The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-12-17
AN IRON BOSOM.
A MementO of the Train Robbery
at Pryor Creek.

Express Messenger johnson of the
Nj. K. Il T.. who had a startling ex-
perience with robbers in the Indian
Territory some weeks ago, came in on
his run yesterday, and brought with
him, consigned to Detective j. j..
Kinney, a trophy or relic, which was
part OF the armor of one of the train
robbers who held him up, and which
will be preserved as an interesting
memento. The consignment was not
done up in paper or otherwise, but
came through with an address tag
simply tied to it.
The relic is an iron breastplate,
which was worn by Frank Barber in
his attacks On trains and in other
desperate enterprises. 1t is of boiler
iron, hammered into shape, is about
eighteen inches long by twelve wide,
and is worn with strap to 60 around
the neck, and another at the waist.
The plate is some three-quarters of an
inch thick, and its weight is nearly
twenty pounds. AS seen at the
Office of the express company, yester-
day, it showed the marks
of numerous balls on the outer sur
face. These were explained, how
ever, to have been made, after the
iron bosom was captured, by parties
testing its infallibility at short range,
with the original wearer and his as
sociate robbers not in sight.
Messenger johnson reported that
Frank Barber had been killed Satur-
day by officers, who have been in
pursuit of him ever since the train
robbery at Pryor Creek, in the neigh
borhood of Tahlequah, and not
so very far from he and his pals held
up the NJ, K. & T., as already stated.
From Mr.. johnson and other
sources, the BAzoo learns Of the par.
tieulars of the killing. 1t seems that
about two. weeks ago three men robbed
the house of George Thewey, near
Tahlequah. In their haste to get
away they left an iron breastplate
weighing twenty pounds and other
property which was identified as the
property of Barber. The matter was
Kept quiet in order not to alarm Bar
Der, but United States Marshals Con-
nelly, Petty and Ruthford with assist
ance have been on his track ever
since.
Saturday morning Barber was sur
rounded at Spring Creek. He had
been sleeping in hay stack all night
and was riding his horse to the farm
house for breakfast, unaware of the
presence of the marshal. He carried
his gun ready for emergency and
when Connolly, from a tree immedi-
ately in his path, ordered him to sur
render he instantly fired, but without
effect.
Connolly fired almost at the same
time and Barber wheeled his horse
and rode away, discharging his rife
over his shoulder. His horse had
zone about 800 yards and he had
fired ten shots when he fell dead. III
had been shot through the breast by
one ball, probably the first shot by
Connolly from the tree.
There is strong evidence to indica tie
that this Barber was one of the men
who recently robbed the Missouri,
Kansas and Texas. He was in the
vicinity at the time. He was wanted
IN three counties in Texas for the
killing of their sheriffs. He was 80
year old, and bore scars of other en-
counters. His body was taken to
rahlequah Saturday night. Papers
and packages found on his person
cave no doubt as to bis identity, and
me fact that he was one of the lead
RS in the Missouri, Kansas and Texas
'obbery. Four thousand dollars had
been offered Tor his capture. +,