The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-09-15
THE NEWS.
How it Was DOne-DetaiIs of the Blue Gu
Train R0bhery

How it Was DOhe-Details of the Blue Cut
Train Robbery.
Kansas City Sept. S.-The last rob,
berry by the Missouri gang of robbers
viii be known as the Blue Cut robbery.
1t took place last night, and within
three miles of independence This
lime, and for the second time, the Chi
cago & Alton Railroad Company was
the victim of the depreciation The old
tactics, in which the train robbers have
became adopts, were adopted. The
train was brought to a stop. the express
car was robbed, and the passengers
were relieved of their wealth Oaths
and pistol shots made the welkin ring,
and the whole affair was conducted
in the way usual to the robbers, and
which has become so familiar 10 western
Missouri
The robbery took place at 8 40 O'Clock
pm. Passenger train No. 48J. NJ. Hazen-
baker, conductor; Frank Burton, brake
man; "Choppy' Foote engineer, and
Seedlings, fireman, constituting the
crew, was stopped and robbed. The train
was westward bound, due in this city
at 1905 O'CLOCK. Being late at Glen
dale, the scefle of another robbery, the
train passed ON without stopping. As
1t neared cut, two and a half miles
west OF Glendale, and about three miles
east of Independence, the train was sig
nailed by red lantern. This be
ing danger signal, and the
train approaching a sudden curve
Engineer Foote slackened speed, and
drought the train to II stop. He looked
ahead, and the full glare of the locomo
tive headlight fell upon two men stand
ing on the track. One had set the lamp
on pile of rocks, which had been built
up as an obstruction on the track, and
he stood unmaskei, while the other
engineer at once appreciated the situa-
ton, and exclaimed to his fireman, 1--WE
are in for il, the train is going 10 be
robbed"
The place for the no bbery Was we'll
selected. 1t was at the turn of an acute
curve, in cut, known as the Blue cut,
and at the crossing of the Missouri Pa
cific railroad. Underbrush abOunded
and altogether the locality was all that
the heart of a train-rObber could wish
The train being brought TO stand still
the robbers proceeded to business. Just
how they conducted it is best told in the
language of the conductor, engineer, fire
man, brakeman and Passengers, which
follow:
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.
Mr.. Joel. HaZenbaker, The conductor
of the train, was found at the Union
Depot. He was yet excited over his re-
cent adventure, and felt half reluctant
to talk of the peril through which he
just passed only few moments before
Times representative touched him on
the shoulder, and Significantly muttered:
Tell US"
"Well,n said Mr.. Hazenbaker, "we
have been robbed. A gang of sixteen
men stopped my train three miles east
of Independence, and the express car
was first robbed and then the passengers
were called up and made to hand over
their money and valuables."
Continuing, Mr.. Hazenbaker said that
about 8 40 his train was tagged bya red
light and stopped. At the time he was in
the smoking car. Coming to the rear
platform to ascertain the cause of The
stoppage, he perceived some half dozen
or more men descend into the cut and
run toward the engine. He at once sus-
pected their intentions, that the train
was to be robbed.
Mr.. Hazenbaker had another danger
to think of as we'll as the robbery. The
freight train was just behind the pass
enger train. The puff of its engine and
the crack of the rails at its approach
could almost he heard by Conductor
Hazenbaker, with his senses all acute
over the danger of its running into his
train, bringing death to every passeD-
ger on the train. Approaching the
situation, experimenting the peril, he
rushed back to the rear of his train,
the Pullman coach, to jump off and
flag the approaching train. AS he pass
ed through, he encountered Burton, his
brakeman, and told him to accompany
him. Not only that, but with fore
thought he whisperingly cautioned the
passengers to conceal their money, "for
the train is going TO be robbed"
Alarm and CONSERVATION seized each
passenger as the startling announce
ment was made, and a hustle took place
10 put away money and valuables be-
yOnd the reach of the robbers. Owing
TO the conductors commendable fore
thought, much booty was saved from
the rapacity of the desperadocs.
Accompanied by Burton, Conductor
Hazenbaker got off the rear end of the
train with red lantern TO signal danger
TO the fast approaching freight train,
which could now be distinctly heard.
"As we got off," said Mr.. Hazenbaker,
'the robbers saw us and began firing at
us. A perfect vOlley of shots were dis
charged at us, but l was bound to go,
and GO 1 did, for l knew in how
much danger We were. Fortunately
neither l nor Burton were struck, and
We accomplished what we set out to do"
For a reason hereafter told in the en-.
gineer's account, the firing ceased, and
the conductor was enabled TO save the
lives of his passengers by the crash of
the two trains.
Returning to the Pullman car, Con
ductor HaZenbaker found it in posses
sion of five robbers. They were DELHI
erately calling upon the passengers to
hand out their wealth, and were enforc-
ing their request at the muZZle of formid-
able looking revOlvers.
On sighting the conductor he was
taken in custody. II had" said Mr..
Hazenbaker, .taken the precaut'On to
secrete my watch and hide some of my
money, so they did not deprive me of
much when they robbed me. During
the whole time they were in the car they
were loud in their talk and talked much.
Oaths were plentiful and they conducted
themselves in a desperate manner"
did they talk to you, and what did
they say?" was put in the way of
pointer.
They talked to me. They damned
me and the company, and SAID, we
never would have undertaken this job if
the Chicago and Alton company had not
Joined with the Rock Island company
in offering q reward for us for the Win
stun robbery, and by Gcd,' said one of
the robbers, he who seemed TO be the
leader, IF they offer a reward for US for
this. d-n our souls, if we don't make
'em sick. We will capture their trains,
and set them afire, by God, and burn up
every car except the pullman car. Pull
mans white: he's never offered reward.
Yes, by God, we were at Winston, and
the railroads might hear from us from
that business again. Then boastingly
and threateningly, the rObber pOked
revolver under my nose, and said, that
is the revolver that killed Westfall, and
if you don't look out you go too, as sure
as God Then the fellow declared with
an oath that he was Jesse James. He
was tall man, wore mask. l don't
think he was Jesse James, for under
stand that Jesse has forefinger of, and
this man had both of his. They made
the ladies on the train pull off their
rings, take out their earrings and sur
render all their valuables, swearing all
the time. When they had gone through
this car, they got off, and in running up
to the top of the bank of the cut, said,
Goodbye, old fellows; this is the last
you will ever see or hear of the James
boys, and then they made off towards
the brush, and we pulled out"
"How much did they get from the ex-
press company's carr"
Il don't know"
How much from the passengers ?"
well, they took all the way from 81
to $500. / should judge they probably
got away with $1,000. not counting the
watches and jeweiFy taken"
Mr.. Hazenbaker then related, that as
soon as his train got under Roadway, he
went through, learned that everybody had
been robbed, and that Fox, the express
messenger, had been knocked down with
q revolver and was severely injured.
WHO WE'RE THEY?
There Is little to tell who the robbers
were. Their tactics were not unlike
Il 4.