Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-08-23
SUPPOSED ROBBERS.
Three Arrests Made For the Ex-
press Robbery.
AThe Supposed Big One Identified ny the
Engineer - His Somewhat Fishy
Story of Being u Cattle
Man.

Three arrests were made yesterday.
Two were at Washington, about twenty
miles west OF here, and one here.
One Of the men at Washington is be-
lieved to be the smaller OF the two-the
one who weakened Mt critical juncture
and needed cautioning from his old
pal.
The man who was here identified as
the leader Of the gang gives his name
as James McConkey and says he is from
Wichita Falls and Vinita, ]. I. He says
he came from the latter named place in
the last ten days His arrest reflects
great credit upon Detective Dickey, the
Missouri Pacific secret service man, at
Sedalia, and it explains his quickly
changing movements OF yesterday.
The first thing found on the man was
a big cartridge pocket being filled with
cartridges and shells Of 44-caliber.
He had no revolver but the holster in
belt showed traces that It had but re-
Gently held one and in the mans
pockets were found three handker-
chiefs-one red bandana and the other
a colored silk and the third one clear
print affair. Each of the handerchiefs
had been folded over diagonally and
\ the ends tied in q fast knot, so as to
make perfect hood and mask
which, when fitted over the head,
the knot at the back masked his
face from the upper half OF the nose
down completely. In a pocket book he
had $40 gold piece, the $50 bank note
and several dollars in silver and guam
tity of small change, disproving his
first assertion that his object in trying
to get the bill changed was to get some
smaller money. lie also had q gold ring
in brand new case heavy gold gentle
mans vest chain, q smaller ladies' gold
chain brand new and new ladies' watch
and some other articles of jewelry but
of q cheap nature. in his coet
pocket were found some cattle contracts
all issued at Vinita, !. T., and emitting
the holder to transportation to St Louis
with cattle and back again. The con-
tracts were signed by B. E. Walker, the
agent of the St Louis & San Francis
CO railroad, at Vinita and were issued
one to ]. L. McConkey and the others
to Il. E. Mercer The three carloads of
cattle were consigned to the st. Louis
stock yards by Stylis & East of Vinita
and two carloads by Cowen & Heath OF
Wichita Falls stock yards.
The man arrested, who said he was
James L. McConkey, claimed that he
was hired to see the cattle through as
far as St Louis and that the man Mer-
Ger, to whom one of the contracts gave
transportation, was the agent employed
by the Vinita shippers. He could not
say, however, how he came by his trans
portation. and his story was very fishy.
He claims he left Wichita Falls, Tex,
Monday last, and says that he got to
st. Louis Tuesday-in other words made
a journey of nearly 1000 miles on a
cattle train in less than forty-eight
hours.
Detective Dickey was wired of the ar
rest and left at once. He stopped here
and took the next train for St Louis
where he got Frank Dreyer, the engin-
eer, ard the fireman who were held up
and at eleven o'clock returned to this
city with them.
The fellow McConkey was brought be-
fore Dreyer in the doorway in darkened
room so as to get about the same light
as on the engine cab.
THAT'S the man. said Dreyer, when
McConkey was led up; 1.-THE same
clothes, the same height and the same
eyes"
"Show your teeth" Detective Dickey
ordered. McConkey grinned.
Eyes, the very teeth" added Engineer
Dreyer, involuntarily stepping back a
pace.
The fireman corroborated Dreyer's
statement
McConkey was then taken out and
the red bandana handkerchief mask,
which just fitted him, was slipped over
his head so as to disguise the lower
half OF his face. Then he was again
led before his accusers.
That's him, but his mustache looks
a little bit lighter than the man who
held the pistol at me. but that's him all
right enough" said the engineer
McConkey evidently misunderstood
the words, for he started to shake hands
with both fireman and engineer.
In fitting the mask on McConkey he
made o damaging admission. There
was some difficulty in getting 1t to set
just right when he volunteered his as
sistance with the words: Here is the
way wore 1t on the train"
''Ah, you have had it on before" OBJ
served Dlckey.
McConkey bit his lips and looked con-
fused
The jewelry on Mcconkey has notyet
been identified, but the officers were
certain it is part of that stolen from the
express car, as is the seventy odd dol
L. ha hod To ha not mora mOnav