Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-05
A BOLD TRAIN ROBBERY.
Two Men Enter q Sleeping Car and
Rob the Passengers.

"Hold up your hands," Such was the COM
mand that astonished the passengers on the st.
Paul sleeper" attached to the rear of the Wa
bash western express as it pulled out Of Har-
lem, No., Saturday evening. The command
was spoken by one of the two men whose faces
we're concealed behind handkerchief who had
| entered the rear of the coach. The passengers
turned to ascertain the source Of the command
and looked into the threatening muzzles of two
revolvers. Hands went up. The cautionary
words that followed we're not necessary. '"rhe
first one that offers resistance will be shot down
by our man on the PLATFORM" There was no
man on the platform, but the passengers sub
mitted as quietly as if there had been a legion
There we're seven people in the coach-five
passengers, the sleeping-car conductor and the
porter.
THE LADY PAINTED.
Ofthe passengers one was a lady. At the
first command her face blanced with fear, her
hands went up for moment then fell life
lessly into her lap. She had tainted. ~ guess
they won't bother us, remarked one of the
robbers, and, satisfied THAI no resistance would
be offered they commenced their work Of plum
der. One man ''went through" the passengers
one by one, while the other, with his revolver
IN his extended arm, kept watchful lookout for
signs Of opposition. In this way the plumber
er secured all the booty he could in his haste
and the robbers had escaped. The passengers
found they had been relieved OF S175 in cash
and two gold watches. Leaving the st. Paul
coach they started for the next ahead. On the
platform they met the conductor Of the train,
John Roach. One of the robbers pushed his
revolver under the conductors nose and with
an oath ordered him to hold up his hands. The
conductor supposed from the nature of their
disguise that number of railroad men, who
ho6 taE Qn ms fha frof mis- n
practical joke on him, and with a laugh he
attempted to push past them and enter the
sleeper.
THE PLUCKY CONDUCTOR.
Just then a gust Of wind swept aside the
masks of the robbers, and then he knew that
the 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 a vicious
blow on the head smashing the lanterns glass
with his assault the other robber fired shot at
him with his revolver. The aim was bad and
the bullet missed its marx. The first robber
had by this time recovered himself, and he
took shot at the conductor. His aim was no
more precise than his partners. The robbers
then, with one more parting shot, swung off
from the steps OF the cars. The train was rum
ming at the rate of % miles an hour-too fast for
any one, except under desperate chances to
Jump of without endangering his life, and
Conductor Roach did not attempt it.
In the meantime the passengers in the st.
Paul coach had been SO completely terrorized
that they did not regain their senses till they
heard the firing on the platform. Then one of
them pulled the cord that connects with the
air-brake and the train came to q standstill.
By this time the train had run a mile beyond
the place where the robbers had escaped.
FRUITLEss CHASE.
W. H. Bonnell, special agent of the road,
was a passenger in the smoking car. When
the train came to a sudden stop he rushed out
to ascertain the cause. Learning from the
conductor the occurrence of the robbery he at
once set to work to begin the chase for the
robbers He ordered the engineer to run the
train to Randolph, few miles ahead. and
there he uncoupled the engine and ran it back
to Harlem. There he found Deputy Sheriff
Tomlinson. Guards were stationed at the APP
proaches of the bridges to prevent the rob-
bers' entrance into Kansas City, and two posses
were organized to scour the country fOr the
fugitives.
Special Agent Tomlinson then walked back
to Kansas City and reported the case to the
police, who are keeping a lookout in the
city for the road agents. The police of the
neighboring towns have also been asked to
arrest any one answering the description of
the robbers. The robbers are described as
rather youthful-not over twenty-five years of
age-of slight build and dressed something
like farm boys.