The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-09-13
The Express Car and Passen-
gers Robbed of Their VAL
uables in Short Order.
How it Was Done, and Who
were the Sufferers and Their
Losses as Reported.
Heroic Effort of Brakeman Burton
to Save the Passengers in
the Pullman Car.

Twenty Henry Rifle Shots Firee
at Him While He Attempted
to Flag the Train.
Who the Robbers Claimed to BE-
and What They Did
The Kansas City papers OF this morn
ing give the particulars Of another trair
robbery On the Chicago l. Alton road 1T :
point twelve miles from Kansas Citv and
ouly two miles from Glendale, the scene oil
former robbery.
THE ROBBERY
The train robbed was on the II. Louis
division of the Alton, west bound, and
due At Kansas City about 9 o'clock. Just
about three miles east Of Independence
and not more than dozen miles from
Kansas City, is a sharp curve and grade
The train men are in the habit OF watch
ing for stalled freight trains on that curve
and keep their trains we'll under control
- that they can be stopped quickly. The
robbers probably had observed this b..
fore.
The engineer of this train WAS on the
outside Of the curve looking ahead, when
he saw dim red light. \ tall man waved
the light across the track, and as he did so
the CLEAN Of the headlight fell on him aud
showed him to be masked. The first
thought Of the engineer was that there was
a stalled freight train ahead. but as he
caught glimpse Of the mask, and at the
same instant Of big pile Of stones be-
tween the rails. he understood the situa-
ton perfectly. There was nothing that
could be done but to stop the train
and
SUBMIT TO TIE ROBBERY
The engine came to dead stop lust as
the prov Of the pilot touched the pile oi
stones. The locality selected for the rob
berry is in a cut, and Immediately the rob-
bers, sixteen in number, came running
down the banks on either side, and sur
rounded the train. The leader covered the
engineer with his revolver and compelled
him to break open the door of the express
car. The messenger OF the United States
express company, which runs on the road.
and the baggage master had left the car,
but the messenger was found and under
cover of revolver, was forced to open the
safe. 1t is likely that the amount was
small, though that could not be certainly
ascertained, as they took the bills and ali
the contents Of the safe. This fact NAV
have
PROMPTED THE ROBBERY
ri the passengers for, after knocking the
messenger twice on the head with a revol-
yer, and cursing him for not having more
money, they dumped the contents oi the
safe into common grain sack and started
for the passenger coaches. While 4 guard
was stationed on either side. a party of five
or six went through the whole train, one
carrying the sack, while the rest, with re-
volvers drawn, demanded the passengers
money, watches and other vaInabIes, and
As fast as they were handed over they were
thrown into the sack. The robbers car
ried of
NEARLY 4 BCSHEL
of pocketbOOks, papers, watches. rings. !
pins and other valuables.
There was party Of western excursion
lists from the vicinity of Pen Van, y. Y,
on board, in charge of &. Rollin Camp.
general travelling and land agent for the |
Fort Scott road. From these excurSionists !
alone the robbers took about $1,000. Ii !
~ probably no exaggeration to say that |
the passengers contributed from Slj,- |
ONO to $4,000 in money and valuables, |
while the contents. of the express COM
panys safe cannot be definitely learned. |
but probably did not exceed 5000 The |
baggage master said he didn't think the |
safe contained over 500 in money, the
contents being principally papers. After
the robbers had gone through the train
they marched back to the engine and told
the engineer to drive on. They imme-
diately climbed up the bank and disap-
Eeared in the woods. The whole trans.
action occupied about thirty minutes, and
EST and most successful raids ever attempt
I'd on railroad train.
THE ROBBERS.
The leader is described as a tall man
With dark beard. He wore mask part Of
he time-when in the Highland in gen.
sral answers very we'll to the description
II the man who led the gang at Winston, and
also bears resemblance to one of the men
Tho robbed the Council Bluffs train about
. year ago near Winthrop. The leader
introduced himself to the engineer as Jesse
James, and companion, short, hea.y
nan, as Dick Little; and several times
lfterward the leader addressed the small
nan, calling him Dick. The other men,
,ers OF the gang were masked, but wore
he dress OF farmers. II was noticeable that
he shoes OF several were heavy cowhides,
"ch Is farmers wear when blowing. |,
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.
Conductor ]. n. Hazelbaker related the
Of the robbery as follows
We were about three miles the other side