The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-08-07
The Iowa Express Robbery.

On the 2Sth cholera was prevailing to con.
siderable extent on the plantations below
Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Iowa Express Robbery.
There were but two gentlemen on the
train who came in personal contact with
the robbers, and they were Mr.. q. P. Kill
ingswOrth and Mr.. Matthew Claire, both
Of Omaha, the former being mail registe.
clerk, who runs on night trains between
Council Bluffs and Davenport, and has
charge of registered mail packages, and
Omaha, who was accompanying tie
Chinese to Chicago. Mr.. Burgess, e.
press agent, who lives in this city, was d.
tanned at DesMoines by Express Superb
tendent Quick, so as to identify the chif
robber, should he be caught.
Mr.. KillingSwOrth account of the affair."
as made to our reporter, was very interest
ing.
TO begin with, he said that the s'express
run" that night from Omaha was very
light-in fact, Messenger Burgess told
him before the accident that he had thu
amount in his safe he had carried
for months. This was owing to the fact
that their had been Saturday night and
Sunday night runs from Omaha on the
c., r. /. s. p, else the amount in the safe
would have been large. To be sure there
were three tons bullion-gold and silver
Erickson the floor of the car, stuff that
was hardly portable except by dray. Well,
the train left the Bluffs on time, and was
making splendid time when the stoppage
occurred. At that time the parties in the
express car were Assistant Superintendent
Royce, Albert Flick, baggage-master, and
Messrs. Killingsworth, Burgess, and
Claire, whose occupations are mentioned
above. Mr.. Royce was sitting near the
door, Claire was near him, and the others
were attending to their business. The
train had passed Anita, and was within
three miles of Adair, when there was
sudden and slight slack Of speed, and the re-
port of firearms outside arrested their at
tention. Mr.. X. says it sounded amid the
rumble of the train much like a package
of fire-crackers. Bullets battered about Mr..
Royce, and one graZed the side of Fick's
head. In moment more there was a viO-
lent conclusion, the express Car was lifted
at one end, showed forward, and then Ca
reened at an angle of forty-five degrees,
and stopped its maneuvers. 1t did not
fall completely upon its lower side. OF
course packages went pounding to the
lower side of the car, and the inmates
were considerably knocked about and
shaken up. They had hardly recovered
IL cir uprightness when into the door on
the lower side-the one on the upper be-
ing shut-sprang man with revolver
in each hand and mask on his face he
was the leader of the robbers, as was as
certained afterward. No sooner had he
entered, than he tore the mask from his
face. He was above medium height, was
we'll built, red faced, sandy haired, and
had vicious cOuntenance. He was dress
ed like Understanding blue denim
pants and coat of thin material. No
sooner had he entered the Car than two
other fellows in masks appeared at the
door, with revolver in each hand, which
they leveled at the heads of the inmates.
The scoundrel in the car did all the talk
ing, and he commenced as soon as he was
in-shouting at the top of his voice, with
fearful oaths, Give us those keys, or I'll
blow your brains out! Give us the money
or I'll blow you to hellr' I'VE want
money! Where's them safe keys-quick,
or some of you'll get killcd!" At the
same time he pointed his pistols close to
the heads of the astonished listeners.
where's the bulliOn-give us the bull
lion" Then he shouted to his men
"Rush in and help! Come on! Curse
such SET. of robbers as you are-rush..in
and helpw
Some one told Burgess to give the
scOundrel the safe key, and he did so. The
fellow unlocked the safe, the men at the
door telling the inmates that if they stir.
red they would shoot their heads off.
The chief robber seized satchel be.
longing to Burgess, and crammed the safe
packages into it, and as he did so, he
said: "Here isn't half as much as we
want-where's that bullion? Give us that
bullion!" By this time he was on his
feet. Mr.. Killingsworth pointed to the bull
lion on the floor, saying, ''There it is, un.
der your feet" The robber replied, 1--WE
don't want them things-give us the bull
lion, curse you, or we'll blow your brains
OUT" Then he appeared to forget all
about the bullion, and asked if there was
any money in the mail bags. mo, not a
cent" replied the agent. Then the fellow
put his revolver close to Mr.. K. s head, as
he had before to Mr.. Burgess, and said
"Hand out your knife, mighty quick" Mr..
K. surrendered his knife. Then the rob.
Der picked up mail sack: "That is for
Chicago, is it?'' "Yes." 'Is there any
money in it," "No" He dropped that
sack, picked up another one, threw it
down, and asked: "Where's the other safe
haven't got half enough money yet
where's the other safe?" Burgess replied
there was no other safe. Then the eyes
of the marauder fell upon packing chest,
usually carried in an express car for loose
articles, and asked, whats that?" at the
same time picking up some of the articles,
which he threw down again, with an oath.
The man was an ignoramus, at least about
bullion. He supposed it was coin, and
that there were bags full of gold in the
safe. He didn't believe that the gold bars
and silver bricks on the floor of the car
were anything better than lead.
AT last the bold villain thought it time
for him to leave. So he picked up Mr..
KS satchel, containing register books, a
package of letters, and a few private
articles, and babe the whole five get
out before him, at the same time pointing
his revolver at two of them, and telling
the men at the door to keep sharp watch.
Out the five gentlemen walked, and then
for the first time got view of the wreck.
The chief directed them around the place
where the engine lay, at the same time ex-
pressing the hope that nobody was killed
they didn't want to kill anybody; all
they wanted was money. He asked if
anybody was killed-and just then Bur-
CESS saw the engineer sitting between the
engine and tender, both on their sides.
He went up to him, found that he was
dead and told Mr.. Royce so. The head
robber expressed his sorrow, and really
spoke as if he meant it, and repeated his
remark that they didn't intend to hurt
anybody. Then all the robbers went off
toward their horses, which were hitched
about hundred yards south of the track,
and, mounting them, rode away toward
the southwest. Mr.. Killingsworth felt
certain, however, that only five of the
robbers were mounted. In fact he saw
but five, though others said there were
seven all told. They did not run to their
horses, but walked in deliberate m an
ner, and went across the country just as
deliberately.
The above includes all the main fca-
lures of MIR. KS statement. He was
c0vno %srnn -, pn1oA:~~ ~,