Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-02-02
TRAIN ROBBERS BEATEN.
An Unsuccessful Attempt to Rob
the Wabash q Western Express,
the Plot Being Given Away by one
of the RobbeFa.

1t is q pleasure to chronicle one attempt
to rob a train that was not al least, par
italy successful. The train robbers were
toiled in an attempt to rob an express
train on the Wabash & Western road at
Cooley's lake, t~wenty-four miles east of
Kansas City. The regular Kansas City-St.
Louis Express Train No. 4 left Kansas
City at the regular hour, SEQ D. M.
When the train stopped at Missouri City
il was met by a band OF men with shot
guns The conductor was informed that
they were under command OF an official OF
the county who bad received word that
an attempt would be made to rob the st.
Louis express at a lonely spot a little
less than two miles east Of Missouri
City. One Of the officers got in the
cab OF the engine with the engineer and fire.
man, and the Others distributed them
selves through the train. Cooley IS lake, a
fishing resort, one OF the loneliest spots on
the o 10 winter Tins. was the place
where the attack was made. None OF the
passengers OF the train WAS notified of the
danger. At $50, as the point Of attack
was neared. a red light was seen gleam-
ing ahead. As the train slowed
up the engineer saw three
masked men armed with rifles, standing on
the track. Get on there, . aid the leader
OF the three men to the engineer. Morsey
climbed down out of ths TAB. lust as be
reached the ground the officer in the cab
pointed his shot gun out ofthe window and
bred. Whether he hit the leader of the band
OF robbers or not be could not afterward
tell, but boil he and the engineer ~ere OF
the opinion that he had. Assoon as the shot
was fired he and Morsey 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 en-
CINE, but did no harm. The three men re-
tired in a demoralized state As they
moved back a part Of the posse came up
IRON the woods, where they had been in
eoneealment for some time, and opened
fire on them. These men had bean sent
out from Missouri City in advance
OF the train, and had con-
eealed themselves to be in readiness when.
ever they should be needed. About twenty
shots were exchanged, the men on the
train joining in the pursuit. The posse
continued in pursuit of the band, and all
Of the would be robbers have been
captured. Three OF them we're over
taken by the posse, and the fourth,
Barney Sweeny. the leader. who stop
ped the train. and who received a
heavy load Of shot in the breast from the
gun Of the man concealed in the engine
cab, was found in the woods where he had
crawled after being wounded. The plot
was given away by n OF the gang named
King. Who told Grant Arnold, station
agent at Missouri City, what was going on.
Arnold in turn informed the sheriff OF Clay
county. and the latter officer Immediately
organized q posse. Arnold was one
of the posse, and it was he who
shot the leader from the car.
King remained with the gang. and sig
Led the train to stop, but took no 9TH
er part in the affair. He has n long rec.
ord of crime in this state and is consider
ed one OF the worst men in Missouri since
the days OF the Jesse James gaag OF out.
laws He was a member of that band of
desperadoes. He has been tried for killing
two men but got clear. In one case he
shot a man sitting on a fence '.iust to see
him Drop and in the other case
he killed aman on a Missouri Pacific train
near Vinta about five years ago. He re-
Gently served two years in the penitentiary
for attempting to blackmail out OF 81. 500
the late Col A. A Talmadge. general
manager OF the Wabash railroad. John
KING. Who gave the gang away, is a young
man Of Missouri City, and says he was
forced TO join the band against his viii,
end gave the railroad officials information
OF the scheme " weeks ago.