The historic times., 1891-11-07
HOW IT WAS DONE.
Fireman Blanchard Relates the
Story of the Train Robbery.
ENGINEER ORDERED TO SLOW Up.
He Obeys Under the Cover OF Guns-Two
Other Robbers Appear and After
Much shooting the Express
Door is Forced.

Much ShOOIinE Lhe E@ApICSS
Door is Forced
KANSAS CITY. Mo, Nov. 6. 6.-Recently
masked men boldly robbed the Kansas
City, Kan, barn Office OF the Metropol'
itan Street Railway Co. Before that
time masked men had boldly robbed
St Joseph hotel. Since the Kansas City,
Kan, robbery similar robbery has
taken place in Omaha, Neb, and bank
at Homer, Neb, has been robbed by
masked men in the same bold style
Last night about 10 o'clock four
masked men robbed the Pacific express
company's car on the Missouri Pacific
train bound for Kansas City at West
Side, a suburb of Omaha. 1t is said
they secured only S2S5. SO. No through
safe is taken on that train, which is
given as the reason they did not get
more. The door of the car was made
useless by dynamite cartridge.
The same gang is supposed TO have
committed all these robberies.
The train was the regular Omaha,
Lincoln & Nebraska City express, due
here at G:30 a. m. 1t was in charge OF
Conductor William Welch, an old-time
conductor and chief OF the local di'
vision of the Order of Railway Con-
ductors Engineer Cavenaugh and
Fireman Blanchard were in the engine.
In the car of the Pacific express COM
panv was Samuel Green, the messen-
ger lie lives in this city, boarding at
sos East Tenth street.
1--WE left Omaha on time, said Fire
man blanchard, this morning, 'and
had got pretty near to Fremont, Elk
horn e. Missouri Valley crossing twelve
miles this side of Omaha, when saw
two masked fellows with guns in their
hands come crawling over the water
tank and coal in the tender.
"'Hold up your handsr they yelled
with an oath, and my hands went mp
Just that quick But Cavenaugh didn't
hold up his hands at all. lie just kept
them on the lever and stop cock and
looked around over his shoulder and
began to talk with them.
"'Slow her up they said, and you
can bet Cavenaugh slowed her up just
like they ordered him to.
"'Stop her at the crossing was the
next thing we heard from under those
masks and we did just as they said, for
we were looking down the barrels of
guns that looked like cannons to us.
! MY! it made rue shiver! The holes
| looked as big as dollars. We stopped
| at the crossing.
Now get off, they ordered. We got
off. Then there was an explosion on
the front end of the express car. Then
| two more fellows came up. | think
| the first two got on at Omaha and rode
! out on the train, but the other two, |
| think, were stationed out there in the
cut by the crossing waiting for the
| train.
They all began to shoot around
promiscuous like and diin't seem to
care where their bullets went or who
they hit They shot into the express
car and into the the smoker and all
around generally. There must have
been hundred shots fired.
They gave me m AK and told me to
! break in the wrecked door of the ex-
press car. | didn't work very good and
| they got mad and commenced firing
| into the platform where | stood. One
bullet cut Cavenaugh's overalls and
grazed his leg. They then saw the door
was broken loose and told me to tell
the expressman TO light up inside and
come out | called to Sam and told him
what they wanted.
"Well, Sam was lying over in the cor
ner OF the car, hid down among some
stuff behind coffin he was carrying
The explosion had blown out his lights
but he lit lamp and came to the
door. Then the men marched up into
the car and again made us hold up our
hands Sam and held up our hands,
but Cavenaugh never made u move to
hold up his hands during the whole
circus he was just as cool and brave
tho whole time. never seen man
act like he did.
Then they made Sam she'll out his
keys.
Where's your safe? they asked.
"'You're standing on it, says Sam.
Then they went through everything. '
After they had completed the rob
berry of the car one of the masked men,
who seemed to be the leader. turned to
the engineer and fireman and said:
"Come ahead
The robbers got off the train. 81
guess it is all right now" he said, 'get
back on the engine and go ahead "
The engineer and fireman complied,
and the robbers disappeared.
| ------