in full Ku Klux
style, appeared II the express car, in
which were the conductor, William
Smith. Superintendent Royce, the ex-
press messenger, John Burgess, and
three other persons, and commenced
rapidly firing into the car, yelling.
Get out Of there; get out Of there
Two bullets passed through the clothes
OF the conductor, one grazing the skull
Of the baggage man, and one the head
Of the express messenger, the inmates
jumped out, when they were ordered
TO the rear under cover OF dozen ma
w revolvers. Two OF the robbers
marched up and down the train
threatening 10 shoot any pereon who
showed head on the train. saying,
Get down out of sight. or we'll shoot