American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-09-17
RAILROAD BANDITS.
A Chicago & Alton Passenger Train
Robbed in rissOuri-The Express
Car aud Passengers Piund cred The
Villains Declare Their Intention to
Break Up the Alton d Rock Island
Railroads.

Break Up the Alton d Rock Island
Railroads.
KANSAS CITY. NO., September
Shortly after nine O'Clock to might the in
coming Chicago & Alton passenger train
that left Chicago Tuesday at 12:3) was
stopped and robbed by a band OF robbers
three miles east of independence AMI four
teen cast of Kansas City. The train was
tagged and then ten or twelve men entered
the cars and robbed the eXpress-car, bag
gage-master, conductor, Pullman conducts
or, and all the passengers, except in the
rear car.
The ladies In the sIeeping-car, some fif-
teen in number, were relieved OF diamond
earrings, rings, watches and money. They
got about s., 500 from the passengers, and it
is thought about the same amount from the
express safe. The express messenger, III.
A. Fox, was terribly beaten over the Lead
with a revolver, and ut last gave up the
keys of the safe, and the robbers took all the
contents. When they entered the Pullman
car, five in number, all were masked, and
while one held an open bag or pillow case,
each person was relieved of his or her valu-
ables, which were thrown indiscriminately
into the bag. The car conductor, J. j.
Price, lost his watch and chain and 800.
J. NJ. IIaZelbacher, the train conductor,
ran through the train, alarming all passen-
gers, and telling them that the robbers were
on board, and then ran back and tagged a
freight train, running very close. lie then
came back to the train, and was at once
searched, but had thrown his watch into the
ladies' closet. and so they got nothing. Ole
OF the robbers poked a revolver into his
face, and said: 90 That is the pistol that killed
Westfall, OH the Rock Island Road. and it
will Kill you if you STIR" The same man
said he was Jesse James, and that they
robbed the Alton train because it had
Joined with the Rock Island and
others to capture the outfit. He also said
they would burn the cars and bridges if an
organized pursuit was made. Another man
in the gang also said he was Jesse james,
and. after robbing the engineer, Choke
Foote, gave him back two dollars and told
him that, when he reached Kansas City, to
20 and get 4 drink and quit railroading out
in this section or he would be killed the
next time. The robbers talked all the time,
and all wore white masks. Some had hats
on, and some had not, but all Wore long
busters. They were armed with shotguns,
old-fashiOned blunderbusses and pistols,
and had on high-top boots and farmers
clothes.
The place where the robbery took place is
In deep cut, near where the Missouri Pa
cific track crosses it, and the country Is
hiIly and well wooded, and just suitable for
such a robbery. 1t is only 4 few miles from
Glendale, where the Alton train was robbed
in 1870 by Jesse James and gang, when they
secured nearly 81, 900.
As soon as the robbers had gone through
all the passengers, they told the engineer to
pull out, and aid: Good night, this is the
last Of the James boys gang" The train
came at once to Kansas City, and posses Of
men have already left by special train and
on horseback to head off the highwaymen,
il possible.
T. f. OF Frank Burton, the brakeman.
made the following statement of the rob-
berry:
''I was standing on the front platform OF
the sleeper when the train stopped, and
heard voices and oaths on the back plat
form. said, in moment: we are going
to be robbed Then one of the robbers
cried out: we are coming in and going
through you ALL 1 remember that the
was just behind us, and /
heard it coming up. Jumped off and ran
with my lantern down the track. They
shooting at me. The bullets
whistled all around me, and struck the
rails and stone. They must have
fired twenty-five shots. The engineer
said: For Gods sake, don't shoot
the boy. He is saving the lives of these
people, Then one of them threw up his
arms and cried: stop shootingv l rolled
into the cut and waved my lantern. The
was stopped only a car-length
off. When 1 came back one of the robbers
said: Have you lost anythings' answered,
Fifty cents.' He gave me one dollar and
fifty cents for interest. Then heard one
of the robbers say to the engineer:
'Choppy Foote, you are too good n man
to keep up this business. Here's s. to buy
a drink in the morning, and to drink
1t for jesse james. l warn YOU you'll be
killed if you don't leave this road. We
are going to tear up and bust the Alton and
the Rock Island Roads, for they've been Of
fering rewards for us. We've no grudge
against the Pullmans, and Wen switch off
their cars and burn all the rest. l am the
man who killed Westlake, at Winston. He
was too smart, and drew 4 revolver" Bur-
ton did not believe it was Jesse James, nor
the business, and he thought they were men
to disguise their voices.
Frank Lombard, the ncws-agent, was in
terviewed By Tribune reporter and said:
s. was sittn, In the smoking car talking
with the conductor, Jack Iazelbacher. We
were then on the up grade, about four miles
from Independence. All of sudden the
train came to stop. ] said to IIazelbacher: -
There is another freight train in our way,
suppose We heard loud voices and pis'-
Iol shots. looked out and saw lanterns
flashing. We knew that train robbers were
on us. Iazelbacher ran back into the train
and warned the passengers. They were all
looking out of the windows until the rob-
bers called out to them to pull in their
heads and keep quiet. The rob-
Ders had stopped the train by putting
IN obstruction on the rails and signaling. l
I'm sure there were n dozen of them,
md some of the passengers place the
number Mt sixteen. Everybody was panic
stricken and helpless. j ran out of the car
md found the men guarding the engineer
md fireman. They were poorly masked,
tut all armed with Henry rifles. Thew were
wearing loudly and shooting at random.
'ome OF them passed into the mail-car, but
lid not touch anything. Express Messen-
,cr Fox in the meantime had barrcaded
he eXpress-car. They climbed upon the car,
an around and began o shoot. They broke
ntO the ear and knocked Fox down by a
'iolcnt blow on the head. They then robbed
he safe Of everything. l ran back into the
moain@-car and hid most OF my money.
The robbers came in and ordered me, with
n oath, to lie down. | did so, and they
hovcd gun up TO my heal ard told me to
DIRK over. SAID my money was under the
ushion. They told me to get it, and got
In hurry. You bet. II was about fifteen
dollars. They then told mo to sit still, and
her went uack 10 the other ears. They
nade wholesale robbery OF money, watches