The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-07-27
BANDITS ROBBING A TRAIN.
THE ROBBERY AT WINSTON, MO.
Thrilling Account Of the Robbery
The Conductor Shot Dead as Soon
as the Robbers Entered the
Cars-A Brave Express
Messenger.


night. One of them, Mr.. G. f. Chase
of the Topeka Police Department, gives
the following narrative of the affair
"The train halted at Winston for two
minutes. This was about 81 P. NJ.
was in the coach next behind the smok-
ing car Just after the train got in
motion again, l heard two or three
shots. The shooting seemed to be in
the smoking car. At the same instant
the passengers in the smoking car came
tearing through the coach like a mob.
The stampeders were heading for the
tail end of the train. AS they rushed
through some of them kept pulling at
both the air brakes''a and the bell rope. l
was carried along the aisle by the crush.
1 ventured, while struggling to keep my
! feet, to inquire what had happened, and
was answered by the shout of Robbers |!
| On the rear platform of the coach met
the rear brakeman. He was signalling
with his red lantern to the engineer to
stop the train. He didn't know what
had happened either at least, he pre-
tended not 10 know. Subseqen tly he
said that there were robbers around.
The train in the mean time had slack
ened little. pulled out my revolver,
and remarked that didn't propose to
permit anybody to rob me. This
alarmed the brakeman, who told me to
put up my weapon, as its exposure
would draw fire from the attacking
party. / didn't put it up, though. l
looked in the coach and saw only two
or three persons, and they were lying
under the seats. One man crowded
under a seat in the smoker, and laid
there until we had run fifteen or twenty
miles. Three girls, who had taken
seats in the smoking car, for what rea-
son did not know, acted with charm
ing GOODNESS, and did not attempt to go
back in the train until after all the
other passengers had fed precipitately,
excepting the man who took refuge
under seat. After a few seconds l
saw a man in his shirt sleeves coming
from the farward end of the train. This
was the express messenger. His face was
very pale 1 went up to him and said.
Have they been coming the John Rod
den over you 2 He smiled and an
sWered Yes asked him if they had
got everything in his safe, and he again
answered Yes then asked what the
amount was ? He replied that he could
not say, as he had only repeipted for
the way bills. led the way and went
forward to the express car. The car
was dark, but the side doors were open.
We struck light and took look. at
things. The top of the little safe was
thrown back, and the contents gone.
asked the messenger to tell me how the
robbery was accomplished. He said
that seven or eight men came into the
car, pointed pistols at him, compelled
him to get down on his knees and open
the safe, and drop money packages and
the other contents into sack which
they held open before him. They
threatened to blow out his brains if he
did not show up everything. He as
sured them that he had given up every
thing except the bricks of silver bullion
on the floor. The bricks they did not
want. There were no marks of violence
about the body of the messenger. 1
think, Notwithstanding the stories told
to the contrary, that the robbers did not
strike him at all. The platform of the
smoking car was stained with blood in
several places. 1t was there that Con-
ductor WestfalI and passenger Mcmillan
were killed. My idea is that the rob-
bers intended to kill the conductor. He
probably knew them, and, as he would
. be able to identify them, they decided
to put him out of the way. 1t was not
known what fate had befallen the con-
ductor-whether he was killed outright
or had been wounded and jumped to
the ground-until we reached the sta
tion, 'Gallatin, some five or six miles
distant, when the operator showed us a
despatch st atihg that the bodies of
WestfaIl and Mcmillan had been picked
up and carried into the Section House :.
What became of the forward brakeman
and the news agent is more thanI can say
They disappeared from the train while
the shooting was in progress. I don't
believe there were fifteen shots fired all
told. The robbery, although successful,
was bunglingly executed and, apart
fromthe tragic taking offof two valuable
lives, the scene had an extremely ludi-
crous side" "' ~" s1i yn!
Mr.. Frederick Henkel of 1856 West
Adames street was in the smoking car
when the attack was made. His account
of the inception of the affair agrees with
those already given. He adds Gas
soon as the train was in the possession
of the robbers the passengers jumped
down on the floor, and some of them
under the seats. You see, it was un-
healthy to be upon your feet at that
time. 1t rained lead, Ind lead diet is
unhealthy. There were six ladies in
the .sleepers and as soon as they heard
i the shooting they just dropped on the
/ floor like other passengers. They were
! frightened, but showed as much grit as
the men. We conld not show much,
for not one of US had revolver.
John Mcmillan. was killed with the con-
ductor. think that the thieves reco g
nfzed them, and that they were put out
Of the way on that account, The ex-
press messenger, William Murray, de-
} serves credit for his pluck. The rob-
bers shouted to him to open the door of
his car, but he persistenily refused.
They lirUd thirteen shots at him, hut
none took effect. Wnen they did break
in they found him hidden between the
coal box and sample trun.; They
struck him twice on the head with their
revolyers, but said they would not kilp
him because of his grit The passengers
all endeavored to hide away their