Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-07-31

IGcCOEus
[Des Moines July 22) Cor. Chicago Times.l
Further details of the robbery of the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific train
last evening lave been received. The
train was thrown from the track at 1886
on a short curve between Adair and
Anita, in a cut of about ten feet, where
there is an open prairie divide. The
north line was loosened, and a line run
from that under he south rail, and as
the train approached, the rail was
drawn. This threw the engine O N the
ties, and in less than 100 feet it was
ditched, turning on its side, throwing
the engineer and fireman into the ditch.
The fireman, Dennis Foley, found the
body of the engineer was upon him, and
struggling from the ditch, found he was
dead. Some shots were fred, and a man
told him he would shoot, and he told
him to "shoot and be id" He then
let the water of, and saved the engine
from explosion. The express messen-
ger was orderedto open the safe, with a
revolver at his head, and did it. One
of the robbers unmasked himself, and
looked at he money, and took
the same, amounting to 81, 700. He
was a sandy-whiskered cuss, with a
broad brimmed hat, and two navy re-
~volvers. The jar had affected the men
in the express car. Assistant Superln-
tendent Royce being one of them,
| pitching one over the other, and Royce
taking a hard bump on his nose. The
two rufians in the car wanted to know
where the balance of the treasure was,
and the messenger pointed to the bags
| of gold and silver bullion, which were
too heavy for him, and were not taken.
Superintendent Royce, whom the
robbers supposed to be a passenger,
-ro, LII 10 - Hlo oo. I1aaI1n~ frora hic
wound by the robber, and oon was at
work doing the best he could to repair
the disaster and report the robbery.
Randolph Knight, a prominent mer-
chant here, on the train, says the pas
sengers were thrown from their seats,
though none were seriously injured.
Although they heard the popping of the
pistol shots, they did not at first realize
the situation. He started out of the
car, and as he landed a pistol was point
ed at him from the bank. He was told
to get back or he would be shot. He
Immediately returned. He then at
tempted to get out on the other side,
with the same result. He began to
plead for the passengers and the help
less women and children, but they were
without pity. In the car the scene beg
CARED description. The women and
children were screaming. Some of them
got down on the hoor and covered their
heads. A number of men crowded un-
der the seats to protect themselves. On
the train were thirty Chinese, twenty
eight of whom were on their way to
| Springfield, Mass, to attend school.
They appeared to be less scared than
the others around them. The number of
the men engaged in the robbing is placed
at from five to eight, the latter number
| 6oinn about tho fnrJrn Dr1nohQf of
narrow escapes were made by balls be-
ing in close proximity to persons.
The body of the engineer was brought
here this morning. He caves a wife
and two children. His body was taken
in charge by the Masons. The railroad
company offer a reward of Sc, 90 and
it is thought a trail leading south is o
good one for the robbers, and is being
followed. Other rewards will be offered,
and nothing spared for the arrest and
conviction of them.
The Governor has offered $500 for the
arrest of any n of the robbers.
T
When about sixty-ffve miles west of
this. city (Des Molnes), about half-past
8 o'clock, at a sharp curve in the road,
and an an isolated spot, with no house
within several miles in any direction,
the train moving about twenty-five miles
an hour, the engineer, John Rafferty,,
suddenly saw one rail move from its
place about sixty feet ahead of the en-
gine. He instantly reversed his engine
| and 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 and turned over,
throwing out the engineer, john Raffer-
ty, and the fireman, theformer falling on
the latter, dead. 1t is supposed that he
was killed by the conclusion, as no bull
let wounds were found on his body.
The fireman escaped unhurt. The train,
being a heavy one, ran about one hun
dred feet and stopped. The engine ran
up into the bank and turned over, and
the two baggage cars doubled up and
were badly smashed.
AS soon as the train stopped, six large,
athletic men, masked in full Ku-K1ux
style, appeared at the express car, in
which were the conductor, VIM. Smith,
Superintendent Royce the express
messenger, John Burgess, and three
other persons, and commenced firing
rapidly intothe car, yelling Get out of
there, damn We get out of there !"
Two bullets passed through the clothes
of the conductor, N grazed the skull
of the baggage man, and n the side of
the head of the express messenger. The
inmates jumped out, when they were
ordered to the rear under cover of half
a dozen navy revolvers. Two of the
robbers marched up and down the train,
threatening to shoot any person who
showed a head on the train, saying /:
"Get down out of sight, damn ye, or
well shoot We !"
The robbers then took about 81, 200
from the express safe, cut open the mail
sacks (but took no letters), and mounted
each u horse and rode off across the
prairie in a southerly direction, the
whole being done IN less than ten
minutes.
They fortunately did not cut the tele-
graph wires, and Superintendent Royce
at once fastened to the nearest station
and telegraphed in all directions. En-
gines and parties of men were sent out
from Council Bluffs, on the Burlington
and other roads, to intercept the rob-
bers in a southerly direction.
Their dress and voices indicated that
they were regular bushwhackers, and
they evidently intended to get the usual
valuable express matter sent by this
route on Mondays, but which went
through on an extra train on Sunday