Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-15
DARING TRAIN ROBBERY NEAR
OTTERVILLE, MO.

the Missouri Pacific, reached this
city last Saturday morning. which, Tor
audacity OF design and successfulness OF
execution is only %equalledby the famous
Cabs Hill robbery, several years ago.
About ten O'Clock Friday night, the
eastward bound express train, just after
leaving Otterville, and when approach
ing a deep cut near the Lamine, was sig
nailed by the waving of a red light at the
eastern extremity of the cut. Engineer
S~tanhope saw the light. and at the same
time discovered that the track was block
AIDED with ties. The train was at once
brought to a halt, when ties were piled
on the track in the rear; simultaneously
twenty armed men boarded the express
car.
The messenger suspecting the true
state of affairs from the beginning, had
left the car, and. after handing the key
of the safe to q brakeman, had gone
back and taken q seat among the pas
sengers. Finding no one i'll the express
car, and not having the means at hand
to break open the safe, the robbers at
once commenced a search for the key.
The leader of the band, with some OF
his followers. went back through the
passenger cars searching for the mes
senger, but as he had quietly taken his
place among the passengers he was not
recognized.
Meanwhile, Captain E. U. 11bbetts,
conductor of the train, became alarmed
lest the freight train eastward
and almost due, might u into the real
end of the passenger train. To prevent
such a possibility, Captain Tibbett's
ordered one of the brakeman to the rear
for the purpose Of tagging the ap-
preaching freight. The breakman had
scarcely left the train and was proceed
ing along the track, when he was dis
covered by the robbers, who. thus far
had been unsuccessful in their search
for the express messenger, or the key
of the express safe.
Unluckily, the brakeman who had
been ordered to flag the freight, was
the very one to whom the key hao
been entrusted by the messenger. Al
soon as he was observed by 1.-THE robbers
he was fired upon and brought to a halt
the leaders, with oaths, demanded thu
key, and the frightened breakman
thinking the highwaymen knew it wa
in his possession, delivered it up un
hesitatingly. The safe was then opened
and all the funds distracted. All thu
express packages were thoroughly over
hauled, but nothing except money wa
taken.
There is scarcely a doubt that a whole
sale robbery of the passengers was in
tended, but so long had they ibeen de
layed in the search for the safe key, tina
the robbers concluded a further stay il
the vicinity was unadvisable if not un
safe, and part of the programme wa
abandoned, "Now, Cap, you can TAX
your id old machine and 60 ahead,
said the leader, and the rascals bowe'
themselves off the train, to the grea
relief of the thoroughly frightened pas
sengers.
Twenty-Five men were engaged il
the robbery. Of this number, twent
boarded the train as stated, while tn
remaining five remained in charge G
the horses. Immediately after leavin
the train, the marauders the
HORSES anu nurrIedly galloped ava.
/ Our informant states that the robbel
were not disguised, but that the leadt
wore very long whiskers, which wei
probably false. Save firing at til
breakman, as above stated, no violent
whatever was attempted.
! Once rid of their unwelcome noctu
4 nal visitors, the obstruction was cleare
away and the train proceeded on i
: way.