The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-01-25
TRAIN ROBBERS FoILED.
Oficsrs Get Wind of scheme and Prevent
its Consumation.


ST. LOUIS, January 19.-Train robber:
were foiled last night in an attempt to rob
an express tram of the Wabash Western
road at Cooleys Lake, twentY-four miles
east of Kansas City. The regular Kansas
CiIy-St. Louis express train No. 4 left Kan.
sss City at the regular hour, 500 p. m. Ii
was in charge of w. o. Beckley, the regu-
lar conductor.
When the train stopped OF Missouri City,
on the platform of the little station was a
band of men with shot guns. The conduct
or was informed that they were under com.
mand Of an official of the county who had
received word that an attempt would be
made to rob 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 engine with the engineer
and fireman, and the others distributed
themselves through the train.
Cooley's Lake, fishing resort, one OF
the lonliest points On the road in winter
time, was the place where the attack was
to be made. None of the passengers of the
train we're notified of the danger. AT $3.50,
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 to the engineer. Morsey
climed down out of the cab. Just as he
reached the ground the officer in the cab
pointed his shot gun out Of the window
and fred. Whether he hit the leader of the
band of robbers or not he coCld not after
wards tell; both he and the engineer were
of the opinion that he had. As sJOa as
the shot was fred he and Morsey dropped
down out of sight. The snot from the Ab
was answered with shots from the guas Of
the three robbers, which ratified about the
engine but did no harm.
The three men retired in a dsmoralizsd
state. As they moved back a part of the
posse came up from the woods, where they
and opened fire on them. These men had
been sent out from Missouri City IN ad-
vance of the train and had concealed them.
selves, to be in readiness whenever they
should be needed. About twenty shots
were exchanged, the men on the train ioin.
ing in the pursuit. The posse continued
in pursuit OF the band, and when the train
reached Moberly there was q report that
two of them had been captured by the Off
GERS, but that in the struggle one of them
had been killed.
The robbers are known to be farmers iiy-
ing in the neighborhood of Missouri City.
One Of them is said to have been member
of the James gang at one time.
A telegram 10 General Manager Hays
from Diyisi on Superintendent McGee SAYS
that all the would be robbers have been
captured. Three of them we're overtsken
by the posse, and the fourth, Barney
Sweeney, the leader, who stopped the
tram, 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 ne had craTisd
after being wounded. The plot was given
away by one of the gang named King, who
told Grant Arnold, station agent at dis
souri, City, what was going on. Arnold, in
turn, informed the Sheriff Of Clay county,
and the latter officer Immediately organ
lied 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, out
took no active part IN the affair. Sweeney
is said to be dangerously wounded.
He has long record Of crime in this
State, and is considered one of the worst
men in Missouri since ths days of Jesse
and Frank James gang of outlaws. He was
member of that band OF desperadoeS. He
has been tried for killing two men, bat in
some way got clear. In one case he SO Ut
a man sitting on fence lust to see him
DROP" and in the other case he killed a
man on a Missouri Pacific train, near
Ninlta, about i've years ago. He recently
served term Of two years in the peniten-
tiary for attempting to blackmail out of
$500 the late Colonel A. A. Talmsge,
General Manager of the Wabash Railroad.
Thomas Furlong, chief of the secret serv-
ice of the Missouri Pacific, says Sweeney is
the meanest and most despicsble villain
that he ever met. 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 will, and gave the rail-
road officials information of the scheme
two weeks ago.