The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-11-03
RAID ON A RAILROAD TRAIN.

A TRAIN ON THE CHICAGO AND sOUTHwEs-
TERN RAILROAD Is ATTACKED-THE Ro-
NANCE AND THE FRIGHT-A BUNGLING AT
TEMPT AND NO SPoILs.
The Cameron MOI correspondent of the
st. Louis Republican writes thus of a daring
attempt at train robbery: The northern
bound train on the Chicago & Southwestern
railroad arrived at Cameron yesterday on
time, about 7:30 P. NJ. 1t is the point of in
tersection of this road with the Hannibal
& st. Joseph railroad, also the point of bisec-
ton of the latter road where the
two lines TO Kansas City and st.
Joseph respectively diverge from each
other. The Chicago & Southwestern
train had been stopped on the main track
Just above the depot and in front of the
Combs House, where the passengers and
train men get supper. Nearly every one
hal left the train to get supper; only few
passengers were left on the train, consist
ing of one passenger car, baggage, mail and
express car. There was only one railroad
emplove upon the train, and he was the
baggageman, who was eating his supper in
the baggage car. Hearing some noise at the
brakes between the baggage and the passen-
ger coach, the bsggageman went out
on the platform and found man
working with the coupling, which was one
of the Miller patent He asked the man
what he was doing. The stranger replied
that he was examining the coupling. The
baepaeeman told him 10 let it alone, and at
the same time stepped out upon the plat
form to see that the train had not been I'M
coupled. Just at this moment, he says, the
train started with jerk, and was IN very
short time under good speed and increasing
every moment. The baggageman then
thinking that something was wrong, or that
n.,f1 Cd lxr
leaving the steam upon the engine
not entirely cut off, attempted to
90 forward to the engine through
the baggage-car and see what was the mat
ter. when he was confronted at the door by
a man with pistol who ordered him back.
The train was run about two miles north
ward when it was stopped, and the same
man who had stopped the baggageman at
the door of the car called him TO take charge
of the train and carry it back to Cameron.
Six men jumped OH the train ano leit il:
The baggageman took the train back, and
here ends all that is at present fully estab-
lished. Now, there is something very mys-
terious about this whole affair, If these
mon were really
BAND OF OUTLAWS AND ROBBERS,
none of the party wore masks or disguises.
No violence was offered any one, except
the presentation of a pistol to prevent the
baggageman from returning the car when
the train first started. None of the pas
sengers were intimidated or searched. much
less robbed, and the express safe, which
contained some $1,000 or $500, does not ap-
pear to have been interfered with at all.
The safe is said to be very common one,
and could have easily been broken into with
hammer or coupling pin. Furthermore, af-
ter the train was brought back the regular en-
gineer, upon boarding his engine, at once re-
marked that askillful engineer had been run
ningit, as the engine had been left with both
pumps in running order, in which condition
the train could not have run mile without
flooding the engine with water, but that the
person who drove it had cut off the water,
and that the air break had been used to stop
it. And again, it was evident that the sand
box had been opened at the start to give the
wheels pinch, so as to get under full head
way as speedily as possible. Now, all these
facts put together make the matter appear
as if it were huge joke perpetrated by a
few railroad men or some inconsiderate ras-
cal, or was "put-up job'' for a special pur-
pose, which purpose was not robbery or pill
lage. At any rate, it made tremendous
excitement in the loyal town of Cameron,
and the train had hardly disappeared in the
darkness of night upon the prairie, before
the tocsin OF war was sounded Amidst cries
of "the James boys sre on us!' "The
Youngers are herer' the valiant Gamer
onians turned out with guns, pistols, old
rusty muskets, slaves, hoop poles, stones,
and all the other artillery that could be
found, to catch the daring highwaymen and
vindicate the majesty OF the law by their ar
rest, trial, or infiict summary punishment.
The highways and hedges were secured, the
whole country searched, old farmers aroused
from their peds and everything put into an
uproar, but no one had heard or seen any
thing of the robbers, and not trace of them
could be found.