The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-10-05
RAILROAD BANDITS.

Three Cowboys Make q Desperate At
tempt to Rob Passenger Train at Cool
idge, Kan.-The Engineer Shot Dead at
His Post and q Fireman Dangerously
Wounded-Over SAC, 900 in Cash Defend
ed by the Express Messenger-Story Of
the Brave Custodian of the Cash-Capt-
ure of the Supposed Bandits.
KANSAS CRY, Mo-, Oct. 1.-The most in
tense excitement prevails here over the
attempted robbery of the regular east-bound
express train on the Atchison, Topeka s.
Santa Fe Railway at Coolidge, Kan, shortly
after two o'clock Saturday morning. Tho
robbery was the work of three men. who
made an attack upon the train just as it was
about to put out from the station. Con-
ductor Greeley had called out " all aboard, -
when two men jumped upon the engine with
drawn reyolvers and ordered the engineer.
John Il. Hilton, to pull out; instead of doing
this he reversed 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. Atalmost exactly the same
time the third member of the gang jumped
into the express-car and fired point blank at
5. s. Patterson, express m essenger for
Wells, Fargo & Co., who was reclining par
TALLY asleep on bed of blankets spread
out upons his safe. Fortunately the bullet
went wide of its mark, and Patterson
sprang to his feet and returned the fire,
finally succeeding in driving the robber from
the car. Passengers 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 prevailed
among the passengers when the robbery be-
came known throughout the train, and dis
patches 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 prop
erly cared for. A special train left Dodge
City at once for the scene with posse of
armed men under charge of the Marshal,
and at late hour three men,
named Looney, Chambers and Dean
were captured, who are thought to be the
attempted train-robbers. They were taken
to Dodge City by special train, under a
heavy guard, and have been placed in jail,
but the excitement there is so intense that
the men will probably be removed to some
other point during the night. In the ex-
press safe at the time of the attempted rob-
berry was between $40, 900 and $50, 900, and
but for the fight made by Patterson the rob-
bers would probably have made big haul,
as before he drove the man 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,I put
off some railroad mail which I 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 l could
easily lay hands upon it. It was about time
for the train to start, when / heard the
words: Come out of there,
| you -V This woke
me up, and afterwards learned that the
remark was made by Conductor Greeley to
man whom he noticed getting into the car.
| When l awoke / naturally glanced down the
car, and | saw standing within four feet of
me man with pistol In his hand. Twas
| 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 I did
not have time to speak before he covered
me with the revolver and fred. The bull.
| let went over my head, and l could
| feel the fire burning over my face The
man then fired shot out of the doorway at
| the conductor. Fortunately, / was COM
| pletely self-possessed, and when he fired
realized that a train-robbery was going on.
With the hope of making the robber believe
that he had killed me, I 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 re
volyer and realizing that it would never dc
| to allow the robber to see that / was
about to defend myself, 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, be-
cause 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 any
one 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 prematurely, the ball hitting the
roof of the car. When l shot at him a
part of his body was behind a stove ]
aimed at his abdomen, and 1 believe that
my ball took effect. About this time I 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 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
barricaded the door so as to protect my
self and the property which had been in
| trusted to my care"
| The wounded fireman, Fodle, is lying al
| Coolidge, and is said to be improving. The
remains of John r. Hilton, the engineer,
who lost his life by his refusal to obey the
robbers orders to pull out the train, will be
| taken to Milwaukee, Wis, for burial. Mrs.
| Hilton, the deceased's widow, and Mr.. Nc
| Elvain, a Santa Fe conductor, accompany
| the remains. The bereaved widow is com
pletely Frustrated by the terrible blow.
/ Q