The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-05
A DARING TRAIN ROBBERY
Two Men Hold Up the Passengers of a
Wabash Train Just Out of Kansas City.
Desperate Struggle with the Conductor-A
Robbery That Would Have Done Credit
to Jesse James and His Gang.

Western express as it pulled out of Harlem,
just across the Missouri river from this city,
at $50 O'Clock last evening. The command
was spoken by one of the two men whose
faces were concealed behind handkerchiefs,
who had entered the rear of the coach.
The passengers turned to ascertain the
threatening muzzles of two revolvers.
Hands went up. The cautionary words
first one that offers resistance will be shot
down by our man on the platform" There
was no man on the platform, but the pas
sengers submitted as quietly as if there
had been legion.
There were seven people in the coach,
five passengers, the sleeping-car conductor
and the porter. OF the passengers one was
lady. At the first command her face
blanched with fear, her hand went up for
a moment, then fell lifelessly in to her lap.
She had tainted. II guess they won't bother
u.s." remarked one of the robbers, and salts
fed that no resistance would be offered,
they commenced their work of plumber.
One man went through" the passengers,
one by one, while the other, with his re-
v0lver in his extended arm kept a watch
full lookout for signs of opposition. In this
way the plunderers secured all the booty
they could in their haste, and when it was
all over and the robbers had escaped the
passengers found they had been relieved of
$175 in cash and two gold watches.
The Wabash Western train left Kansas
City at $40 last night. 1t was composed of
the baggage, express and smoking cars, one
day coach. two Mann boudoir cars and one
Pullman car. The latter car was the st.
Paul sleeper, where the robbers commenced
their work. When the train reached the
Missouri river bridge two men were seen to
get Off the forward end Of the baggage car
and disappear behind a lumber pile. The
train hands thought they were tramps who
had stolen a ride from Kansas City. and
paid no attention to the incident. They
are convinced now that they were the rob-
bers, and that they caught the rear end of
the last sleepeya as it passed the lumber pile.
Just as the train pulled out OF Harlem the the
the passengers as described. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY the intention to rob the passengers
in all the coaches, working" the train
from the rear, for as they left the ST. Paul
to not give the alarm under penalty of be-
ing shot by "the man on the PLATFORM
Leaving the ST. Paul coach they started
for the next one ahead. On the platform
they met the conductor of the train, John
Roach. One of the robbers pushed his re-
voiver under the conductors nose, and,
with an oath, ordered him to hold up his
hands. The conductor supposed from the
nature of their disguises that a number OF
railroad men who had taken passage
on the train were playing practical joke
| on him, and, with q laugh, he attempted to
push past them and enter the sleeper. Just
then gust of wind swept aside the mask 8
| of the robbers and then he knew that tn Q
affair was one of dead earnest He had no
weapon, but he carried his lantern in his
| hand, and with that he dealt one of the
| men vicious blow on the head, smashing
the lantern-glass and extipguishing. the
| other rObber fired shot at him from his
! revolver. The aim was bad and the bullet
| missed its mark. The first robber had by
| this time recovered himself, and he too
aim was no more precise than his
partners. The robbers then, with one more
| parting shot swung off from the steps of
| the car. AS they did SO the conductor
hurled his lantern after them. determined
to have last tag" on them. The train was
| running at the rate of twenty-five miles an
| hOur-tOO fast for any one, except under
! desperate chances, to Jump OFT without en-
| dangering his life-and conductor Roach
| did not attempt it. He swung out beyond
robbers arise and make with all haste for
! the dirt road that leads to Kansas City.
| That was the last seen Of them.
In the meantime the passengers In the St.
p0trl anh had hanY, slafrN Ivy
lied that they did not regain their senses
until they heard the firing on the platform.
| Then one of them pulled the cord that con-
! meets with the ar-brake and the train
came to. a stand-still. By this time the
| train had run mile beyond the place
| where the robbers had escaped.
w. Ii. BOnnell. special detective OF the
road. was passenger III the smoking car.
| When the train came to a sudden stop he
| rushed out to ascertain the cause. Learn
| ing from the conductor of the occurrence of
| the robbery, he Immediately set to work TO
| begin the chase for the robbers. He Or
| dered the engineer to run the train to Kan
dolph, a few miles ahead, and there he un-
| coupled the engine and ran it back to Har-
lem. There he found Deputy Sheriff Tom
linson. Guards were stationed at the ap-
| proaches of the bridge to prevent the rob-
bers' entrance into Kansas City. and two
| for the fugitives. Special Agent TOmlin-
| son then walked back to Kansas City. ar
irving here at 2:3O this morning. and re-
| ported the case to the police. who are keep
| ing lookout in the city for the road agents.
| The police OF the neighbOring towns hav g
| also been asked to arrest any one answering
the description of the robbers. The rob-
| bers are described as rather youthful, not
| over twenty or twenty three years of age,
| of slight build and dressed something like
| farmer boys. No one saw their faces except
| the conductor, and by the dim light of his
lantern he received no definite impression
| of their features.
Sheriff TOmlinson's posse returned this
| for the robbers. They succeeded in tracing
the men TO farmhouse on the dirt road
| where it is known they stole horse from a
| farmer named Evans 1t is supposed they
forced the horse TO carry double The
| tracks of the animal were traced to a bend
| in the river. where footprints in the sand
showed that two men had probably dis
| mounted. AT this point all trace of the
| bandits was lost. 1t is very likely they
| crossed the river and boarded train fol
Z! LeavenwOrth on the Kansas City & North.
| western road. and escaped by that means
to LeavenwOrth. and then to some point in
| Nebraska. Until tonight the names OF
| none OF the passengers In the 81. Paul cal
were known. no record having been kept OF
them at the Pullman Office. Two of ths
Denham, of this city. Mr.. Denham tele
| he and his wife were among the losers 10y
the outlaws raid, and asking for money
| The train was the regular st. Louis express
and the ST. Paul car was carried only as fal
as Moberly, where it was switched on Il
| the st. Paul train.