Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-08-01
THE ROBBERS RAID.


Davenport Gazette, Of the daring
railway robbery last week, gives
some particulars not mentioned in
the:frst tclegraphN report:
The arrival of the train which en-
countered the robbers was anxious
" awaited. 1t was due at 7 A. NJ,
but did not reach the Perry street
depot until half past three O'Clock
in the afternoon. 1t had box-cars
for baggage cars, while the coaches
were the ones which came so near
being smashed in the wreck. One
coach was devoted to forty Chinese
youth, sons Of Celestial lords, who
were on their way to Springfield,
Mass, of whom more in another
place. A crowd at the depot await
ed the train, every person on the
great platform being anxious to see
Express Messenger Burgess, or to
interview some of the passengers
who saw the robbers. A couple OF
wags entertained score or more
of persons about them with ac-
counts of the affair and their own
hair-breadth escapes, and vivid de-
scriptions of the whole business,
though they were no nearer the
smash-up than Davenport is. The
fact was. there were but two gen.
tlemen on the train who came in
personal contact with the robbers,
and they were Mr.. o. p. Killings
worth, and Mr.. Matthew Claire
both of Omaha-the former being
Mail Register Clerk, who runs or
night trains between Council Bluffs
and Davenport and has charge Of
registered mail packages, and the
latter agent of the c., r. I. & P
at Omaha, who was accompanying
the Chinese to Chicago. Mr.. Bur
CESS, express agent, who lives in
this city, was detained at Des
Moines by Express Superintendent
Quick, so as to identify the CHIEF
robber, should he be caught.
Mr.. Killingsworth's account of the
affair, as made to our reporter, was
very interesting.
10 begin with, he said that the
"express run" that night from Oma
ha was very light-in fact, Messen
ger Burgess told him before the &C
cident, that he had the smallest
amount in his safe that he had car
ried for months. This was owing
to the fact that there had been a
Saturday night and Sunday nigh
runs from Omaha on the c., r. l
& p, else the amount in the safe
would have been large. To be
sure there were three tons of bul
lion-gold and silver bricks-on tho
floor OF the car, stuff that was hard
ly portable except by dray. Well
the train left the Bluffs on time and
was making splendid time when tho
stoppage occurred. AT that time
the parties in the car were Assis
tant Superintendent Royce, Alber
Flick baggage master, and Messrs
Killingswgrth, Burgess and Claire
whose occupations are mentioned
above. Mr.. Royce was sitting neal
the door, Claire was sitting neal
him, and the others attending to theil
business. The tram had passed
Anita, and was within three miles
of Adair, when there was suddel
and slight slack of speed, and th'
report Of fire arms outside, arrested
their attention. Mr.. X. said it sound
ed amid the rumble of the trail
much like package of fire crack
ers. Bullets pattered about Mr.
Royce, and one grazed the side o
Flick's head. In a moment NOR
there was violent concussion. tn
express car was lifted at one end
turned around, showed forward, an,
then careened at an angle of As de
grees, and stopped its maneuvers
It did not fall completely upon it
lower side. OF course package
went pounding to the lower side o
the car, and the inmates were con
s;derably knocked about and shaker
up. They had hardly rccovere'
their uprightness, when into tn
door on the lower side--the one o.
the upper being shut-sprang a ma
with a revolver in each hand, and
] mask on his face; he was