River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-08-08
HELD UP rHsIR HANDS.


Masked Bandits 90 Through Sleepmes
Car on the Wabash Hallway Near Kan
sas City, Securing but Small Sum
Tho Bravery Of the Conductor Prevents
the Passengers in other Coaches from
I",i IN : Their VaIuables.
KANSAS CtTy, No, Aug. 5-"Hoh up
your hands,"
Such was the command that astonished
the passengers on the St Paul sleeper at /.
tached 10 the rear OF the Wabash Western
express as ii pulled ont of Harlem at $50
o'clock Saturday evening. The command
was spoken by one OF two men who had
entered the rear of the coach, their faces
concealed behind handkerehiefs.
The passengers turned &c ascertain the
source OF the command and looked into
the threatening muzzles Of two revolvers
Hands went up. The cautionary words
that followed were not necessary: The
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 submitted al
quietly as if there had been a legion.
There were seven people in the coach, five
passengers, the sleeping car conductor and
the porter OF the passengers one was a
woman. At the first command her face
blanched with fear, her hands went up for
a moment, then fell lifelessly into her lap.
She had tainted.
'Iguess they won't bother us, remarked
one OF the robbers and, satisfied
that no resistance would bs offered
they began their work Of plumber One
man went through the passengers,
one by one, while the other, with
his revolver in his extended arm, kept a
watchful lookout for signs of opposition.
In this way the plunderer secured all the
booty he could in his haste, aud when it
was ali over and the robbers had escaped
the passengers found they mad been re-
heved of sl75 in cash and two gold watches.
Leaving the st Paul coach they started
fer the next one ahead. On the platform
they met the conductor of the train, John
Roach One of the robbers pushed his re-
volver unGer the conductors nose and,
with an oath, ordered him to hold up his
hands. The conductor supposed from the
nature of their disguise that a number of
railroad men who had taken passage
on the train were playing practical joke
on him. With n laugh he attempted to
push past them and enter the sleeper. Just
then 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 lie dealt one of
the linen a vicious blow on the head,
smashing the lanterns glass and ex-
tinguishing the light simultaneously with
his assault the other robber fired a
shot at him from his revolver. The aim
was bad and the bullet missed its mark
The first robber had by this time re-
covered himself and he took a shot at the
conductor. His aim was more precise than
his partners. The robbers then, with one
more parting shot, swung off from the
steps OF the ear As they did so the con-
ductor hurled his lantern after them.
The train was running at the rate OF
thirty-fve miles an hour too fast for any
one, except under desperate chances, to
jump off without injur1ng his life, and Con-
ductor Roach did not attempt it He swung
out hey nd the side of the car, however,
and saw the robbers arise and make with
all haste for the dirt road that leads TO Kans
sas City. That was the last seen of them
although posses were organized as soon as
possible and the surrounding country
secured
The robbers are described as rather
youthful, not over 20 or % years If age, Of
slight build, and dressed something like
farmers boys No one saw their
faces except the conductor, BY the
dim light of his lantern, and he
received no definite impression OF their
features Kansas City people are beginning
to wonder if the days Of Jesse James have
not come again Two robberies which
would have done him credit in bis palmiest
days have occurred recently. One was
this train robbery. The other was
the recent theft of handful
OF diamonds from a iewelry store in broad
daylight, the keeping at bay at the point of
a revolver OF the pursuing crowd, and the
escape of the thief. Whether the two have
any connection in their principals or not is
a question. They both were ext aOrdinarily
bofd and suecessful