The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-01
.ArrEMprED TRAIN ROBBERY.
TIE bandits Giy.n II Warm Reception
aud Driven or

aud Driven on.
TOPEKA, KAN, September 20.-The can
non-ball express train Of the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe Road was attacked
and boarded by masked robbers at an early
hour this morning at Coolidge, Kan, near
the Colorado State line. W. W. Borst,
division superintendent Of the Atchlson,
Topeka & Santa Fe, reported the affair to
the general officers here as follows:
LA JuNTA, September 90, 1883.
"As train No. 4, Conductor O. l.. Gree.
ley, John Hilton, engineer, was ready to
pull out Of Coolidge this morning three
men jumped on the express car and com.
menced to shoot ftst at Conductor Greeley
and then at the express messenger, wko
returned the fire, when the men ran for
ward, shooting into the cab OF the engine,
killing Engineer Hilton and wounding
Fireman George Paddle. The gang is sup.
posed to have been composed of cowboys.
I will start a special train with Sheriff
and posse from Dodge City as soon as an
engine and crew can be got ready; also one
from here with the Sheriff from West Las
Animas. have offered a reward OF $500
for the arrest and conviction OF each man
engaged in the shooting, Please confirm
this. Have 1t published in the papers and
hand hills printed, WV. BoGsr."
Coolidge, where the robbery took place,
is little station on the Santa Fe Road, 400
miles west Of Kansas City, ard, aside from
the telegraph operator, is almost uninhab.
tied. The train which leaves Ka.sas City
n,lE tp0o HNfk
at $50 A. Vt and the train attacked BY the
robbers left Denver at 2;S0 P. NJ. Friday
and La Junta at 250, and was due at Cool
idge at 1:50 this morning.
The train arrived here at O'Clock this
afternoon, and the express messenger, S. S.
Peterson, who fred upon the robbers and
drove them of, gives the following account
OF the affair."
.GrvEN A WARN RECEPTION.
ave arrived at Coolidge on time, and
had been standing there about ten minutes
when mas jumped into my car and shot
at me. I was lying down, about halt
asleep. As arose my revolver came to
an aim, and I fred one shot. think it
took effect. Jus. then Conductor Greeley
stepped up on the outside, and the robber
shot once at theconduCtor. He then jump
ed out the car door and escaped. ! think
that that there were four shots fired in the
express car While this was going on an.
other Of the gang got on the engine aud or
dered the engineer to pull out, but hearing
the shooting In the express car he refused
to do 80. A second time the bandit order
cd him to go, but instead OF ebeying he
took his hand from the throttle, and the
robber shot him through the head. He
died almost instantly. Then the fireman,
George Paddle, jumped OF, and as he did
40 the william shot him in the back Of the
head. Faddls was still living when we left
Coolidge, and could talk some, but heard
at Nickerson that he died In about au
hour.
"There were three OF the bandits. The
one that came into my car was dressed in
black. He had on black slouch hat and
wore long heavy black whiskers all over
his face. think, however, they were
false. The gang did not look to me as
though they were cowboys. The only
other person in my car was the baggage
master. When the shooting commenced
he Jumped out and ran down to the rear
end OF the train. We brought Hilton's
body to Dodge City, At Cammarron we
met the sheriff's posse going ont to capture
the robbers, and l am in hopes they will
get them. We waited there until another
engineer could be secured and came on.
The robbers did not get any thing. They
must have concluded that it was little
too hot place. we did not have very
much money in the safe.".