Connecticut western news., 1873-08-08
A Bold Robbery,

A Bold Robbery,
 The Prairie Crime Causing Great Excite
 ment. 1.-The Engineer Murdered.
 An extraordinary and daring robber.
 of railroad train was committed fou
 miles west of Adair, on the Chicago
 Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. A
 this point there is sharp curve in the
 road, and here the robbers had placed
 heavy timbers across the track to throw
 tho East-bound passenger train off
 The engineer, John Raferty, saw the
 obstruction in time to reverse his en
 zine and apply the air brake but the
 robbers, observing the movement, fired
 at him from ambush and shot him dead.
 The engine struck the logs and went of
 the track into the ditch, and was fol
 lowed by one of the baggage cars, the
 others remaining on the track. Several
 passengers were bruised, but none seri-
 ously hurt. The robbers, who were
 masked, after opening and emptying the safe of the express messenger of its
 contents, rode off on horseback. Among
 the passengers were thirty Chinese stu
 dents, en route to Springfield, Massa-
 chusetts.
 A thousand conjectures are current in
 regard to the persons who robbed the
 train. The most probable one is that
 the robbery was committed by persons living near where the robbery took place. A valise, in which they carried, off the money taken from the express company's safe, was found five miles south of the wrecked train. Vigilant parties are securing southwestern Iowa, and it is confidently believed the rob- bers will be caught if they remain with in the State. A telegram received says the robbers have crossed the Burlington and Missouri Railroad.
 William A. Smith, conductor of the ill-fated train, testified at the Coroner's inquest on the body of John Raferty, the engineer, who was killed, that the train was wrecked two and half or three miles west of Adair Station, and six or seven hundred feet east of Turkey Creek Bridge was in the smoking-car, near the front end, and from the noise l thought the engine was in a ditch, with. one or two cars piled upon it; was thrown under the seat in front of me; do not remember which side of the car. I got out on the bulk. I went forward to see who was hurt; the first person met was one of the masked men near the baggage car door, who pointed a re- Volver In each hand toward me and told | me to get back, firing at one and the | same time I backed down as far as the | sleeping coach before I felt was out of l h1s way; there met Dennis Foley, the | fireman; he says, "Billy, Jack is dead"
 The passengers were in hubbub and the women and children were crying. I told the passengers I thought the masked men were trying to rob the bag gage car, and tried to borrowa revolver, put failed. could still see the man rom whereI was. Saw another passing ID and down on the opposite side of the rain. Think he was firing at me, also. Some of the passengers asked me to get into the train as these men were ring at me and would be the cause of ome of them being killed. then went nto the sleeping car, at the rear, still rylng to get a revolver, and urging the passengers to keep quiet, as these men were robbing the baggage car. I went ut of the ladies' car up to the bank nd hence to the engine. Two balls 'asssd through my clothing while I was n the bank. These shots came from he south side of the train. Did not ee man on the north side then. Did 1 ot see or hear anything more of the 1asked men. After the passengers had ot quiet I went forward to investigate ne causes of the wreck. At the hind tuck of the smoking car I found the sh plate had been removed from the t sil on the north side, disconnecting ' ail at both ends. A rope and strap ( ere tied in the bolt holes of the dis l rail at the west end, and @ t 'pe passed under the south rail across I 1e ditch and up on to the bank. A I lece of rope was also found on the [ ank, which seemed to have been broken l 'om the other. It was new rope, the [ ommon size the west end was loose l the rail when I saw it; it was only a | w inches from the south rail :; the hind [ ucks of the smoking car were still on | le track. We had been running eigh- c 'en or twenty miles an hour. Q The passengers on the train report I lat the scene was terrible and baf1es | escription. When the crash came all s ere thrown forward, some entirely out | their seats. Then came recoil, and n after they heard firing, but r opposed that it came from the wreck. | any of the men jumped from the cars a Id started to get forward, and were or P cred back by the robbers, who con- u nued their firing and enforced their o by terrible oaths and threats. n ack they went, and in the cars found a omen and children half crazed with U ight, shrieking, crying and fainting, Il lploring men to protect them, and O My God We shall be II He'd We shall be killed p The u outest hearts quailed and felt they Ii gre at the mercy of desperadoes. AL u gether, it was scheme unprecedented 4
 the history of railroading in this untry, and never before has so reck- ss and daring scheme been carried
 completion. All Western Iowa is in 6, fever of excitement. Farmers for tpft lies around are leaving the harvest ;irr Ids with their families and visiting M e scene of the robbery. The engine m h, d baggage cars remain as they were h, st nj ght. The former is badly wrecked. b b' perintendent Boyce estimates the fEo, ss sustained by the company at about b1 iu rec thousand dollars. Governor Car s:: nter issued proclamation offering a d, d. ward of $500 for the arrest of each ", oa rson engaged in the robbery. dG; G
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