Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-20
RIFLES FOR TRAIN ROBBERS.
Disastrous Failure of an Attempt
Upon a Wabash Express.
THE LEADER FILLED WITH LEAD
One OF the Gang Gives Away the Job
and Red-Hot Reception is
Prepared For Them
Full Details.
The Missouri Method,

KANSAS CITY, Jan. H. Special Telegram
to the BEE. News reached here this morn
ing of the attempted robbery of the east
bound Wabash express train which left this
city for st. Louis at $40 last evening at
point near Cooley's Lake, fishing resort,
and one of the loneiest places in winter.
When the train stopped at Missouri City on
the platform was a band of men armed with
shotguns 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 roe the St Louis
express at a lonely spot little
less than two miles east of Missouri City.
One of the officers got in the cab of the en-.
gne with the engineer and the others dis.
trbuted themselves throughout the train.
None of the passengers of the train were no.
titled of the danger.
AT $50, as the point of attack was neared
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 out of there" said the leader of the
three men to the engineer.
Nlorsey climbed down out of the cab
Just as he reached the ground the officer i'm
the cab pointed his shot gun out of the win
dow and fired. AS soon 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 rob-
bers, which ratified about the engine, but did
no harm. The three men retired in demor-
allied state. As they moved back part of
the posse came up from the woods, where
they had been in cOnceament for some time
and opened fire on them. These men had
been sent out from Missouri City in advance
of the train and had concealed themselves
to be in readiness whenever they should be
needed. About twenty shots in all were
fired, and in very few moments the four
robbers were captured. Barney Swinny,
the leader of the robbers, was wounded at
the first fire. He was taken to
house near by and guard placed over him.
Swlnny several years ago served two years
term IN the Missouri penitentiary for having
sent threatening letters to the late A. A.
Tamage at that time general manager of
the Gould system Of railroads.
The plot was given away by one of the
gang named King who told Grant Arnold,
station agent at Missouri City, what was
goingon Arnold in turn informed the sheriff
OF Clay county and the latter immediately
gathered posse. Arnold was one of the
| posse, and it was he who shot the leader from
the cab. King remained with the gang and
signaled the train to stop, but took no other
part in the affair
Press Train robbers were foiled last
night in an attempt to rob the express train on
the Wabash road at Cooley's lake, twenty four
| miles east of Kansas City. The regular Kansas
City Il st. Louis express train left Kansas
City at S:2Op. m At Missouri City band
of armed men boarded the train and informed
the conductor they were under command of
an official of the county, who had received
word that an attempt would be made
| to rob the express. One of the officers got
| into the cab of the engine with the engineer
and fireman and the others distributed them
selves through the train Cooley's lake. a
| fishing resort was the place where the at
tack was to be made. At930 as the point of
attack was neared a red light was seen
| cleaning ahead. AS the train slowed up the
| engineer was ordered to leave the engine by
three masked men, who were armed
with rifles. just as he reached the ground
! the officer in the cab fired his shotgun
| out of the window. Whetherh he hit the leader
OF the band he does not know, but thinks he
did. The shot from the cab was answered
| with shots from the robbers, which ratified
around the engine, but did no HARM The
three men then retreated. AS they moved
| back part of the posse came up from the
woods, where they had been IN concealment
Tor some time, and opened fire on
them These men had been sent out from
| Missouri City in advance of the train and had
concealed themselves to be in readiness when
| they should be needed About twenty shots
were exchanged. The men on the train Joined
| in pursuit of the robbers. The posse
continued in pursuit of the rob
bers, ard when the train reached
| Moberly there was report that two of them
had been captured, and in the struggle one
| of them had been killed. The robbers are
known to be farmers living in the neghbor-
hood of Missouri City One of them is said
| to have been n member of the James gang
Telegrams to General Manager Hays say
| that all of the would be robbers were cap
turcd. Three men We're Overtaken by the
posse and the fourth, the leader, man
named Barney Swinny, who received load
! OF shot in the breast, was found in the woods,
where he had crawled after being shot
The names of the would.be robbers are
| John B. Swnny, leader, John Hargrave,
| Noah Dresi and w. H. Harris. From the
best information at hand, John King who
has figured all day as an informer, is Noah
Dresi. The men have been taken to the Clay
| county jail at Liberty, the county seat. Har-
grave has made a full confession and will tell
his story on the witness stand next Wednes-
day when the men will have an examination
| 1t is not known here how badly Swinny is
wounded, but from brief kilograms from
Missouri City it is said that there is an in
tense feeling against him at that place, and
| that he will nrobahlv ba nl