The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-12-03
TRAIN ROBBERY.
Express Messenger JOhnSOn'>
Graphic Account.
The Booty Less Than 1000
An Interesting Story.

the Nj. h. q i. tram sunday night
continues to be the chief topic of gen.
eral conversation in the city and ev-
erything pertaining to it Is eagerly
sought after.
Messenger Johnson. who had charge
of the car, arrived at st. Louis last
evening and finally consented to be
interviewed by st. Louis Republic
reporter in the presence of Superin-
tendent l.. A. Fuller, at the latter's
residence, 1917 Rutger street, as fol-
lows:
THE MESSENGERS STORY.
Gas well as l can remember the
train was slowing up at the water
tank near Pryor Creek, and. as
learned afterward, Engineer Rasback
was about to stop the engine under
the spout, when two medium-sized
men, wearing masks made out of some
kind of rough material, and with re-
volvers in their hands. jumped on the
engine and ordered the engineer and
fireman. Frank Lauck, to throw up
their hands. They complied with the
order, and the masked visitors
searched for weapons, but finding
none, one of them remarked that he
would 60 back and nncouple the ex.
press and mail cars from the rest of
the train. As this robber approached
the baggage Car, he saw the porter,
at whom be pointed his revolver with
an order to 60 back into the train.
He then turned off the air brake and
upcoupled the cars. After complet-
ing this work he returned to the en-
CINE and told the engineer to take the |
cars over the bridge. After the
engine and two cars had reached an
isolated spot about a half mile from
the water tank, the engineer had two
revolvers showed in his face and was
told to stop the train. The engineer
and fireman leaped to the ground, fol-
lowed by the robbers, and they all
advanced toward the Pacific express
car, of which | was in charge. As
they neared the door one robber
remarked to the other
"'We may have trouble with the
messenger and the engineer, but if we
DO. knock them both on the head; but
don't hurt Frank here meaning the
fireman. Hes all right and won't
require any threatening
while one man covered the en-
gineer and fireman with his revolver,
the other raped on the door of the
express car and demanded admission.
l had lot of money out of the safe at
the time, and in order to get few
to conceal some of the pack
ages l asked him what he wanted.
The robbers swore roundly. and said
it was none of my business. They
further remarked that if the door vas
not opened Immediately they would
place stick of dynamite under it and
blow the car and myself into King
dom come. After some parleying
with the desperadoes, / finally decided
it was best to open the door. As
soon as / did so, one of the masked
men remarked that Il was d-n long
time coming out | was ordered to
get down off the car, bat instead of
doing so, said that as long as it was
their intention to plumber the car
they might just as well climb up.
"FREsH" MESSENGER.
"You messengers are getting too
fresh, declared one of the robbers.
If you don't come down out of there
in second l will blow your head
OFF,"
"To show that he considered time
precious and he was not robbing the
car simply to converse with the mes
senger, he struck me on the shins
with his revolver and made me jump
to the ground. The robber then
into the car, and as he was
drawing himself up muttered loud
to be heard Il reckon l am
enough of railroader to get into the
car He went towards the safe and
was about to begin work on it when
called out to him and said that by
demolishing the safe he was going to
considerably delay matters, as it
could be opened much more easily
with key. then threw the key
to him, and told him he had better
let me assist him, . as there was q
number of valuable papers In the
,afe which would be of no earthly use
TO him and would be great loss to
The company.
call right replied the robbeI
come on but mind you, no monkey
business, or I'll give you this dis /.
playing his revolver" |:
RANsACKING THE EXPRESS CARS.
"When / reached the man in the !