St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-18
SACKED ON sunday.
a Band Of Bad Men Hold Up a
Train at "Robbeps Cut"
Missouri.
ct Least 100000 Worth Of
Money and Valuables Taken
From One Car.
9he Engineer, Fireman and
Express Messenger Cow
cred by the Bandits.
The Scene That Of the Rob-
berries Of the Youngers
and James Boys.

ana James Boys.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Aug. 1.-THE
Kansas City Limited Express No.
from ST. Louis on the Missouri Pacific
fell iuto the hands Of bandits early this
morning. 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, Mo-, at about
a. N. Two mysterious figures were
seen by the engineer lurking around
the forward end of the train, but no
particular attention was paid to them.
Just after leaving Upton, the fireman
turned toward the tender to fire up the
engine and looked sqnarely into the
muzzles of two revolyers in the hands
of two masked men who were lying
Oh their faces on the top of
the coal. They were doubtless the two
mysterious men who were noticed at
Upton. They had evidently boarded
the forward platform of the "blind''
mail car at that place and were crawl
ing over the tender toward the engine.
One of the bandits covered the fireman
with his revolver while the other took
care of the engineer. They were told
to hold up their hands. Their hands
went up. "NOW, you run this train to
OtterviIIe Water Tank,''
ordered the leader, land stop there. If
you attempt to stop at any other place
or give signal of alarm, you'll be dead
men," 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" just east of
Otterville. 1t was there that the noted
outlaws, the James boys, committed one
of their most daring robberies and the
Younger brothers perpetrated one of
their boldest crimes. Robbers Cut'
is at the bottom of steep grade, and
when the train approached it the en-
gineer had great difficulty III attempt
ing to bring the engine to standstill.
His attempts were redoubled when the
leader Of the two robbers pressed the
muzzle of his revolver against the en-
gineer's temple, and just as the historic
spot was reached the train stopped.
"You come with me-" The leader ad-
dressed Frank Droyer, the engineer.
"And you tend to the fireman." he said
to his companion. The engineer was
commanded to go to the express car and
tell the messenger to open the door. He
did so, under the threat of death if he
ch fni 10 bn
press car he found the two robbers had
five confederates stationed at con-
Venient places about the car,
All Heavily Armed
and their faces concealed behind masks.
He walked to the door of the express
car, and, covered" by the revolvers of
three of the robbers, called to the
express messenger, Sam Avery,
to open the door, Avery, sus-
pecting 10 danger, pushed back
the door. AS he did so the leader
of the robbers and one confederate
pushed their revolvers in and ordered
the messenger to hold up his hands
The order was promptly obeyed and
three of the robbers jumped into the
car. They proceeded Immediately to
the safe, which was locked Avery
was commanded to open it, and at the
point of a revolver, did so. One of the
robbers unfolded gunnySack, and into
it were placed the entire contents of
the safe. The robbers then made a
eursory examination of the car to see if
they had overlooked anything, and,
finding nothing more of value, backed
out of the car, their revolvers always
pointed at the messenger. 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 go back
and collect tickets. "We'll take care of
this end of the train,'' the roDber added.
The conductor hurried back to the first
passenger coach and eXcitedly informed
the passengers OF what was going on,
and advised them to hide their valuables.
Money, watches, jewelry, and every
thing valuable was showed into boot
legs, into the cracks of the cushioned
seats and everywhere to get it out of
sight. The conductor had just
Warned the PassengersSr
in the second car when the train started
OH its journey again. The robbers had
finished their work and escaped. The
engineer pulled the train into Otter
vile, half-mile distant. where a part
of the crew was left to arouse the sher-
lff and organize a posse to pursue the
robbers. At Sedalia, seven miles from
the scene of the robbery, the news was
telegraphed back to headquarters at st.
Louis, and all the available detective
force of the road were sent to ''Robbers'
cut" The robbers mad left their tracks
in the mud. These were followed for
some distance east, where they diyerged
south, at right angles with the track.
Thence they were followed short dis
tance and finally lost. The sher-
ifs posse and the detectives
are securing the country for
the robbers, and, considering
the short start, hope for the cap
ture of some of them at least. The ex-
act amount of moEey and valuables
stolen cannot be learned. The agent of
the express company here will say alb
solutely nothing about the occurrence,
except to give the story of the robbery.
The newspaper men got hold of Avery
this afternoon for short time, and from
him and ether sources it was learned
that the money in the safe aggregated
about S75. 900, mostly in paper money,
and that the other valuable property
amounted to about $4,000. Avery is an