Morris tribune., 1881-09-15
TIE MISSOURI BANDITS.

greater Than IN 1851. Inc COST OF interest on
the public debt decreased $13, 100000.
TIE MISSOURI BANDITS.
They Rob Another TrliD-Express Messen-
gers Safe PIundered Passengers Robbed of
Watches, Money III Other Valhablrs.
At nine O'Clock, last Weanesday night, two
ton west bound mail AMI expres'
train was stopped by masked men and robbed.
dispatch from Kansas City says j. Greal tht
agent of the United States Express company
at KaIsas City, states that he can't tell how
much money the robbers got from the com
pany's safe, as they took all The way bills, but
thinks there wasn't more than few hundred
dollars. For, the messenger, although very
badly wounded about the head, he having Ie
ceived several severe cuts, left K"Esas Cit,
for his home in st. Louis, where lie will prob
ably be laid up some time. He would not Civ.
amy information i'll regard to the money he haf
in the safe.
At the Instant of the trains stopping the ell
gineer and fireman were ordered from the train
and taken short distance aWay and placed
under guard. The mail ard express cars were
entered and the clerk and m, ssenger knoci cd
down and placed with the engineer and fireman
at q safe distance, were they were guarded by
men. party of five men entered the cars
robbed the passengers of watches and mon, =.
The long time intervening from the time l4Ie
robbers gave the passengers time to secrete the
greater portion of their money, and there we've
only few who lost large amounts.
The robbaI 8 came into the car cursing and
swearing, declaring they would shoot the first
man who opened his head and who did not dis
gorge at once Several of the passengers were
treated roughly and several were tliumped Oh
the head, but zone were jured to any serious
extent Ali rejoice at getting off so easily.
Gov. Crittenden has Issued q proclamation
calling upon the people to rise en- masse and
exterminate the..train robbers. He has gone to
Kansas City to consult with the authorities of
Jackson county regarding the apprehension CT
the robbers. Fully l 900 men organized into
posse from Kansas City, jackson. Lafayette,
Clay, Ray, Clinton and Salena couuties and are
now in the field.
THE ENa1NEER's STORY.
ST. LOUIS, Sept 8-The Post-Dispatch has
Kansas City special which gives description
of the robbery, which differs somewhat from
those already sent 1t is by l. Foote, the en-
gineer, and is as follows:
Between three and four miles east Of Independ-
ence is O deep cut, over which the Missouri Pacific
track crossed the Chicago & Alton, and it was Just
before entering this part Of the cut tnat saw pile
of stones probably five feet high, on top of which
stick, to which was attached q red flag. and
behind the whole stood the leader Of the robbers.
OF course I stopped. I was then approached by
s. of the gang besides the WHO
H. then told to g: the Goa! Ps xssh did
pointed at my head could not refuse to obey.
They then marched me and John Steding. the fire.
man, to the express car and told me to break the
den in the woods by the roadside, but they swore
they would kill me if he wouldn't come out, SO l
called for him, and he entered the car with two Of
the robbers, who forced him to open the safe and
pour its contents into a sack.
THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED AT NOT GETTING
MORE BOOTY.
and knocked Fox down twice with the butt of a re-
volver, cutting his head in fearful manner. They
then marched us to the coaches where they kept
covered with revolvers while they robbed the pas
marched US back to the engine, when the leader
said, now get back there. We will. remove the
stones. You have been bully boy, and
here ia q little present for you, and he handed me
two silver dollars told them would remove the
obstructions, and the entire gang skipped over the
embaukment and were out of sight In twiuklng.
made to hold up his hands. and what was taken
from them was put into a two bushel sack, which
was nearly full of watches, money and other valu-
ables.
THE NEws-AGBNrs EXPERIENCE
The train was the west-bound express, and
had about 100 passengers on board, all of
whom lost something. and many quite heavily.
Frank Lombard, news agent of the train, made
the following statement:
was sitting in the smoking car talking with
Conductor Jack Hazebaker. We on the up
grade, mile from Independence, when all of a
sudden the train came to a stop, and we heard
terms flashing We knew the train-robhers
we're on us. Hazelbaker ran back into
the train and warned the passengers: They were
ordered them to pull in their heads and keep quiet.
The robbers had stopped the train by. putting OBJ
structions on the track. am sure there was
place the number at sixteen Everybody was
panic-stricken and helpless. ran out of tie car
and found men questioning the engineer and fire
man. They were poorly masked but all armed with
Henry rifles. They were swearing loudly and
shooting at random. Some of them passed into the
mail car but did not touch anything
The ahs in the haS
the car and ran around and began to shoot They
then broke into the car and knocked him down by
violent blow on the head. They robbed the safe of
most of the money. The robbers came in and or
dered me to lie down. did SO. and they ponte'l a
revolver at me and ordered me to fork over |
| said my money was under cushion, and they told
| me to get it, and got it in a hurry. They went
back to the other cars and made a wholesale
robbery of money. watches, ana jewelry. Some of
the passengers secreted their money, but the
majority lost all. The ladies compelled to sit
down on the floor, and some had their earrings
taken from their ears, and many lost their jewcry
One man lost $4,000. In the meantime freight
train was coming up behind us, and Burton. the
brakeman, ran down the track with storm OF bull
let's behind him, and stopped the train, and prob
through the robbers jumped off and struck for the
timber, where their horses WERE The men in front
helped the train men to remove the distractions
from the track, and then Joined their companions.
| 1 should say we stood still half an hour.
FRANK BURTON, BRAKEMAN.
| frank Burton said:
was standing on the front platform of the Sleep
er when the train stopped. and heard voices and
going to be robbed. Then one of the robbers cried
| out: We are coming in and going through you
| all. I remembered that freight train was just
and ran with my lantern down the track. Tney com
| menced shooting at me. The bullets whistled
| around me and struck the rails and stones. They
| said: For Gods sake don't shoot the boy. He is
| saving the lives of those people" Then one OF
| them threw up one Of his arms and cried stop
shooting Irolled into the car and waved my lam
tern. The train was stopped only car length
off When came back the robbers said: Have
you lost anything2" answered; Fifty cents.
| Of the robbers say to the engineer: You are q
to Si keep pup up this business ~ Here Here are =
Jesse James warn you you will be killed if yor
don't leave this road We are going to tear up ant
burst the Alton and Rock Island roads. for they
| grudge against the Pullmans and will switch of
their cars and burn all the rest. am the man wle
killed Westlakeat Winston. He was too smart ant
drew revolver Burton did not believe it wa
Jesse James or any of his gang. They all actet
| green at the business and he thought they wer,
men living in the vicinity. They all seemed quit
young and made no attempt to disguise thei
| voices.
The passengers tell substantially the same
story as above.
The Canyon OF the Columbia River.
The canyon Of the Columbia is in some
respects one of the grandest upon the con-
tinent. Frem Cape Horn to some twenty
miles or more above Celllio, at the head ol