Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-09-17
THE LAST TRAIN ROBBERY.
Some Sensible Talk by Gen. Jos. o.
Shelby.

Especial Correspondence Sedalia Democrat
FORT SCOTT, KAs., Sept. 10, '81.
Two days ago had the pleasure of
riding from Kansas City to this place
with Gen.'Jo. Shelby, the well-known
confederate general. and one Of the
hardest and most desperate fighters
the war produced on either side. The
train on the Chicago and Alton rail-
road had been robbed the night be-
fore, and everybody was talking
about it. Probably two hundred
men had asked General Shelby for
his views concerning it. I'd he gave
them very frankly. After the train
started l had an opportunity for u
full and free conversation with him,
he main points of which l send you.
began by asking him if he knew the
jsmes brothers?
Every well. They served under me
off and on during the war. When
ever the Guerrillas were forced to
go south III the winter season they
always joined my command. When
| made raids l used them for scouts
and spies. They were invaluable for
these purposes. George Todd, one
of the most noted of all who served
along the border, was killed at the
head of my. advance in 1864, the day
we charged and took independence"
| 500 you think the Jameses we're in
the robbery at the Blue Cut ?"
mo, they were not there. Auy
child might tell you this. If any cap
iures are made you will find that the
men WHO did this robblug live right
around III the neighberhood of the
robbery, with the probability that
some Kansas City thieves had hand
i'll it. The ROBBERS were lot of
greeuhorns, thugs and ruffians. They
robbed the passengers. They took
even the jewelry from the women
Whatever else may be said of the
Jameses, such devllinent as this can
never 0e charged up to their ac-
count"
"Wny is it, General, that none of
these :rain robbers are ever caught?"
There are several reasons, and L
will give you one: There hasn't been
a robbery Of any kind committed in
the west for fifteen years-especially
if it had any bold features about it
hut what it has been laid upon the
James boys. The hue and cry is
raised that the Jameses did this and
did that, and then who ever hunts
for the criminals never thinks OF
hunting for anybody else but these
outlaws. AS a consequence the
Jamnscs are not caught because thew
were not in the robbery nor within
| huiIreis of miles of it--nor are the
real robbers, caught because they ara
not looked for. rhe detectives have
40 ears nor eyes for anybody else ex-
cept the Jameses, and will never
listen to any other story except that
which, puts the robbery upon the
Jamtscs. Ali this has got to be
changed. There is no trade in the
world which requires more common
sense than the trade of the detective,
and none where SO little common
sense is exhibited. We all know the
newspapers. They want sensation
and will have it, and if | were COM
manding a lot of men hunting Tor
train robbers. | would forbid every
one ot them from reading line until
the hunt was over. The published
accounts only mystify and bewilder.
There is scarcely u paragraph OF
probability i'll columns of conjec-
ture."
"Will the $4,000 reward offered by
Gov. Criitenden effect any results 2"
''I GU mean the rewards offered for
the Winston train robbers 2"
"Ic>, SIR"
"Who were the Winston train rob-
bers 2"