Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-07-09
A DEsPERATE DEED.
A Irain on the Missouri Pacific Railroad
stopped and Robbed by Band
OF Fifteen Thieves.
Sixteen ThOusand Dollars Stolen from
Two Express COmpanies-A Party
Of Citizens in Pursuit OF
the Gang.

81. louis, July S.-Anotber DARN,
gslircad robbery took place in vestprT
Missouri last night, equalIing In ali 70
sVScIs, and eXcel.ing ia many, apy otha,
~ne on record. FrOm the coufised 40
counts given 10y the passengers and rail.
road men, the following facts or,
CLEANED: lhe esstwarG-bouud train or
the Missouri Pacific road left Otte-si,io
Missouri, few minutes past ton oIclock
last night. When two and one noiI
miles esst Of that place. A5,d in q 6aer
cut, the engineer ssw a signal Iiobt ~
stop. Thisking SINE obstruCtjo6 vss
en- the track, b3 applied the air-brska
and aIteF foIning few yards, discov,
ered n PIE OF ties and lumber on fhe
uach' 6e cOmprehepded the situ Atom
ST once, cut could not stop the train
ana il was not till the locomotive La !
cp med partly upon this pile OF ties t;,a
me train came to 9 stand. At the ssnoo
Instant twelve or fifteen mean snnasraIt
and with terrific yells and dischsroin !,
pistols, dashed st the train, procIainoinS 8
their Intention to jump on the enojn.e'
and with nsVy TevolYers coverad a.
engineer sDd fireman, aud threaten i
tc XII them il they offered resistsnoa
They were then marched into The 80
gsge-cSr and Tlsced under o,orS
At the same time three otbaS ~
oers climbed into the express.ogr bz ~
side door, which was open. Rnsh ,ai tLo .e
express messenger, hoygyer- had bsa,9
zoe quick for thern, ana had dssbed
through the traiT TO the rnsr sIae,eN
aud giving h.s safe KEYS 60 q brea , y, -, :, /,
made hlp put them in his shoes M
CookIeog, the bsggsse-nnasta- Of thn
traln, was IN the express csr when tho1
entered, and they demanded ~ biT,
tue seys Of the safes. He told than1 he
NAs not the Efessenger, and had TO
keys. Two OF the robbers then nut Con-
King In iront Of them and with rsvol.
Fers az h's head, marched him throp oh
She Tram, demanding that he should
point ora the messenger, when tbev
came 10 him IL this way. They I,asssy
through the entire train to the terror of
women and children, and great fear of
male passengers, many of whom bsd
CroucoeO down UNDER seats snd hid
themselves various ways. ARRIVING st
ne rear sleeper Conkliug pointed ont
Bushnell, and the robbers dernarded
Lie sale Keys Of him. Under the cir
cumstances there was nothing else 70 do
bIt yield, and Bushnell tooE the kevs
nom the brakeman and handed them
20 the r6baers. One of them stood
gusII over Bushnell, while the other
mdFcaeG Consling back TO the express
car, When they opened the Adams's safe
ard put the entire contents into 8 wheat
sack Lhey mad brought for the purpose.
NoI being able 70 open the other safe
with the Keys they got from Bushnell,
one OF the men went 10 the engine and
got pick, and with this broke in one of
Oie panels OF the safe, and its contents
was ALSO put INTO ) sck. Toe robbers
then TOOK the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas IalIToad letter-box and broke it
open, but, finding nothing they wanted,
scattered the letters over the floor of The
czr. TGey aisO vent to the Adams ex-
TresB freight car, but found nothing there
that seemed u be worthy Of their tice.
While these sets were being performed,
The remainder OF the robbers were max
ing ths night hideOus, by marching up
aad down the train, Yelling like devils,
and firing of their pistols. In this way
the passengers were completely terrified,
and not the least show OF resistance was
made by them. When their work was
done they left the scene Of their daring
exploit, and departed in q southerly di.
rectiou. II is unGerstosd that q party Of
citizens sre in pursuit Of them, and st
lest accounts were only ten miles be.
bind them. So far as can be learned,
the Adams express company lost about
four Thousand dollars and the United
States express company about twelve
thousand, but these amounts may prove
TO be too small. Reports are in ciFculs-
ton that the loss is much greater than
the above, based upon the supposed fact
tnst this train had four days OF express
matter from Texas on board; but the
express officers here deny this, and say
that during the break in the 81. K. and
Z. railway their vAlusbles have been
brought from that State by another route.
The railroad company started the sner-
iff OF Pettis county with 8 posse Of men
IN pursuit OF the robbers. General Ba-
con Montgomery, OF f5sdSlis, q noted
fighter VI guerilIas during the war, has,
also go1s in pursuit with party Of
picked men, ahd struck the trail some
ten miles south Of Otter vile. Another
party has been sent from Clinton, on the
Missouri, X tEsas and Texas road, and
still auolner from Lebanon, on the At
lsptic and Pacific road. The entire
county between the points named is TO
be thoroughly secuted, and, from the
well known character OF the men sent
out, there is 8 good prospect that at least
some Of the miscresnts will be captured,
All of the robbers wore masks while st
he train, ard none Of them were, there
ore, recognized. So far as now known,
40 clle 20 their identity has been OBJ
aimed.