The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-10-11
A DARING RAID.
Desperate Attempt Of Three Men
to Rob a Passenger Train ut
Coolidge, Kan.
The Engineer Shot Dead at His Post
and the Fireman Dangerously
Wounded.
Bold Robbery on an indiana Rail-
way Train.
gEnnsna (tifv Ta1cvra,,, I

lhuIAHs lily leicRrnm.I
The most intense excitement prevails II
express circles hero over the attempted
robbery Of the regular cast-bound express
train on the Atchison, Topeka and santa II
railway at Coolidge, Kan. Tho robbery wa.
the work of three men, who made IN attack
upon tho train Just us 1t was about to pull
out from tho station. Conductor Creole,
mad ca led out .al aboard when two men
jumped upon the Engine with drawn rcvoly.
0rs and ordered the engineer, John II I'LL
ton, to pull ont Instead OF doing this he
reversed the engine, when one oi the men
shot him through the heart, killing hin,
Instantly. At tho same time the second
robher shot George Paddle, the fireman,
through the back and he fell from the cab
into the gutter, At almost exactly tho
the gang Jumped into the express car and
fired ONT blank NJ y y. Patterson, express
messenger for Wells, Fargo 4 Co, who was
reclining partially asleep on ted OF
blankets spree out upon his safe Patterson
sprang 10 his feet wit h n revolver in each hand
md was again tired ut by the rohbcr hut
luckily escaped unhnrt and fred III return nj
his antagonist who was partially concealed
by some haggage, the express and baggage
car being Joint iiNturc The robbcr, seeing
that the messenger was ready Tor him,
jumped from the door, with Patterson IN pur-
suit, but escaped with his two companions
from the engine, ms by this time the con-
ductor and train hands were taking hand
in the fusiladc some fifteen ur twenty shots
being fired IL was SO dark, however, that
good craftsmanship was impossible, and,
for the time being, tho robbers escaped.
The most in.euss excitement prevailed
among the passengers when the robbery be-
came known throughout the train and dis
patches We're sent to las Annnas, Dodge
City, and other points for assistance, while
the dead engineer and fireman were taken
into the sleeping car and properly cared for.
special train left Dodge City at once for
the scene, with posse Of armed men under
charge OF the Marshal, and Mt a late hour
three men, Loaney, Chambers and Dean
were captured, who pro, cd to be the attempt
ed train robbers They We're taken TO Dodge
City by special train. under heavy
guard, and placed in iail. In the express
safe nj the time of the attempted robbery
was between $4,000 and $50, toh, and but for
the tight made by Patterson the robbers
would probably have made big haul as be-
fore he drove the man from his ear the men
in the engine had things their own way.
The plan OF the robbers was that while two
men captured the eng ana made the en-
gincer run the train the third man was to
kill the messenger, then rifle the safe while
the train was in notion and then all three
escape At once to some convenient place be-
tween Coolidge and Dodge CITY Patterson,
the express-messengcr, makes the following
statement:
You are Of course aware that the raid
took place Mt Coolidge, q station on the line
OF the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
way, about ten miles east OF the Colorado
state line, between !. and 3 o'clock this
morning. There l. an eating house In the
station, and the train stopped there rs usual
twenty minutes in order TO give the passen-
gers an opportunity TO get lunch The train
~ a upf fa,,1 Anla
Engineer John Hilton, Fireman Paddle and
Baggageman johnson. When the train
stopped Put oil some railroad mail which
had and, there being ~ express to put or
and no further work for me to do, lay
down on my box Just III 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. | was lying on
my back with my arms folded over my
bosom. Both Of the doors on the side Of tho
car next to the platform were open, Rag
gageman Johnston being seated IN the back
side door looking out on the platform Ny
revolver, atalts Al-caliher. double action
lay Mt my side ! hal taken ii out OF my
seahbald aud lad it down that might DO
ready Tor any emergency that might arise.
The pistol lay where | could easily lay hands
upon it. il was about time for the train to
start, when heard the words: Come out
Of there, You ---." This woke me
up and af,clward learned that the re.
mark was made by Conductor Greely to a
man whom he noticed getting into
the ear When awoke | nat
nrally glanced down the car, and | saw
standing within four feet Of me man with
pistol in his hand l was living With my
head toward the trent 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 my
head and / cuuld feel the fire burning
over my face, The man then fired shot
out OF the doorway Mt the conductor.
Fortunately, ! was completely self-pos-
sessed, and when he fired realized that
2 train robbery was going on. With the
hope OF making the robber believe that ha
had killed me, unclasped my hands, which
were folded on my bosom, and allowed them
TO tall at my side My right hand fell On
the muzzle of my revolver, and, realizing
that II would never do To allow the robbcr
TO see that was about t. fefend myself,
worked my hand slowly into position until
! had hold OF the pistol with my hand on tho
trigger The rohh,r did not notice this
maneuyer, because it was quite dark in the
part of the car where lay Meantime the
man was working his way toward the rear
oil the car, evidently tn XIII the baggaccman
or anyone else who got in his way As soon
rs | got hold of my pistol / sprang
into sitting posture and fired nj
the rohber. jumped up then and walked
toward the man. lie raised his revolver rs
II To shoot again, but IL Went on p,ema-
tureiy, the hall striking the roof of the car
When shot ut him a part of his body was
behind a stove. l aimed at his abdomen,
and l beliey. that my ball took effect
About this time | saw another man who
proved To he the pal OF tho first trying TO
Z imb in ut the sd door No sooner had
fired, however, Than he disappeared, and the
man shot at jumped out IN the platform
from the rear side door That was the last
saw of the robbers calculated that they
would come up 10 the front side door. and
seizing some freight barricaded the door,
80 as to protect myself and property which
hal been ntrusted to my care. Less than
half a minute after the robhors left my car
heard some shots 1T the engine, Three
shots We're tired in hair rs many minutes |
stood at the front side door of my car, re-
volyer in hand Just then Conductor
Greeley came nr. Have they gone
asked. Aes, think So replied he hut |
Then Greeley went forward To them, and
coming back To me said: They are both
killed The engineer Is shot through the
heart aud 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
talked with him few minutes"
The Indiana Train Robbery.
Albert Loomis, the express messenger
and haggage-master on the Detroit express
on the Wabash road, was overpow cred by
robb."s between Roam and Peru, Ind and
larg. I'm OF money, supposed 10 he about
Slo,,Aa, was taken from the car The rob-
berry WAS unknown 10 any OF the Il ain men
until Peru Was reached. Loolnis was the
only one in the baggage ear, and not APP
pearing ut pesu where the train stopped,
Investigation Uncovered him lsirw insen-
sihie ON the floor OF the car. hueked and
gagged and badly bruised and bleeding.
The express mones-lackag's were gone,
and 1t Mas ut once apparent that the rob-
hers had had everything their own way,
and had probably jumped from the moving
train after securing NIL the money Mr.
LOOMS was found lying in sh.hrlne which
had run from AN overturned cask His legs
and feet Wee tightly bound with quarter
inch cords, h s hands twisted aud tied i'm
moyahly behind him, and his mouth filled
With handkerchiefs heavily knotted Con-
dactor {. T. Wells and his brakeman mme-
dlatels relieved the messenger ani insti-
tnted an unsuccessful search for the rob
hers. Mr. Ioomis, the messenger, makes