Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-08
TRAIN ROBBERS.
Masked Men Hold Up the Fort
Worth & Denver Mail
They Are Fooled in Obtaining Much Booty
Two Bold Men Rob . Train
Near Kansas


Near Kansas
City.
FORT WORTH Tex, Aug. 5.-At two
O'Clock yesterday morning six masked
men stopped the Fort Worth & Denver
mail and express, sou.hbound, between
Cheyenne water tank and Tascosa and
three men got on the locomotive and COM
PEELED the engineer to pull away from the
passenger coaches, which had been de-
tacbed by the robbers and left under
guard Of the other three.
After going half mile the robbers com.
PEELED the en- gineer to get off the locomo-
tive and bring a pick to force open the
door of the express car.
Express Messenger Marsh, seeing what
was up. closed the doors of his car and
pi ed up trunks against them and then
put out the lights in the car after he had
secreted ali the express packages but
three
The robbers coming to the car ordered
Marsh to open it and fired into it. The
engineer hammered away with his pick
| until he got the door partly opened, when
a torch was pushed into the opening and
a revolver poked in and pointed at Marsh,
who was told to open up or be killed.
Marsh opened and three packages were
stolen. but the Pacific Express Company
people say that very little money was Sc.
cured.
The robbers then went to the mail car
and compelled Route Agent Woicott to
open his car. He had hidden all his regis
tered matter. but one letter, under a sack
and turned his lights out. The robbers
got the one package and then opened mail
pouches and scattered the contents over
the floor. All the robbers were masked.
After doing the work they ordered the en-
gineer to put out the torch and pull out
when they left.
The authorities in the several neighbor.
ing counties We're not fed and are in pur-
suit. 1t is said that the total amount
stolen is less than 81. GOO. The robbers fired
twenty or twenty-five shots into the mail
and express cars. The passengers were
greatly frightened, but not one of them
was molested in any way, though money
and jewelry were hid in short order.
Cheyenne is $50 miles northwest from
Fort Worth.
TRAIN ROBBERS NEAR KANSAS CITY.
KANSAS CRY, NO, Aug. 1.-Two men
who wore red and white handkerchlefs
over their faces masks held up and
roohed passenger train No. On the Wa
bash railway four miles east of Harlem at
S:35 O'Clock SATURDAY. night They Sc
cured $40 aud two gold watches and
would have secured great deal more but
they were frightened from the train by a
nelvy conductor Lefore they succeeded in
their operations. The men were medium
sized and both wore dark clothing and
SLOUGH hats. They were between twenty
two and twenty five years of age, and
were Loud and profane in their demands
for money.
w. II. Bonnell, special agent of the road
sat in he smoking car of the train and
was notified by Conductor James Reach
IL IL
by robbers. He at once cut the engine
loose and returned as far as Harlem w here
he notified Deputy Sheriff Tominson and
they began search for the men but were
not successful in getting sight of them.
The train pulled out from this city at
500 O'Clock and reg Isl cred its time a Har-
lem at S:35 O'Clock. Two men boarded the
rear coach at the Harlem bridge and as
soon as 81 ,rlem was passed awoke passen-
gers with the demand. Throw up your
hands" 1t took them about ten minutes
to ''invoice" the nine passengers who
were in the coach.
They left the rear coach to ia ID the next
one front and met Conductor Reach on the
front pIai4o
Throw up your hands, Z" they command
ed. The conductor thought that they
were railway acquainta nces and laughing
at them started to pass on. They COM
manded again, and taking in the situation
he struck one of them with his lantern.
The other robber shot twice at Reach and
both then jumped from the train. Reach
threw his lantern after them and about
this time one of the passengers pulled the
bel1-cord and the train was stopped
Special Agent Bonnell detached the en-
CINE from the train and started back to
this city. In company with Deputy Sher-
if Tomlinson, of Clay County. he kept
watch at the Hannibal bridge and secured
the country about. Harlem until three
O'Clock yesterday morning when he re-
ported the robbery to the Central police
station and left description of the two
men.
The train consisted of a baggage car,
two through sleepers on the Iowa Cen
trail, coaches which are switched of at
Moberly, and the car sleeper that was
robbed.
When the men left the train they took
to wagon road and disappeared in the
darkness. Nothing has since been heard of
them.