Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-10-11

Train Robbery mt Coolidge.

IRAN ROBBERY at Coolidge.
|, The most intense excitement prevails
here over the attempted robbery of the
regular east-bound express train on the
Atchison. Topeka d Santa Fe Railway
at Coolidge, Kan, shortly after two
o'clock Saturday morning. The rob-
berry was the work of three men, who
made an attack upon the train Just as
il was about to put out from the station.
Conductor Greeley had called out .'all
aboard, !" when two men jumped upon
the engine with drawn reyolvers and
ordered the engineer, John r. Hilton,
to pull out; instead of doing this he re-
versed the engine, when one of 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 ear and
fired point blank at S. S. Patterson, ex-
press messenger for Wells. Fargo & Co.,
who was reclining partially asleep ON a
bed of blankets spread upon his safe.
Fortunately the bullet went wide of its
mark, and Patterson sprang to his feet
in driving him from the car. Passen-
gers came to the assistance of the train
men, but, owing, to the darkness, the
robbers succeeded in making their es-
cape, empty-handed, however.
| The most intense excitement pre-
vailed among the passengers when the
| robbery became known throughout the
train, and dispatches were sent to Las
Animas, Dodge City, and other points
for assistance, while the dead engineer
and wounded fireman were taken into
the sleeping-car and properly cared for.
A SPECIAL train left Dodge City at once
for the scene with posse of armed men
under charge of the Marshal, and ut n
late hour three men named Looney,
Chambers and Dean were captured,
who were thought to be tho attempted
train-robbers. They were taken to
Dodge City by special train. under n
heavy guard, and have been placed in
| Jail, but the excitement there is so in
tense that the men will probably be re-
moved to some other point during the
| night. In the express safe at the time
of the robbery was between $4,000 and
$4,000, and but for the fight made by
| Patterson the robbers would probably
have made big haul, as before he
| drove the men from his car the men in
the engine had things their own way.
The plucky express messenger tells
the following story:
when the train stopped at Coolidge,
| | put off some railroad mail which |
had, and there being no express to put
off and no further work for me to do,
laid 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. The pistol lay where | could
easily lay hands upon it. 1t was about
time for the train to start, when heard
| the words: Come out of there you
---p' This woke me up,
and | afterwards learned that the re-
mark was made by Conductor Greeley
| to a man whom he noticed getting into
| the car When | awoke | naturally
glanced down the car, and saw stand
| ing within four feet of me q man with
pistol in his hand. / was lying with
my head toward the front end of the
car, and the man was standing near
my feet | did not say a word. In
| fact, did not have time TO speak be-
| lOIt nt COftitu tiG WIN biC iIAplNIl
and fired. The bullet went over my
head, and could feel the fire burning
over my face. The man then fired a
shot out of the doorway at the conduc-
tor. Fortunately was completely self
possessed, and when he fired | realized
that a train-robbery was going on.
With the hope of making the robber be-
ieve that he had killed me, unclasp-
my hands, which were folded on my
| breast, 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 allow the robber to
see that [ was about TO defend myself,
| worked my hand slowly into position
until had hold of the pistol with my
hand on the trigger. The robbcr did
not notice this maneuver, because it
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 supposing that he
had finished me, and intended to kill
| the baggageman or anyone else who
got in his way As soon as | got hold
of my pistol | sprang into sitting
posture and fired at the robber. |
jumped up then and walked toward the
man. He raised his revolver as if to
shoot again, but it went off prema-
turely, the ball hitting the roof of the
car. When | shot at him part of his
body was behind stove. / aimed at
his abdomen, and / believe that my
ball took effect. About this time |
saw another man who proved to be the
pal of the first trying to climb in at
the side door. No sooner had / fired,
however, than he disappeared, and tire
man ! shot at jumped out on the plat
torn 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 seiZing some
freight barricaded the door so as to
protect myself and the property which
had been intrusted to my care.
The wounded fireman, Fodle, is lying
at Coolidge, and is said to be improv-
ing. The remains of John X. Hilton.
the engineer. who lost his life by his
refusal TO obey the robbers orders TO
pull out the train, will be taken TO Mil
waukee, Wis, for burial Mrs Hilton
the deceased's widow, and Mr.. Me-
Elvain, Santa Fe conductor, accom-
pany the remains. The bereaved widow
is completely Frustrated by the terrible
blow.
Yellow Jack.
| SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. A letter re-
ceived to-day from George Treat, the
well-known pioneer of California, better
l. xsff fat