New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-23
TRAIN WRECKlNG.

A Band Of Masked Men Obstpucs the Chi.
cago, Rock Island and Pacific Rail.
road. Kill an Engineer, Wreck n
Train. Rob Safe. and Escape.
DIES MONIES, Iowa, July 22.-An extraor-
dinary and daring robbery on railroad
train was committed last night, four miles
east of Adair, on the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific railroad. At this point there is
sharp curve in the road, and here the
robbers placed heavy timbers across the
track to throw the eastern bound passenger
train OF. Engineer James Rafferty, saw the
obstruction in time to reverse the engine and
apply the air-brake, but the robbers OBJ
serving the movement fred at him from
their ambush and shot him dead.
The engine struck the logs and went off
the track into the ditch, followed by one of
the baggage cars, the others remaining on
the track. Several of the passengers were
bruised, but none we're seriously hurt The
robbers, who were masked, after opening
and emptying the safe of the express mes
senger OF its contents. rode Oft on horse
back.
Among the passengers were thirty Chi
nese students, en- route to Springfield, Mas
sachusetts.
CHICAGO, July ga special dispatch
from Des Moines gives the following &C.
count of the attack on train of the Chi
cago Rock Island and Pacific railroad last
night The train left Council Bluffs at
five o'clock with four coaches and two
sleeping cars in the rear, the latter being
filled with company of aristocratic
Chinese on their way to New England col
leges. There were also two baggage and
express cars containing the mail, and ex-
press matter consisting OF nearly $4,000 in
the express safe and three tons Of bullion.
When about sixty-fve miles west Of Des
Moines, about halfpast eight O'Clock, at .
sharp curve on the road, in an isolated spot,
with no house for several miles in any di-
rection, while the train was going about
twenty-five miles per hour, the engineer,
John Rafferty,, saw one Of the rails suddenly
moved from its place, about sixty feet
ahead. The engineer instantly reversed
the engine and applied the air brakes.
While in the act Of doing so bullets came
pelting into the engine like hail. The en-
gine ran into the bank and turned over,
throwing out the engineer and fireman, the
former falling dead on the latter.
1t is supposed that Rafferty, was killed by
the concussiOn, as no bullet wounds were
found on his body. The fireman escaped
unLurt. The train being very heavy, ran
about hundred feet and stopped. The
baggage cars were badly smashed.
AS soon as the train stopped several
large, athletic men, masked, in full Ku-
Klux style, appeared at the express car, in
which were the conductor, William Smith,
Superintendent Royce, Express Messenger
John Burgess, and three other persons, and
yelling, "Get out of there, damn ye, get
out Of there" Several bullets passed
through the clothes of the conductor, one
grazed the baggage master, and another
went close to the head of the express mes
senger. The inmates jumped out to the
rear, under cover of half dozen navy re-
vOlver5.
Two of the robbers marched up and down
the train threatening to shoot any person
who showed his head, saying, Get down
out OF sight, damn We, or we will shoot
from the express safe, and cut open the
mail packs but took no letters. They then
mounted their horses and rode off across
the prairies in southerly direction, the
whole being done in less than ten minutes.
They fortunately did not cut the telegraph
wires, and Superintendent Royce at once
FASTENED to the nearest station and tele-
graphed in all directions
Engines and posse were sent out from
Council Bluffs on the Burlington and other
roads to intercept the robbers. Their dress
and voices indicated that they we're regular
bushwhackers. They evidently intended
to get the usual valuable express matter
by this route Monday. but which went
through on an extra train Sunday night
The robbers, during the day, stole spike
bar and hammer from the hand-car house
at the station. They drew the spikes from
one end of the rail, and secreted themselves
short distance away, as the engine ap-
preached the pulled OF place.
The promptness Of the engineer in revers-
ing the engine and the use of the air brakes
saved tho passengers from harm, not one of
them being injured. A track was at once
laid around the wrecked cars, and the train
resumed her trip, arriving here at 7:30
A. NJ. bringing the dead body of the en-
gineer, who resided here. and leaves wife
and three children.
The management OF the Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific railroad have offered a
reward of $1,000 for the detection of the viii
lains who attacked an! robbed train on
that road near Adair Iowa last nic