Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-20
didn't GET THERE.
Attempt to Rob an Express Train on
The Wabash Western Railway 20
Miles East Of Kansas City.
The Plot Is Given Awsy By One o: the
Gang Whe Was Forcsd TO Join the
Frstnmsn Prepared.
Several Shots Exchanged IN Which Barney
Sweeney. the Lsadsr, Elk Member Of
the j snes G tang, is Shot.
ATTEMPTED TRAIN ROBBERY.

was made upon a Wabash train last night
by robbers twenty-seyen miles east OF
Kansas City, near Missouri City. The
train was fl,gged and the engineer WAS
ordered out of his cab. The officials had
Information of the attempt and q yolley
from shotguns met the robbers, and the
leader was shot down. The county Of
fcials are now in pursuit and some OF the
robbers were captured.
The PARTICULARS.
ST. LOUIS. Mo Jan. 19-Traln rob-
hers were foiied last night in an attempt
to rob the express train of the Wabash
Western road at Cooley's Lake, twenty
four miles east of Kansas City. The
regular Kansas City and ST. Louis ex-
press train No. left Kansas City at the
regular hour, $50 p. N. 1t was in
charge OF W. o. Beckley, regular con-
ductor. George Morsey was in the csb
of engine No. 1919. When the train
stopped at Missouri City at 9: 20, on the
platform Of the little station was : band
of men with shotguns. The conductor
was informed that they were
under command CT officials Of the county,
who had received word that an attempt
would be made to rob the st. Louis Ex-
press at lonely spot less than two miles
east of Missouri City. One Of the officers
got in the cab with the engineer snd il ;e-
map, and the others distributed them
selves through the train. Cooley's lake,
fishing resort, one CT the loneliest points
on the road in the winter time, was the
place where the attack was to be made.
None Of the passengers were roti6ed
of the danger. As the poiut ofattack WAS
neared q red light was seen cleaning
ahead. As the train slowed up the engi-
neer saw three masked men armed with
rifes standing on the track,
4. SECT OF there" said the leader CT the
Fthree men to the engineer
"What do you WANT" asked T. 1glGeer
Morsey.
'Never vou mind" said the masked
bandit. "You get of Of there now"
Marsry climbed down out of the cab.
Just as he reached the grounL the officer
in the cab
POINTED HIS SHOTGUN
out OF the WINDOW and fred. Whether
be hit the leader Of the band OF ROBBERS
or not he could not afterwards tell, but
both he and the engineer were Of the
opinion that he had. AZ soon IS the shot
was fred he and Morsey dropped down
out OF sight. The shot from the Gao was
answered with shots from the guns of the
three robbers, which ratified about the
engine, but did no harm. The three men
retired in demorsIized state. AS they
moved back part Of the posse came up
from the woods, where they had been in
FECnceelment for some time, and
OPENED FIRE ON THEM.
These men had been sent cat from
Missouri City in advance Of the train and
had concealed themselves to be in resdi-
ness whenever they should be zeede i.
About twenty shots were exchanged. The
men on the train )iniug the pursuit. the
posse continued in bdfsfit Of the band
and when they reached Moberly there was
report that two of them had been cip.
tured by the officers sud il the struggle
one of them hsd been killed. TIE rob oers
are known to be farmers living in the
neighborhood Of Missouri City. One OF
them is said TO have been a member OF
the James gang at one time.
ALL Captured.
kilograms to General Manager Hayes
from Division Superintendent MGGae say
that ell OF the would-be robbers have
been captured. Three ot them were
taken by the posse, and the fourth, Bar
ney Sweeney, the leader who stopped the
train, and who received heavy load of
shot in the breast from the gun of a man
concealed in the engine Cab, was found in
the woods where ne crawled ziter being
shot.
The plot wss given away by one Of the
gang named Klrg. who told Grant Arnold,
station sgent at Missouri City, what was
going on. Arnold in turn informed the
sberif OF Clay county, and the latter 81
Ger Immediately organized q posse. Ar
mold was one OF the posse, and it wss he
WHO SHOT TIE LEADER
from the cab. King remained with the
gang and signaled the tram TO stop, but
took no other pirtin the affair. Sweeney,
II is said, is dar gerously soIDded. He
has long record of crime IN this state
and is considered one of the worst crimi-
nsls in Missouri since the days OF the
Jesse and Frsnk James gang. He was q
| member of that band OF despersdoes
He has been tried for killing two men,
but got clear. Ia one case he shot q msn
on q fence ''just TO see him DROP" and in
the other case killed man on s Missouri
Pacific train near White, ABOUT three
years ago. He recently served term Of
two years in the penitentiarY for sttempt-
ing 20 blackm.il the late Colonel A A
Talmsge, general manager OF the Wabash
Railroad, out CT $3.50.
Thomas Furlong, Chief Of the Detective
Service Of the Missouri Pacific, ssys
Sweeney is the meanest snd most despic-
able villain he ever met. john King,
who gave the gang away, is a young man
Of Missouri City kDd says he WAS forced
to JOIN the bsnd .g.inst his viii sDd gave
the railwsY officials inf0rmation OF the
scheme two weeks ago.
Ire names of the would be robbers are
John B. Swinny--not SweeDy, IS report
ed-the leader; john Hsrgrave, Noah
Drew and ". II. H.rris.
From the best Information at hsnd 81
this writing, Mr.. King, who figured al
day ss iniormer, is Noah Drew. The mar
has been taken to Clay county fsil, The
county seat.
Hargrave has made q full confession
and viii tell his story On the witness stant