The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-07-22
APPALLING CRIME.
Passenger Train Ditched by
Masked Robbers.
ENGINEER SHOT AND EXPRESS
PLUNDERED.
PARTICULARS OF THE AFFAIR--wHAT
IS BEING DONE.


$4,000 Reward.
Superintendent Kimball wis called from
his bed at half past eleven o'clock last
night to get information of one OF the bold
est and most villainous outrages and muir
deTs ever perpetrated in Iowa. The Z. h.
i. 4 p train, which left Council Bluffs at
4,25 yesterday afternoon was nearing
Adair, in Adair county, and when within
four miles of the station, the engineer,
John Rafferty,, noticed distractions ahead.
1t was quarter before eight o'clock rail
road time, while by Adair time it was
scarcely quarter past seven O'Clock, the
sun having scarcely set, and the light be
ing almost as bright as in broad day. The
engineer put his hand to the rod which
opens the Westinghouse brake, when he
was shot by some man on the embank
meut, who had been stationed there to see
that the speed of the train was not slack
ened, but that it run full tilt upon the OBJ
struction. Rafferty, dropped dead-and in
a second thereafter the locomotive was
upon the pile of ties and rails which was
fastened upon the track, and was immedi-
ately thrown upon her side, with the ten
der and two baggage cars. The passen-
ger coaches went of the track, also, but
remained upright
One of the baggage ears was used for
night express purposes, and the express
safe was inside and no sooner was the car
on its side than three or four men sprang
into the door on the upperside, broke open
the safe, took possession of its contents,
and got out-the persons belonging in the
car being either cowed by pistols or over
come with establishment and the excite
ment attendant upon a smash up. The
| value of the contents of the safe was not
/ known at the time of the latest dispatches
4 TO Mr. Kimball this morning
/ Assistant Superintendent Royce was on
/ the train, but was unhurt Some of the
train men were slightly injured - but
| whether by robbers or by the accident tel
egrams do not state. None of the passen-
gers were hurt, which is remarkable, as
/ the coaches were full Of people A party
of Japs were ON board.
! The work of robbing the safe occupied
| but a moment, and before passengers or
any body else could recover from the sur
/ prise incident to the accident. the robbers
we're off and away They were seven or
eight in number, all wore masks, and left
mounted on feet looking horses, going in
the direction south of Adair.
i Mr. kimball who is First Asst General
Superintendent, was busy in his office here
until after two o clock this morning, tele-
graphing instructions to station agents and
others as to operations to capture the rob
bers Fortunately the numbering villains
did not injure the telegraph wires be
yond immediate repair The agents west
of Desmoines were instructed to arouse the
people, and pursue the robbers Trains
of coaches filled with armed men left Coun-
ell Bluffs on the b 4 NJ and Northwestern
roads; these men were let off in squads
at chosen distances along the lines where
horses could be obtained, and were to scour
the country, To arouse the people to aSsis-
lance, and make every possible exertiOn to
overhaul the villains
The robbers had considerable start. 1t
was over four miles from the place of muir
| der to the nearest telegraph station. the
distance had to be walked most of the
way, and that gave the murderers time
Mr.. kimball offers
a REWARD OF $1,000
for the arrest and conviction of the robbers
| The advertisement appears in another col
umn. The express company will probably
offer IA reward-and with these incentives
TO eXertion on the part of shrewd men. it
will be strange indeed if some of the vii
lains are not caught sOon.-DaC. Gazette
22Hd.
Adair, near the scene of the murder of
Engineer Rafferty,, and the robbery of the
express, is IS miles this side of Council
Bluffs. The crime was committed miles
west Of Adair. and therefore Il miles this
side Of Council Bluffs 1t was miles this
side Of Anita, but there being no telegraph
station at Anita, it was necessary 10 walk
this way, miles, to Adair 1t is 81 miles
west ofDesmoines where the affair occurred.
! From private telegtams and persons on
the train, we learn that the engine was
ditched by drawing the spikes and loosen
ing the connections of the rails, and fasten-
ing a rope to the end of rail, on curve.
and when the engine was near it pull
ing the rope so as TO switch the train off.
The engineer, Rafferty,, saw the end Of the
rail move, some 60 feet ahead of him. when
he reversed his engine, applied the air
brake-and while in the act of doing it
bullets came pelting into the engine
like hail The engine ran into the bank
100 feet. The inmates of the baggage and
express cars were fired upon and driven
out Two Of the robbers marched up and
down the train and threatened to shoot any
person who intertered The robbers got
about S2,OOO-and the whole affair was
over in less than ten minutes.
The delayed train arrived here about 4
O'Clock this afternoon the odd on its way
east