Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-07-20
The Robbery of the Rock Island
Train.

The robbery of the railroad train on Friday
evening. on the road between Winston and
Gallatin, Mo-, is described a. follows by Mr..
G. +. Chase of the Topeka Police Depart
ment:
''The train consisted. think. of the engine
express, and baggage car, smoking ear, coach,
and Pullman sleeper. was in the coach
next behind the smoking car. Conductor
Westphal was forward; the brakeman,
Thomas, and the news agent. whose name |
have forgotten. were in the smoking car
The train halted at Winston for a couple of
minutes. This was about Q 80 o'clock in the
evening. just after the train got in motion
| heard two or three shots. The shooting
seemed to he 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 and the bell-ropc. was carried along
the aisle by the crush. | 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
didn't know what had happened either
at least he pretended not to know
Subsequently, he said that there were
robbers around. The train in the
meantime had slackcned little. pulled
out my double back-actio hair-trigger, and,
as l did so. I remarked that didn't propose
to permit anybody to rob me. This alarmed
the brakeman. who ordered me TO put up my
weapon, as its exposure would draw a fire
from the attacking PARTY. didn't put it up
though, all the same. looked in the coach
and saw only two or three persons, and they
were lying under the seats. One man crowd
cd under a seat in the smoker and laid there
until after we had run Ii or 20 miles. Three
girls, who had taken seats in the smoking
car. for what reason | did not know. acted
with charming GOODNESS and did not attempt
to go back in the train until after all the
other passengers had fled precipitsrely. ex-
cepting the chap who took refuge under a
seat. Alter n few seconds saw a man in
his shirt-sleeves coming from the forward
end of the train. He stopped in the coach
and rested on the arm of one o, the seats.
This was the express messenger. His face
was very pale. went up to him
and said; s.lavc they been coming
the John Rodden over YOU? He
smiled and answered 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 receipted for the
way-bills. | led The wsy. and Se went for
ward to the express car. The car was dark.
but the side doors were open. We struck a
light and took a look at things. The top of
the little safe was thrown back. and the con-
tents gone. | asked the messenger to tell me
how the robbery was accomplished. He
stated 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. aud drop money packages and the
other contents into sack which they held
open befor, him. They threatened to blow
out his brains If he did not show up every
thing. He assured them tina, he had given up
everything 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. think, noswith-
standing 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. Ii was there that
Conductor Westphall and passenger McMil-
Ian were killed. This morning | examined
the cars carefully for bullet-hoies. / found
three in the roof of the smoker and one
through the glass door at the front end. This
bullet lodged in the door of the baggage car
In the baggage in the express car found
two bullet-holes. II looked TO me as if the
robbers, as a parting salute after jumping of
had fred two shots through the door of the
shots fired. all told. The robbery, although
apart from the tragic taking oil of two vslu-
able lives, the scene had an extremely ludi-
crous side"