The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-10-11
SHOT DOWN.
The Engineer Of a Train Slain at
Coolidge, Kan.
His ASSISTANTS Being Gang Of Drunk
en- Cowboys Intent on Robbery.
KANSAS City Telegram


train on the Atchison, Topeka and santa re
railway at Coolidge, Kan The robbery was
the work OF three men, who made an attack
upon the train just as it was about TO pun
out from the station Conductor Greeley
mad called out @all aboard" when two men
Jumped upon the engine with drawn revoiV-
ers and ordered the engineer, John Il Hill
ton, to pull out Instead of doing this ne
reversed the engine, when one or the men
shot him through the heart killing him
instantly. At the same time the second
robber shot George Paddle, the fireman,
through the back and he fell from the cab
into the gutter At almost exactly the
same time the third member OF
the gang Jumped into the express car and
fired point blank at s. s. Patterson, express
messenger for Wells, Fargo 4 Co, who was
reclining partially asleep on pea Oh
blankets spread out upon his safe. Patterson
sprang TO his feet with revolver in each hand
and was again fired at by the robber, but
luckily escaped unhurt and tSed in return at
his antagonist, who was partially concealed
by some baggage, the express ana baggage
car being a Joint fixture. The robber, seeing
that the messenger was ready Tor MIN,
jumped from the door, wlthPatterson IN pur-
suit, but escaped with his two companions
from the engine, as by this time the con;
ductor and train hands were taking hand
in the fusilade some fifteen or twenty shots
being fired. 1t was SO dark, however, that
good craftsmanship was impossible, ana,
for the time being, the robbers escaped
The most intense excitement prevailed
among the passengers when the robbery be-
came known throughout the train, and dis
patches were sent TO Las AnmaS, Dodge
City, and other points for assistance, while
the dead engineer and fireman were taken
into the sleeping-car and properly cared Tor.
A special train left Dodge City at once Tor
the scene with a posse of armed men under
charge of the Marshal and at late hour
three men, Losney Chambers and Dean,
were captured who proved TO be the attempt
ed train robbers They were taken so Dodge
City by special train, under a heovy
guard, and placed in jail In the express
safe at the time of the attempted robbery
was between $40, 900 and $50 CO., and but Tor
the fight made by Patterson the robbers
would probably have made big haul, as be-
fore he drove the man from his car the men
in the engine had things their own way.
The plan OF the robbers was that while two
men captured theSengine and made the en-
giReer run the train the third man was to
kill the messenger, then rife the safe whlle
the train was in notion and then all three
escapeat once TO some convenient place be-
tween Coolidge and Dodge City. Patterson,
the express messenger, makes the following
statement:
you are of course aware that the raid
took place at Coolidge, a station on the line
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail
way, about ten miles east of the Colorado
State line, between . and o'clock this
morning. There Is an clearinghouse in the
station, and the train stopped there as usual
twenty minutes in order TO give the passen-
gers an opportunity 10 get lunch. The train
was No. bound east, Conductor Greeley,
Engineer John Hilton, Fireman Paddle and
Baggageman Johnson. When the train
stopped l put of some railroad mail which
/ had and, there being no express TO put of
and no further work for me TO do, L lay
down on my box Just in front of the side
door, on the side of the car next TO the
depot After lying down for few minutes
/ dropped off into doze. l was lying on
my back with my arms folded over my
bosom. Both of the doors on the side of the
car next to the platform were open, Rag
gageman Johnston being seated in the back
side door looking out on the platform. My
revolver, a Colts 41-caliber, double action.
lay at my side. l had taken it out of my
scabbaId and laid ii down that might be
ready for any emergency that might arise.
The pistol Ray where l could easily lay hands
upon it II was about time for the train to
start, when l heard the words: Come out
OF there Won This woke me
up, and | afterward learned that the re-
mark was made by Conductor Greedy TO
man whom he noticed getting into
the car When 1 awoke / nat
urally glanced down the car, and | saw
pistol in his hand. l was lying with my
head toward the front end OF the car, and
the man was standing near my feet did
not say word; in fact, did.not have time
to speak before he covered me with the re-
yolver and fired. The bullet went over nv
head and / could feel the fire burning
over my face. The man then fired shot
out of the doorway a the conductor.
Fortunately, | was completely sef-pos-
sessed, and when he fred / realized that
a train robbery was going on With the
hope of making the robber believe that he
had killed me, l unclasped my hands, which
were folded on my BOSOM and allowed them
to fall at my side. My right hand fell on
the muzzle of my revolver, and, realizing
that it would never do to allowNthe robber
to see that was about TO defend myself,
j worked my hand slowly into position until
l had hold OF the pistol with my hand on the
trigger. The robber did not notice this
maneuver, because il was quite dark in the
part of the car where lay. Meantime the
man was working his way toward the rear
of the car, evidently to Kill the baggageman
or anyone else who got in his way. AS soon
as l got hold of my pistol l sprang
Into sitting posture and fired at
the robber. / jumped up then and walked
toward the man he raised his revolver as
Ii TO shoot again, but il went off pdema-
turely, the ball striking the roof of the car.
When shot ut him part of his body was
behind a stove. j aimed at his abdomen,
Q
About this time / saw another man who
proved to be the pal of the first trying to
Climb in ut the side door No sooner had
fired, however, than he disappeared, and the
man shot at jumped out on the platform
from the rear side door That was the last
| saw OF the robbers calculated that they
would come up. to the front side door and
selling some freight baIricaded the door
so as to protect myself and property which
had been intrusted TO my care. Less than
half n minute after the robbors left my car
i heard some shots at the engine Three
shots were fired in half as many minutes
stood at the front side door OF my car re-
volver in hand Just then Conductor
Greeley came up. Have they gomez
asked Yes, think So, replied he, but
believe our engineer and fireman are hurt
Then Greeley went forward TO them and
coming back to me said: They are both
killed The engineer is shot through the
heart and the fireman through the neck )
then jumped out on the platform and saw
the engineer lying on the platform alongside
OF the engine. The fireman was still con-
scious, and was taken into the hotel, where
i talked with him few minutes"
|
ADErie Pa, Mr.. George Watts placed in
the hands of Lawyer Firch a copy of the
notorious book, The Memoirs of George
w." of which it was supposed all copies ex-