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

Slackeu spccu u llICle On the curve, out
still was5oing at the rate of nearly twenty
miles ARMOUR. The engine and the front
baggage car-which contained the
throughbaggage of the Chinese and other
passengers, and was locked-turned near
ly acros the track, with one end up the |
embanlment, while the express car went |
crashin, against the baggage car, and then |
veered or the embankment, left the track, |
and tuned on one side, as described
above The passenger coaches did not |
leave tie track; the forward trucks of the |
adNl6te coach went off, and that was all. |
Now we come to the other dolngs OF the |
robbers we mean the pranks of the chaps
In regard to the train generally.
Inc passengers-there were three
coaches of them-heard the firing and
shouts of the robbers, and then, with the
noise of the crash in front, were all
brought standing, and thrown about gen.
orally by the smash-up ahead. The
Chinese all lay down flat on the floor, and
were in that position when Mr.. Claire
went to them. Some of the passengers,
after the train stopped, put their heads out
of the windows and the scoundrels on the
sides of the cut fired down, and told them
to stay in or they'd be shot. Several
stepped out upon the platforms and were
told to get back, and, not liking the looks
of the revolvers leveled at them, they
obeyed. A few got off at the rear and
started to run away, but the robbers called
to them to come back: 1--WE don't want
to hurt you" and the passengers returned,
and were told to get into the car quick,
which they did. There was one plucky
old gent who got off the rear platform and
started toward the engine; robber told
him to go back; he told the robber to 60
to regions below and called him damna-
bic scoundrel, and cried to the passengers
to "come out and go for the villains, and
nobody was infected by the old mans
lis indignation at the villain on the bank
The firing was almost constant from its
opening until the leader gave the call to
nut for the horses. The fellows on the
banks kept firing down the embankment,
without taking aim at anything. The
passengers told Mr.. Killingsworth
that one chap was drunk, and
fired with wabbling arms" as
they expressed it. No bullet holes were
found in the coaches, nor their windows.
Til, death of the engineer, the brave John
Rafferty,, excites desire for vengeance in
the hearts of all who hear the story
There was a report yesterday that he was
not killed by pistolshot, but that his
neck was broken when the engine turned
over. The account of his fireman, Dennis
Fo.ey, as Mr.. X. heard him give it, rem
de,s it pretty certain that a bullet did the
work. Foley says that he was shoveling
coal into the furnace, and was bending
with his face to the door, when Rafferty,
pulled his Westinghouse brake, reversed
his engine, and then fell right across him
Foley), and. sank to the floor of the cab.
The fireman asked, "Jack, how's this ~
and Just then the engine went off and
turned over. Foley was sure the fall of
his engineer was before the displaced rail
was reached. The engineers body was
placed in box car with the mails and
brought to Des Moines. Mr.. X. says
there were no wounds in the head, and it
was thought he was shot through the
body. Mr.. Rafferty, was a resident OF
Des Moines, where he owned a neat resi-.
dence. His age was about thirty five
years. He had been with the Chicago
Rock Island & Pacific Railway for five
years, and was regarded as one of the
best and most trustworthy engineers on
the line. He leaves a wife and three
children. We believe his parents reside
at or near Clinton, in this State, and his
father is expected here this morning tC
take the train for Des Moines.
After the smash up, and the robbers hai
passengers. Some fthe ladies, who haC
been frantic with terror, came out pale a
ghosts and still tremblin g-and several o
them wcpt like children when they heart
Of the death of the engineer and the man
ner in which he stood at his post.
Superintendent Royce Immediately Sc
himself at work to send for assistance ant
clear the wreck. There was no telegraph
instrument at Adair station, which is
mere side track. So Royce walked t.
Casey, six miles distant, and telegraphe(
to Stewart for locomotive and box cars
The baggageman walked to Anita, and re
turned with an operator and instrument
and the telegraph was set at work at til,
scene Of the wreck. When help hat
arrived, track was built around tn,
wreck, box cars were substituted for bag
gage cars, and the belated train came OF
eastward. But it was four o'clock in til,
morning before it started. That tools i,
the hands of the robbers at the express
Car were stolen was ascertaincd, when 6
section boss, who lived on the line of til,
track two and half miles west of the
scene of wreck, arrived at the place, h,
recognizing crow bar, spike lever, an(
an axe left by the robbers; the tools hat
been stolen from his tool chest.
Another item Of interest pertains to thu
two satchels taken from the express car
As soon as the robbers got to their horse:
Mr.. Killingsworth started toward them tt
see what had become of his satchel. HI
found the contents scattered along thu
way, books, package of letters, and all
and at last came upon the satchel itself
The bundle of letters had not been motto
ed, although there was valuable missiyt
in the lot. The robber kept the knife he
borro,oed of Mr.. K, however. The expires.
agents satchel was found, yesterday, fiv.
miles south of the place of the wreck
There was suspicion that man who
got on the train at the Bluffs was il
league with the robbers. He went from
Des Moines on the westward train at two
a. m. that morning. Some of the passen
gers asserted that they saw him go acros.
the country in the direction the robber!
took. At any rate he was not seen on the
train after dark, although there was .
general search for him. Gold watches
There were four of them in the express
|
persons of the inmates, but he took nc
notice of them. Bullion" was what he
wanted.
The revolvers the scoundrels carried
were of the navy pattern; every man had
two of them, and some of them one or two
of another kind in addition.
| The conductor was Billy Smith. The
robbers appeared to know him, and dis.
like him too. The fellows on the bank
cried, "Come out and show yourself, Billy
Smith," dozen times, and when Billy
made his appearance on a platform, the
fellow sent bullet in close proximity to
him, and dared him to "come on the level
and have it out like man." That they
were amateur robbers, all who saw them
feel certain. Mr.. Killingsworth says it is
believed they were men who lived in that
section somewhere-and some go farther,
and state that they had had experience as
railway oacfiOn hands At anv rofo thox,