Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-20
WERE LAYING FOR THEM.
AUDAcloUS MlSSoURIANs WHO WE'RE
SHORT OF THE MARK.

They Undertake "a Contract That Prove.
More Than They Can MAnaGe-warm
Reception Given a Party of Train Rob-
bers-shot-Guns Talk, Instead of the
Compliant Express Messenger.
ST. LOUIS Jan. 90 -Train-robbers were
| foile1 Wednesday night in an attempt to rob
an express train on the Wabash Western
road at Cooey's lake, twenty-four miles east
OF Kansas City, When the train stopped at
Missouri City on the platform OF the little
station was band OF men with shot-guns
The conductor was informed that they were
under command of an official of the county,
who had received word that an attempt
would be made TO rob the st. Louis express
at IA lonely spot little less than two miles
east of Missouri City. One of the officers got
into the cab OF the engine with the engnee
and fireman, and the others distributed them
selves through the train. Cooley's lake. a
fishing resort, one OF the loneliess points on
| the road In winter time, was the place where
the attack was to be made. None OF the pas
sengers Of the trGin were notified Of the dan
ger.
At $50, as the point of attack was neared
| q red light was seen cleaning ahead. As the
train slowed up, the engineer saw three
masked men, armed with rifles, standing on
the track. Get Off there, said the leader of
the three men 20 the engineer Morsey
climbed down out of the cab Just rs he
reached the ground the officer in the cab
pointed his Shotgun out OF the window and
fired. Whether he hit the leader of the band
Of robbers or not he could not afterward
tell, but both he and the engineer
thought he had As soon as the shot
was fred, he aud Morsoy dropped
down out of sight. The shot from the
cab 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 a demoralized state. As they
moved back part of the posse came up from
the woods and opened fire on them These
men had been sent out from Missouri City in
advance of the train, and concealed them
selves, to lie in readiness whenever they
should be needed. About twenty shots were
exchanged the men on the train joining in
the pursuit. The track was then examined
and found clear, and the train pulled out
The sheriff and posse, however, remained
in pursuit Of the robbers, finally bagging
their game. Three of the robbers were cap
tured, including their leader, Barney Swee-
ney, who was found to be wounded. He had
attempted to escape by crawling into the
woods, and fought desperately before his sur
render. Sweeney has long and brilliant
record Of crime. He is considered about the
worst citizsn in Missouri since the days of
the James gang and the other noted outlaws
and bandits who have terroriz,i the west.
He was member of the James gang and
has been implicated in number of crimes
against life and property. He recently
served term of two years in the peniten-
tiary for an attempt to blackmail the late
General Manager Talmage, of the Wabash
Western, and has been twice under arrest
for murder and train-robbery.
The plot to rob Wednesday nights train
was communicated to Station Agent Arnold
several DAYS ago by John King, a resident of
Missouri City, who claims that he was COM
PEELED TO so into the scheme, but got even by
giving information Arnold in turn report
ed the matter to the officials here. Neither
Arnold nor the officials had more than half
an hours notice of the time AMI place Of the
proposed robbery.