The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-07-24
The Robbers in Mask-They Make thei
Escape on Horseback.

due mere from Guo WcsI ldst uiSut az
1890 o'clock, did not arrive on time,
and about IL O'Clock the news spread
over the city that it had been attack.
ed, ditched and sacked by a masked
gang of robbers, halfway between
Anita and Adair, 81 miles west of
Des MONIES. The first dispatch re-
ceived was about l0a o'clock, from
Superintendent Royce, (who fortu.
nately happened to be on the train)
sent from Casey:
CASEY, July 81.
Four miles west of Adair train No. 2
| was ditched by robbers, and the express
gone through. There was some kind OF
an obstruction put on the track on sharp
curve, and as Rafferty,, the engineer, saw
it, they shot him dead from the bank
The engine is on her side in the ditch, and
The other upset on the side. The passen
ger coaches are nearly all right. The
track is some torn up. Several persons on
the train are slightly hurt; don't think any
of them are dangerously injured. There
was at least seven of the robbers, all mask
ed, and they went south on horseback.
II. F. R.
The place of the wreck-the most
exposed and desolate spot along the
whole line of the road-being four
miles from telegraph station, it was
impossible to get full and definite
news from the scene. Railroad men
acquainted with the road say that
the place selected was on sharp
curve on a heavy grade, with no
house within sight for miles. The
spot was well chosen-the plot well
laid and we'll executed, the only
mistake made, seemingly, being the
failure to cut the telegraph wire.
The murder of the engineer was a
fendish resort. Lying close upon
the track, they noticed that the faith
full fellow saw the danger, and was
about to save his train and its cargo
of human life. To balk that, and
accomplish their purpose, they
scrupled not to shoot the noble sen.
tinel dead. Then in the fight confu.
sion and panic, the rest of their work
was accomplished without much
difficulty. After this, their escape
was to be made. How that was
done, is all surmise. Whether they
made off to a rendezvous, or scatter
ed, or whether they made off simply
far enough to unmask, and then
come back, to hide their crime by
helping the train out of the wreck,
remains to be found out, if ever it
shall be.
LATER.
From the operator, who went from
Atlantic with an instrument and cut
the wires of the wreck, we have
been enabled since l o'clock to get
some struggling and disjointed par
ticulars. The tender, in the lurch
into the ditch was piled upon the
top of the engine, and one OF the
baggage cars (there being two) upon
top of the tender. Dennis Foley,
the fireman, and Albert Flick, the
baggageman, were both shot at, and
the balls just grc zed their heads. The
express messenger-Jno. Burgess
was the first person to find the en-
gineer. The robbers held revolvers
at the heads of all the men OIL the
front part of the train while the work
of sacking was being done. The
obbers, mounting their horses,
started south, but whether they
pursued that direction, or turned is
not known. 1t is telegraphed that it
is impossible to trace them, as raw
prairie bounds the scene in all direc-
tons. The work of building track
around the engine commenced at
/ o'clock this morning. On the train
are thirty young Cinnamon, of the
aristocracy, who are on their way to
New England, to attend college. All
the Chinese went back to Anita at
l o'clock, saying this was "hellee
country" '
John Rafferty,, the murdered en-
gineer was a resident of East Des
MONIES. He was aged about 35 !;
was married, and his wife and three
children had the dreadful news sent
them at midnight last night. Ills
comrades speak of the dead man as
a ian of bravery and noble heart.
No other person besides the en-
glueer was killed. Comparatively
few of the passengers are injured /;
none, it is reported, seriously.
Superintendent Royce, and Billy
Smith, conductor in charge of the
train, worked actively all night for
the comfort of passengers-and the
rescue of the train.
30 STILL LATER.
The robbers took two thousand
dollars in money from the express
safe. This was all they took. 1t is
probable they thought there was
bullion on the train. They cut open
the mail sacks, but took none of the
letters.
Atl8 o'clock all the cars had been
got back on the track, except one
baggage car and the locomotive.
All accounts agree that the num-
Der of robbers was seven or eight.
They were closely masked, and kept
their masks firmly clear through.
The obstruction the devils made
on the track was of this kind: They
had pulled spike out, and tied q
rope to the end of the rail, and pulled
it out and shot the engineer just as
the train came up. This part Of the
deyiltry was as novel as it proved
terrible.
This plan showed great ingenuity.
Had they taken the rail out in ad
vance, the gap might have been seen
in the distance. AS it was, with the
rope about the rail, and the robbers
concealed in the darkness, it was
laaa ill the very fatal