The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-07-30
A Train for San Francisco Wrecked and
ROhbed.

CHICAGO, July 22.-A special dis
patch from Des Moincs gives the fol
lowing account of m attack on q trail
of the Chicago, Rook Island and Pa
ciic Railroad last night: Tho trair
left Council Bluffs at S O'Clock will
four coaches, two sloeping cars in the
rear, the sleeping cars being fllct
with company of aristocrat;c Chi
sheec on their way to New England
colleges. There were also two bag
gage and express cars, in which was
tho through California mail and. OK
press matter consisting ofncarly $40,
600 in the express safe and three ton.
Of bullion. When about sixty. five
miles west of Dos Moiuos, at about 8
o'clock, at a sharp curve iu an ieolatcd
spot and no house within thirty miles
in any direction, the train goiog
about twenty-five miles an. hour; tha
engineer, John rafferty,, saw suddenly
one rail removed from its place, about
sixty feet in front, and instantly ro.
versed the engine and applied the
air brake. When ia the oct. bullets
came pelling into the engine like hail.
Tho eugine ran into tho bank, turned
over, throwing the engineer, Haflerty,
aud fireman out, the fireman failing On
The latter dead. It's supposed lIah'crty
was killed by the coucussion, as no
bullet wounds were found Oh his body.
The fireman escaped unhurt. The
train:' 'being very heavy, ran about opc
hundred feet and stopped. The bag.
gage cars doubled and were badly
smashed. AS soon as the train stopp.
ed several large, athletic mon, mas k.
ed in full Ku Klux style appeared at
the express car in which was Che con~
ductor, William Smith, Suporintend-
ent Royce, Express Messenger John
Burgess and there other persons, and
commenced firing rapidly into the car,
others yellings "Get out there, damn
ye; get out Of there" Two bullets
passed through the clothes Of the
conductor and two grazcd the baggage
master on the side Of tho head. The
inmates jumped out to the rear, under
cover Of half a dozen revolvcrs. Two
OF the robbers marched up and down the
train threatening to shoot any person
who, showed his head, saying "Gct
down out Of sight, damn We, or VIC will
shoot YOU" The robbers then
took about two thousand dollars
OF express money, opened the
mail .saok, but took no lcttors,
mounted their horses and rode of
across the prairie in southern direc-
lion, the whole being done in less
than ten minntes. Fortunately,
though they did not cut tho telegraph
wires, and Superintendent Royce has
tened to the nearest telcg aph station
and tclegraphcd in all directions.
Engines and posse we're sent out
from Council Bluffs, on the Burling-
ton and other roads, to intercept the
robbers: Their dress and voices indi-
Gated that they wore rcgtilat busi,~
whackers. They evidently in
tended to get the usual ynlua-
bic express matter sent over this road
on Monday, but which went through
on an extra train Sunday night.
The robbers during the day stole a
spike bar and hammer from a hand
car house at the station. They drew
the spikes at ono: end or the rails.
They .socrctcd themselves several
rods away, and rs tho engine ap-
preached pulled them out of place.
The promptness Of the engineer IN
reversing the enginc, and the use
of tue air breaks, saved the passcn-
gers from harm, not one being injur.
cd. The track was Mt once laid
around tho wrecked cas-, aud the train
again resumed the "trip, driving here
7.30. this morning, bringing the dcad
body of the engineer, who resided
here, and who leaves q wife and
three children.