St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-24
FOUGHT TILL He FELL.
Two Bandits Hold Up and Rob
a Missouri Pacific
Train.
Later a Law Officer Heads
Them OFF and Is Shot to
Death.
Then a Posse Kills One Of the
Robbers and Captures
the Other.
Hepler Was Hanged Success
fully by the Mad Mob Of
MiSSouPianS.

KANSAS CITY, Jan. 2S.-LaSt night
vas a thrilling one for the crew and
passengers of the South-bound Missouri
Pacific train. The traju was held twice,
once by 4 lynching party that was
escOrting Murderer Robert Hepler from
Nevada, Mo, to Lamar, Mo-, where
they hanged him. and a second time by
train robbers, who robbed the express
ear and its inmates. The train had
hardly left Nassau junction when
danger signal induced the engineer to
slow up again. When the train came to
a standStill, two masked men entered the
express car and ordered the occupants
10 hold up their hands, keeping them
covered with revolvers, while the train
travelled twelve miles TO Lamar. The
robbers ritied the pockets of the train
men. taking SO from Baggageman
Hall, small amounts from Express
Messenger HOuck and Travelling
Passenger Agent Bardett, of the Mis-
souri, Pacific. who had gone TO the eX-
press car to escape annoyance by the
mob OF lyncherS on the rear cars.
4 Lean Safe.
The express messenger was COM
PEELED to reveal the combination to the
Pacific Express cOmpany'S safe, and
that was also rifed. The amount Sc
cured however, was less than S75.
When the train arrived at Lamar. the
destination OF the moo, the bandits
mingled in the crowd of lynchers and
for a time were lost sight Of.
One OF tie trainmen. how
ever. soon discovered them board
ing passing freight train on the Mem
phIS road and sent q dispatch to the
sheriff and city marshal at Fort Scott,
Has, 10 watch for them.
The freight train arrived at Fort Scott
At clock this morning. Policeman
). B. ClemOre was on duty at the sta
ton. When two Notwithstanding
characters came from the freight yards
after the arrival of the train, he
halted them and one of the man drew
his revolver and fired. The bullet
Pierced CIelnOre's Heart
and he dropped dead on the instant. 1t
SO happened that by this time the
freight was just pulling out, and the
robbers boarded an empty box car and
locked themselves in. Shortly after
wards the passenger train from Lamar
arrived, and on it was Detective
Chester, of the Missouri Pacific, who was
in pursuit of the bandits, accompanied
by United States Marshal Mapes and
Marshal Abbott. of Fort Scott.
which pulled out Immediately in put
suit Of the freight. At Miamistown the
freight was OVertaken, but was just
pulling out for PleaSOntOn when the
passenger train arrived, the crew of the
former train having no knowledge of
the dangerous freight it was hauling.
Detective Chester and his compan-
ions, however, succeeded in boarding
sne moving freight, and took possession
aE III 4f,1.r
IN which the bandits had taken refuge.
The latter had seen their puIsuers
enter the car, and Immediately
Opened Fire on Them.
The officers returned the fire, and
shots were continuously exchanged
through the ends of the cars all the way
TO PleasantOn, distance of five miles
a dispatch had been sent to PIeaSanton,
asking that posse meet the train, and,
when the freight pulled in, the robbers
car was surrounded. and the inmates
were called upon to surrender.
They answered with shots from re-
vOlyers, and the posse returned the fire.
The two Imprisoned men fired through
tie side of the car at random, and the
posse returned the fire with Winches-
tiers and revOlvers. The fusilade lasted
nearly an hour. Finally shot from a
Winchester of one of the posse struck
one OF the robbers in the head and killed
him. The other bandit then surren-
dered. He was seriously wounded in
the side. He gave his own name as
Charles Meyers, of Kansas City, Kan,
but declined to reveal the name of his
companion.
The coroner held an inquest on the
body of the dead Tobber, and returned a
verdict in accordance with the facts.
The other man was taken back to Fort
Scott.
Meyers Wife and Mother.
a reporter called at the house where
Meyers gave as his address in Kansas
City. Two women were found there, of
whom one said she was Meyers wife
and the other his mother. When asked
where he was, they said that he left last
night with his brother-in-Iaw. S. G.
Francis, to go to Harrisonvlle to trade
for farm and was expected to return
tonight. The women exhibited much
nervousness and were much reserved in
answering questions. When told of the
train robbery and of the wounding of
Meyers and the killing of his company
they made no comment. 1t is supposed
that the dead robber is none other than
s. {. Francis. Mrs. Meyers said her
husband had been running ''joint," or
Kansas saloon, but no sucn man is
known 10 the ponce.
The police of Kansas City, Kan, re-
ceived the following telegram tonight:
Fort scott, Kan, Jan. 23.-Tell ny wife it
Is us. Tell her not TO come. l am BADLY
wounded. CHARLES MEYERS
The us evidently includes c. S.
Francis. He and Meyers married sis
ters and were professional gamblers.
Francis was a cousin of Gov Francis,
whom he greatly resembled. and
nephew, of Judge Cowan, of st. Louis.
He was heir to an estate near Balti-
more, Md, bequeated him in trust by
his father, the proceeds of which he re-
ceived. Meyers father is wealthy
st0ckmap living near Versailles. Mo.