Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-18
TRAIN ROBBERS AT WORK
DARING EXPLOIT OF THE JAMES
GANG.
the Express Safe Plundered-The
Conductor and a Stone Mason
Killed-The Passengers UnmOlest-
ed-A Letter Dropped by One OfIhe
Leaders-An Armed Posse in PuT-
suit.

ed-A Letter Dropped by One of The
Leaders-An Armed Posse in PuT-
suit.
KANSAS CRY, Mo-, July 16.-Informa-
tion has been received here by the incom-
ing Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific train
of a daringly planned and successful train
robbery at Winston, on the Rock Island
Road, supposed to be under the leadership
Of Jesse James. The men boarded the train
which leaves this city at p. m. at Cameron.
At Winston, when the train stopped, they
stood up in the aisle of the car with drawn
revolvers. One OF the bandits advanced,
with revolver in each hand, toward VIM.
Westfall. the conductor, and ordered him to
hold up his hands. The conductor was slow
In complying with his demands, and was
shot through the heart by the desperate.
One OF the other men shot through the
head John Mccullough, stone cutter of
Wilton junction, who turned outward II
his seat. The men then went through
the train to the express cars and
overpowered the United States express
messenger, Charles Murray, who was in
timidated into opening the safe, from which
five thousand dollars were taken. The
told the engineer to start his train. This he
could not do on account of the automatic
brake, aud he was at once fired
upon by the robbers. The engineer put
out the lights in the cab and crawled along
the foot board to the pilot, and after extin-
gushing the head light, laid down on the
pilot. The robbers made no search for
him, but departed. No attempt was made
to rob the passengers. The populace about
now seeking the desperadoes.
ST. LOUIS, July 16.-A special from Kansas
City gives few additional particulars of
the train robbery near Winston. Two of
the robbers got on the front end of the
baggage car next to the engine. Three
more were in the sleeper and two on the
platform between the baggage car, and the
smoker. There were seven men In
all. Conductor Westfall had passed
he was shot, one ball ssiDg clear
through his body. He staggered out ON the
platform and fell off in a ditch. Thomas
Mcclellan (or Mccullough, stone cutter.
who Was shot through the head, also fell
off the car, and fell by the side of the dead
conductor. When the robbers entered the
express car, Chas. Murray, the messenger,
was looking over some of his papers, and
Frank Stamper, baggageman. was sitting in
Immediately covered with revolvers, and
when Murray objected to handing over
the keys of the safe he was knocked
down. 1t was thought that about fif-
teen thousand dollars were In the safe,
hut the exact amount is not known. The
United. States Express Company handle all
the matter on the Rock Island Road, aud
the train went out last night with what
came In from the AtchisOn short run, and
as far as Harlem. After riflng the safe
the robbers jumped from the train and
escaped.
The train went on to the next side track,
where 1t waited for the passenger train,
which took Westfall's body to Cameron.
The Sheriff was notified of the robbery as
soon as possible, and he eimmediately started
in pursuit with posse of about sixty men,
but at this writing no tidingsr-have been
received that they have overtaken the rob-
bers. Great excitement prevails in
the neighoorhood, and the whole com
munity is much agitated over the event.
j. r. Treat, the express agent, said this
morning that not much money went from
Kansas City, but the impression seems to
be that the robbers secured several thousand
dollars. The generally accepted theory out
on the road is that the robbers were pro-
fessionals. One of them, .he tallest, was
st en- In Cameron all day Yesterday and could
be identified by several people. The men
who have been searching for the robbers
to day found where they had their horses
tied in the wilds, and say that in their bury
to get away they did not unite the halters,
but cut them and left them hanging to the
trees.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, July 17-There is
considerable evidence to show that the train
robbery on the Rock Island Road last Fri
day evening was done by the notorious
James gang, and it may prove that one or
the other of the James boys were present
with the gang. The horses used by the rob-
bers in their escape were thoroughbred
animals, in the best condition for the work
on hand. The horses were hitched to fence
about fifty rods from Winston Station,
where the following letter was found
"KANsAs CITY, July r.
"ChGrlie: l got your letter to-day and
was glad to hear that you had got every
thing ready for the IS b. We will be on
hand at that time. Bill will be with US
We will be on the train, don't fearl We Will
be in the smoker at Winston; have horses
and boys in good fix for fast work We will
make this point again on the night of the
10Th. All is right here. Frank
will meet us at Cameron Park.
Look sharp and be well fixed. Have horses
well mounted, as we may have some run
ming TO do Don't get excited, but keep
cool till the right time. Wilcox or Walcott
will be on the engine. think it best to
send this to kidder. Yours through time
and through death. STICK
The letter was found in the III derbrusb,
and bears evidence of having been carried
some days in the pocket.
The people Of Winston and of the vicinity,
who know the James boys and most of the
comrades they have had in the past, say
they have no doubt OF their being connect
ed with this crime. Bat 1t has long been
custom Of the people Of Missouri to attri-
butte every daring piece of outlawrY to the
James boys, and time alone will tell whether
or not the present su'pieions are founded on
good grounds. The officers of the United
States Express Company refuse to name the
amount of money taken from the safe, but
say they think $l5,0 900 too high figures.
Conduc' or Purple, of the Hannibal
Railroad, who passed through Cameron
with his train last night, stopped long
enough to gather some Of the stories. He
says that Westfall was shot while his back
was turned to the assassin, and that Nc
Clellan. stonemason, was shot because Ee,
seeing the intention of the robber, attempt
ed to cut him down with trowel, the only
weapon he had at hand. An old citizen,
who has assisted in many an effort to root
out the gang of desperate men, who ter
rorized this section several years ago,
says: "There are men at large who
have been robbing trains and committing
other desperate crimes for twenty years, and
am not surprised at the Wanton killing of
Conductor Westfall. There is not, In my
opinion, any reliable indication that these
robbers were not old men in the business.
Among the old desperadoes, who are still
at large and most of whom were engaged
in some of the most daring and desperate
known, are Ed. Miller, jim Cum