The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-07-18
BOLD ROBBERY.
A Railroad Train Boarded by High
Waymen.
THE CONDUCTOR SHOT AND THE Elk
PRESS CAR ROBBED OF $4,000.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, July 16.-Six robbers,
supposed to be under the leadership of Jesse
James, boarded train on the Rock Island
road from this city last evening at Cameron.
When the train stopped at Winston they shot
Conductor Westfall dead, then shot John Nc
Culloch, a passenger, through the head, went
to the express car and obliged the express mes
Senger to open the safe, from which they took
$4,000. They then ordered the engineer to start
the train, but he would not, and they fired sew
eral shots at him, but he put out his lights and
hid in the pilot house. They then decamped.
The whole neig hborhood is now securing the
country for them.
Rock ISLAND, ILL.,. July 16.-The Argus con-
tains the following account Of the robbery
The train was boarded at Winston by gang of
men while a number of accomplces were al
ready in different cars. A signal was given
and the robbers rushed forward and shot the
conductor and made an effort to kill the engi-
neer. The latter escaped in the darkness, and
McCnlloch, who was one of the passengers,
was mistaken for the engineer and Killed. I'm
mediately, having secured possession of tho
train, one OF them ran to the engine. Steam
was applied and the train started over the
track at a furious rate Of speed. The robbers
then started for the express messenger and
|. another squad started for the cars when the
order was given to the passengers to hold up
their hands and give up their money and valu-
ables. The men sent to the express Car sue
ceeded in knocking the messenger down and
securing his keys With these they opened
the safe aud secured all the money and valua-
bles which it contained. The messenger was
knocked Gown because there was not enough
money in the safe to satisfy the robbers. They
threatened to kill him, but spared his lite
when he told them that there was money in
his possession Before the robbers succeeded
in rObblng the passengers brakeman, who
had not been notified by the gang, pulled an
air brake and the train came to stand-stil.
This frightened the robbers, who left the train
and made for the woods.
AS soon as the passengers and what few of
the train hands remained had recovered them
selves the engineer steamed up and started the
train for this city. The passengers arrived
here about Ii o'clock this morning, having
been detained for sometime on account of a
washout on the other side of Davenport.
A letter was found after the robbery, from
enc of the band, showing that the robbery had
been carefully planned.
Interviews with several passengers of the
train give graphic description of the assault.
The robbers killed the conductor as he knew
some OF their number, and the stone mason
(passe nger) who was killed met his death for
attem pting to defend the conductor Thespas-
seng ers also testify to the GOODNESS of the wom-
cn 0 n the train and the pluck of the express
messenger. Meme Of the passengers seemed to
baveShad any weapons. The engineer and fire.
man wanted to go back and pick up the bod
les of the dead conductor and stone mason but
the passengers would not allow it lest they
might be molested again After the occur
renee no one retired but all slept on the floor,
ready to run in case of an emergency. When
the cars stopped it did almost in front of a
high trestle. When robbers had command of
the locomotive they urged the rain along at
tremendous rate. Had this speed been kept
UP along the trestle it would have jumped the
track and have become q total wreck with
great destruction Of life. Brakeman Cole,
however, by his opportune opening of the air
brake slackened and ayerted such a calamity