The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-23
DARING ROBBERY
On the Chicago, Rock Island 4 Pa.
ciGic Railroad.

ciIic Railroad.
TRAIN THROWN FROM TIE TRACK, TIE
ENGINEER SHOT DRAD AND THE Ex'
PRESS SAFE ROBBED.
DRs MONIES, Iowa, July 22.-An ex-
traordinary and daring robbery Of q rail
road train was committed last night four
miles west of Adair, on The Chicago
Rock Island & Pacific railroad. At this
place there Is sharp curve In the road
and here the robbers had placed heavy
timbers across the track TO throw the east
bound passenger train of the track. The
engineer, John Rafferty,, saw the obstruc.
lion in timC to reverse his engine and sp.
ply the air brake, but the robbers, OBJ
serving this movement, fired Of him from
ambush and shot him dead. The engine
struck Il log and went of tho track
into ditch, and was followed by one
OF the baggage cars; the others. With the
passenger train remaining on the track,
several passengers were bruised but none
seriously hurt. The robbers who were
masked, after opening and emptying the
safe of the express messenger Of its con-
tents rode of on horseback. Among the
passengers were thirty Chinese students
en- route to Springfield Massachusetts,.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
CHICAGO, July 23-An Erening Journal
special from Des MOines to-day gives the
following account Of the attack on the
train on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pa
cifiC Railroad last night from Superintent
dent Royce, who was on the train. got
the particulars Of the robbery of the night
expressslRst night The train left Council
Bluffs at 8 o'clock with four coaches and
two sleepers. The two sleepers being
filed with company OF aristocratic
Chinese on their way 10 New England
college. There were two baggage eX-
press cars, in which was the through Cal.
iiornia mail and express matter, In short,
near $4,000 in the express safe, and
three tons of bullion. When about sixty.
five miles west ol this city about $50
O'Clock, at sharp curve in the road In an
isolated spot, with no house Tor several
miles in any direction, the train moving
about twenty-five miles an hour, Esq.
John Rafferty, Dudderly saw one rail
moved from Its place about sixty feet
ahead ol the engine. He Instantly re-
versed tho engine and applied the air
brake, and while in the act OF doing 1t
bullets came peltipg into tho engine
like hail. The engine turned over
throwing out tho engineer and fireman,
the former on the latter, who was dead. II
is supposed he was killed by the concus-
sion, as no bullet wounds were found.
The fireman escaped unhurt. The train
being very heavy ran about hundred
feet ant, stopped. Tho engine ran up into
the bank and turned over and two bag.
gage cars were badly smashed AS soon
as the train stopped six large athletic men,
masked in full Ku.Kiux style, appeared ut
the express car, In which were the con-
ductor, VIM. Smith, superintendent Royce,
express messenger John Burgess and
three other persons, and commenced firing
rapidly into the cor, yelling "Get out oil
there, damn ye; get out Of there" Two
bullets passed through the clothes ol the
conductor, one grazed the baggage mas
ter aud one tho head OF the express mess
euger. The inmates jumped out when they
were ordered 10 the rear under the cover
OF half a dozen navy revolvers. Two of
the robbers marched up and down the
train threatening 10 shoot any person who
showed their heads In the train, saying
"gct down out OF sight dam you or We will
shoot YOU" The robbers then took about
6, 900 from the express sale, cut open the
mail sacks but took no letters and noun.
ted each a horse and rode of across the
prairie in q southerly direction. The
whole being done in less than ten minutes,
they fortunately did not cut the telegraph
wires, and Superintendent Royce at one
proceeded to the nearest station and tele-
craphed in.all directions. The engineer
and q posse OF men were sent out from
Council Bluffs on the, Burlington and 9th.
or roads to intercept the robbers In the
southerly direction. Their dresses
and voices indicated that they were
regular bushwhackers, and that they in
tended 10 get the usual valuable express
matter by this route on Mondays, but
which went through on an extra train on
Sunday night. The robbers during the
day stole a spike bar and hammer from
hand car house at the nearest station.
They then drew spikes from one end Of
the rail and fastened q small cord to 1t,
and secreted themselves several rods
away, aud as the engine approached
pulled the rail out Of place. The prompt
ness OF the engineer and tho air.brake
saved theypassengers from harm, as not
ono was injured. The track was ut once
run around the wrecked cars, and the
train resumed its trip, arriving at 7:S0
this morning, bringing the body Of the
dead engineer, who leaves a wife and
three children.
DRs MONIES, Iowa, July ga thou.
sand coDieCtures arc current here In re-
gard to the persons who robbed the train
on the Rock Island railroad, last night,
One is that the robbery was committed
by persons living near the place. A vallce
in which they carried of the money taken
from the express cOmpanys safe was found
five miles south Of tho wrecked train, to-
day. Vigilant parties are securing south
western Iowa, aud It Is confidently
believe that the robbers will be
caught il they remain within the State.
A telegram received here late tonight
saws t6ev crossed the B. & NJ. Railroad
last night at midnight. VIM. A. Smith,
conductor of the Inflated train, testified
to. day at the coroner'sinquest on the body
of John Rafferty,, the engineer killed, that
tho train was wrecked TWO and one.hall
miles west of Adair station, and 600 or
700 feet cast Of Turkey creek bridge. l
was in the smoking car, near the front end;
from the noise l thought the engine was In
a ditch, with one or Two cars piled upon
Il; was thrown under the seat In front OF
me; don't remember which side Of the car
l got out on, but know that reached the
engine on the north side; / went forward
10 see who was hurt; the tlrst person Imet
was one Of the masked men near the bag.
gage car, who presented revolver in each
hand toward me and told me to get back,