Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-18
SThe Pacific Express Company
Loses $4,000.
A Daring Train Robbery on The
Missouri Pacific.
The Bandits Secure Their Booty and
Successfully Escape.
The Robbery Perpetrated at The Very
Spot Where the James Boys and
Younger Brothers Operated.
Associated Press Dispatches.

KANSAS Cry, August 1.-THE Pacific
Express company lost 500 900 by train
robbery on the Missouri Pacific railway
early this morning. 1t was the Kansas
City limited that fell into the hands ofthe
bandits. The train was crowded with
passengers, and the safe OF the express
company was stuffed with money, con-
signed, much of it, to western banks
The train left Upton, Missouri, about
a. m. Two mysterious figures were
seen by the engineer lurking around the
forward end OF the train, but no partic-
ular attention was paid to them. Just
after leaving Upton the fireman re-
turned toward the tender to fire up, and
looked squarelv into the muzzle of two
revolvers in the hands of two masked
men. They had evidently boarded the
forward platform of the mail car at Tip
ton, and were crawling over the tender
toward the engine. One of the bandits
covered the fireman with revolver,
while the other took care of the engineer.
They were told to throw up their hands.
"Now you run this train to the Otter
vile water tank" ordered the leader,
and sotp there. If you attempt to stop
at any other place, or give signal,
you'll be dead man," and the robbers
placed their weapons close to the heads
of their victims. The engineer and
fireman were at the bandits mercy and
could only obey. The Otterville water
tank stands in "Robbers cut,' lust
east OF Otterville. 1t was there that the
noted outlaws, the James boys, COM
mitted one OF their most daring rob-
berries, and the Younger brothers per-
petrated one OF their boldest crimes.
When Robbers Cut" was reached.
the engineer stopped the train. "You
come with me-" the leader addressed
the engineer, 'and you tend to the fire.
man" he said to his companion. The
engineer was commanded to 60 to the
express car and tell the messenger to
open the door. When he reached the
express car, he found that the two rob-
bers had five confederatives Stationed at
convenient places about the car, all
heavily armed and their faces concealed
behind masks.
He walked to the door of the express
car, ahd covered by the revolvers of
three of the robbers, called to the ex-
press messenger, Sam Avery to open
the door. Avery, suspecting no danger,
pushed back the door. AS he did so,
the leader of the robbers and one of his
confederates pushed their revolvers in
and ordered the messenger to hold up
his hands. The order was promptly
obeyed, and the three robbers jumped
into the car. They proceeded immed-
lately to the safe, which was locked.
Avery was commanded to open it at the
point OF a revolver, and he did so. One
of the robbers unfolded gunny sack,
and in it was placed the entire con-
tents OF the safe.
In the meantime, the conductor,
alarmed at the unusual stopping of the
train, went forward to see what was the
trouble. He got only as far as the rear
end of the express car, when he was
halted by one of the robbers who told
him to 60 back and collect his tickets.
The conductor hurried back to the first
passenger coach, and eXcitely informed
the passengers of what was going on
and advised them to hide their valua-
bles. Money watches, jewelry and
everything valuable were showed into
boot tops, into cracks, cushioned seats
and anywhere to get it out of sight.
The conductor had just warned the
passengers in the second car, when the
train started again. The robbers had
finished their work and escaped.
The engineer pulled the train into
Otterville, where a party was left to
arouse the sheriff and organize posse
to pursue the robbers. The robbers had
left their tracks in the mud. These
were followed for some distance east,
and finally lost. A sheriff's posse and
detectives are securing the country for
the robbers, and considering their short
start, hope to capture some of them at
least.
The exact amount of money and
valuables ste 'en cannot be learned. The
agent of the xpress company here will
say absolutely nothing about the oc-
currence, except to give the story of the
robbery. From other sources it was
learned that the money in the safe
aggregated to about $75,O00 and that
other valuable property amounted to
about $4,000.