The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-02-05
fiSHBACKED.
The Days Of Vandalism Revived
in the West.
AudaciOus Robbery Of the Iron
Mountain Train on Saturday.
The Details Of the Affair as
Related by Conductor Afford.
From the st. Louis Globe

western railroad welcomed the Gto6e 10 hi
domicile.
"Lie down, Kater' said he to q larg,
New Foundland slu', who manifested inquis
ilivenees a to the pregnant hinges of our re
portorial knee, and Kate, an elegant spsci
men of her rpeccies, forped down -behlnt
the stove Winking at the Globe with both O
her eyes.
Afford L. the conductor Of the Iron Noun
tain train robbed on Saturday. and the Giob,
had driven to his residence at Carondele;, on
Third, between Olive and Nebraska streets
"Tell me all about this thing, now" said
the Globe. Commence at the start from
st. Louis and Iel.te the circumstances in de.
TAIL"
swell, l run out train No z, the Little
Rock Express, and started from Plum stree,
at 10 minutes to 10 Saturday morning. We
got behind, and when We reached Gadshiil,
one hundred and twenty miles from st.
Louis, We were an hour late. Gadshili is .
regular stopping place, though there is no
station there-only platform. II is a email
place Of no account, and there are only few
houses. There used to be mill there"
"a grist mill?'
''Grist mill? No. They'll never have a
grist mill there in the world, a saw mill.
The country around there is heavily timber
ed, and it is just the place for saw mill, or
"A robber
| ''Of what was your train composed?"
| "Four carr; . mail, baggage and express
car, all in one, two coaches and sleeper. i
| reckon We had twenty-five passengers in all,
| five of them ladies, We we're due at Ga s.
hill at six minutes past four, but We didn't
get there until q quarter of five. As we ap-
preached the town, the engineer noticed =
| red Gag and whistled down. l went TO the
car and saw the flag. and jumped of before
the train had fully stopped, for l thought
/ the track was torn up, or there was some
other difficulty, because q red 1,g means
danger. As l struck the platform, noticed
| the train running on the side track. The
northern switch had been opened and 80 had
the southern, and when We got on the side
track We were stuck, for had We started for
ward or back, We would have run of the
track. Just as jumped of q man grabbed
me BY the collar and jammed pistol in my
face. He was . huge six footer, and his
face was covered with mask made of white
cloth, with holes cut for his eyes and mouth
Here, I'll chow you," and taking the
GLOBES handkerchief, Afford put it over his
face, tucking the corners in his vest.
"Hov many men were there in the
parry"
"Ihere were only FIVE; and the funniest
thing was they had captured the town first,
and pulled every man, woman and child out
of the houses. They had built big bonfire
near the platform, and there were the in
habitant, crowded around it trying to keep
warm. The robbers stood over them, on
guard, all armed with from two to three
navy revOlvers, and three OF them had dou-
bls-barreled shot-guns. When the fellow
grabbed me l didn't know what to make of
it,"
"Werent you fiigh.ened''
swell, reckon was somewhat fright.
ened; but he put me right at my ease-he
comforted me-"
"What did he say?'
s'Stand still, or I'll have the top of your
id bead off, l stood still. saw two OF
the gang jump on the engine, and they made
the engineer and fireman get down. They
were brought to where I stood, and the rob-
Der covered u with pistol. He spoke to
those who looked out at the windows, and
told them that il shot was fired he would
kill the conductor. That was me. One o
them stood on the opposite side of the train,
and a the passengers put their heads out,
he told them to take those heads back again
| or they'd lose 'em. He had double-bar-
| relied shotgun, and don't think he was
fooling any. Two of them went into the
| baggage car and hauled out the baggage
man and brakeman. These they put IN
der the same guard that had me. There
was another brakeman, but he got into the
sleeping car and stayed there. They then went
| into the mail apartment and demanded the
registered packages of the mail agent. They
rummaged through the letters aud picked
out those that had been registered, and
brought the agent out onto the platform and
handed him over to the guard. Inc ex-
press messenger was the next man. and as
| they went into his room he covered them
with pistol, but another drew q bead on
him with gun, and instructed him to lay
that pistol down gently. lie did so. Then
they demanded his keys, opened the safe
and took out the money packages. They
took out one marked "Watch," bu. when
they opened it and found it to be a silver
watch, they dropped it. They put the other
packages into bags and then went through
the baggage boxes. They opened my satchel
and took out my pistol. After that exploit
they went through the train. They weren't
careful with the passengers. Ttey punched
them in the ribs with pistols, and pointed
their shooting irons in theic faces. Not a
man escaped them. Every one was robbed,
although they took but one gold watch. Sew
eral had fine watches, but the thieves passed
them over. There were three ladies in the
ladies' coach, and two in the sleeper; one of
the latter, Mrs. Scott, Of Pennsylvania,
bound from st. Louis u Hot Springs vita
her son, was robbed of $500, leaving her
only ten cents. One other lady was relieved
of three pocket-handkerchiefs, but that was
all. She had = magnificent gold watch and
heavy chain, tu, they didn't take it. They
didn't seem TO care for watches. The one
they took belonged to man who wouldn't
give his name"
"Do You know the names Of those who
were robbed and the amounts taken?"
"They got 81, 0SO in money packages from
the FIRST car, Adams express; 81 80 from
Silas Terry; $l54 Is from C. D. Henry;
$50 from G. L. Daft; $500 from Mr.. Lin
cole $500 from Mr.. Moran; SO from o. S.
Newell; sleeping car conductor SIS in money,
a ring valued ut $50 and pin valued at
500. from w. A. McLanan; 81 from James
johnson, porter OF the sleeping car; $40 from
the train boy, and $50 from me. They took
nv watch, but the baggage man said, Tor
Gods sake, don't take his watch. it was a
present to him. and the captain ordered
them to give it back. They seemed to be
under the control Of the captain, and gave
the watch bGck to me"
"Did they get anything from any Of the
citizens Of Gadshill?"
They took $500 and . rifle from one man,
but did not hear of any other. We had
member Of the Legislature on our train,
whose son vas waiting for him at Gadshill.
He was under guard when We got there, and
1 don't know VII. ther he or his father was
robbed or moi"
ibid they touch any bagRase?"
"No, they dido. s.op for that. Mr.. Nor
ley, or chief engineer, was on the train and
he expostulated With them. but they told him
to sit down and shui bis head and mind his
own business
"rhas was his businese, want ii?"
81 think 60, and 20 did h, but they didn't |
seem T. sgree with him. He asked them to
restore the properly they had taken, but |
they showed pistol under his nose and Or
dered him to keep quiet. When they t,ok
the money from the express car one Of them |
neked the agent for the receipt book. He |
gave it up and the robher wrote in it, Rob
bed At Gadehill.' Said he, i think have
had the honor Of writing in this book before.
The agent has been robbed Eve times, and be
thinks this fellow had something to
do With il. l shouldn't wonder il he had.
think thew were all old at the business,