Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-07-30
DARING ACT IN IOWA.
A Train Thrown from the Track The Ed
gineer Killed.
The Wreck Robbed by Masked Men.

The wreck RODbed by Masked nen.
CHIckGo, July 22.--An EveainJ Jour
nal special from Des Moines gives the
following account of the attack on the
train last night from Superintendent
Boyce, who was on the train:
The train left Council Bluffs at five
o o'clock, with four coaches and two
sleepers the rear sleeper was filed with
company of aristocratic Chinese. on
their way to New England colleges !;
there were also two baggage cars. on
which was the through California mail
and express matter, consisting of near
two thousand dollars in the express safe.
and three tons of bullion Wien about
sixty five miles west of this city. abou:
$50, at sharp curve in the road and iii
an isolated spot, with no houses within
seven miles, the train moving at about
twenty five miles an hour, the engineer.
John Rafferty,. suddenly saw one rail
move from lis place he Instantly re-
vcrsed his engine and applied the air
brakes, and while in the act of doing it.
bullets came pelting into the engine house
| like hail.
The engine was thrown off the track.
and turned over. throwing out the en-
gineer, John Rafferty,. and the fireman.
aud the former falling on the latter, dead.
1t is supposed he was killed by the con-
cussion, as no bullet wounds are found
on his body. The fireman escaped M
hurt. The train being very heavy, ran
about one hundred feet and stopped
the engine run up into the bank and
turned over, and the three baggage cars
doubled up and were badly smashed. AS
soon as the train stopped, six large, ath-
letic men, masked in full Eu Klux style.
appeared at the express car, in which
were Conductor William Smith, Super
intendent Boyce, the express messenger
John Burgess, and three other persons,
and commenced firing rapidly into the
car, yelling "Get out of there. dann ye,
get out of there" Two bullets passed
through the clothes of the conductor, one
grazed the skull of the baggage master.
and one the side of the head of the mesa
senger.
The inmates jumped out. when they
were ordered to the rear ander cover OF
half dozen navy revolvers. Two Of
the robbers marched up and down the
train, threatening 20 shoot any person
who showed their heads, saying, Get
down out of sight, damn you, or we will
shoot you"
The robbers then took about two thou
sand dollars from the express safe, cut
open the mail sacks, but took no letters,
and mounted each horse and rode off
across the prairie, in a southerly direc-
ton the whole being done in less than ten
minutes. They very fortunately did not
cut the telegraph wires. and Superinten-
dent Boyce at once hastened to the near
est station and telegraphed in all direc-
tions. An engine and a posse of men
were sent out from Council Bluffs on the
Burlington and other roads to intercept
the robbers in a southerly direction
Their dresses and voices indicated they
were regular bushwackers, and they
evidently intended to get the nsta.al valu
able express matter by the route on Mon
days, but which went through on ar
extra train on Sunday night.
The robbers, during the day, stole
spike bar and hammer from a hand car
house, at the nearest station, drew the
spikes from the end of a rail, and fasten.
ed small cord TO the end of rail and
secreted themselves several rods away,
and as the engine approached, pulled the
rail out of place.
The pronptness of the engineer and
the airbrakes saved the passengers from
harm, as not one was hurt A track was
at once laid around the wrecked car, and
the train resumed its trip, arriving here
at 1880 this morning, bring the dead body
OF the engineer. who resided here, and
who leaves wife and three children.