Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-02-05
A LA JESSE JAMES.
DARING TRAIN ROBBERY IN MIS-
SOURI,.
Mall Robbers do Business on a Train
with 200 Avengers and Afterward
Kill Policeman-One Thief Killed
and the Other wounded.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Jan. 90. ---Satur-
day night was thrilling one for the
crew and passengers of the southboupd
Missouri Pacific train. The train was
held twice, once by lynching party
that was cscorting Murderer Robert
Hepler from Nevada, Mo-, to Lamar,
Mo-, where they hanged him, and
second by train robbers, who robbed
the express car and its inmates. The
train had hardly left Nassau Junction,
where the lynching party took posses
sion of the train, 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 to hold
up their hands. keeping them covered
with revolvers, while the train travelled
twelve miles to Lamar. The robbers
rifed the pockets of the trainmen, TAX
ing $75 from Baggageman Hull and
small amounts from Express Messen-
ger Houck and Travelling Passen-
ger Agent Bardett of the Missouri Pa
cific, who had gone to the express car
to escape annoyance by the mob of
lynchers in the rear cars The ex-
press messenger was compelled to re-
veal the comhinatio of the Pacific Ex-
press company's safe and that was also
rifed. The amount secured was less
than $75. When the train arrived at
Lamar, the destination of the mob,
the bandits mingled in the crowd of
lynchers and were lost sight of. One
OF the trainmen, however, discovered
them boarding a passing north bound
freight train on the Memphis road and
sent descriptive dispatch to the sheriff
and city marshall at Fort Scott, Kan.
The freight train arrived at Fort
Scott at Z o'clock yesterday morning
Policeman s. b. Clemore, colored, was
on duty at the station He halted the
men. One man drew his revolver and
fired. The bullet pierced the police
mans heart and he dropped dead on the
instant The freight was just pulling
out and the robbers boarded an empty
box-car and locked themselves in.
Shortly afterwards the passenger train
from Lamar arrived and on it was De-
tective Chester of the Missouri Pacific,
who was in pursuit of the bandits. He,
accompanied by United States Mar
shall Mapes and Marshal Abbot of
Fort Scott, boarded the passenger
train which pulled out Immediately in
pursuit Of the freight. At Miamistown
the freight was overtaken, but was just
pulling out for Pleasanton. Detective
Chester and his companion succeeded
in boarding the moving fl eight and
took possession of the car Immediately
behind the one in which were the ban
dts. The latter had seen their pur-
suers enter the car and Immediately
opened fire upon them. Shots were
exchanged through the
ends of the cars all the way to Pleas
anton. A dispatch had been sent to
Pleasanton asking that posse meet
the train. When the train reached
Pleasanton the robbers car was sur
rounded and the inmates called upon
to surrender. The two imprisoned men
fired through the side of the car at
random, and the posse returned the
fire with Winchesters and revolvers.
The fusillade lasted for nearly an
hour. Finally shot from a
of one of the posse struck
one of the robbers in the head and
killed him. The other bandit then
surrendered. He was seriously wounded
N the side. He gave his own name as
Charles Meyers of Kansas City, Kan,
but declined to reveal the name of his
Meyers wife and mother were found,
When asked where he was they said
hat he went with his brother-in-law.
). c. Francis, to go to Garsonville to
rade for farm. When told of the
rain robbery, and of the wounding of !
Meyers and the killing of his COM
they made no comment. 1t is |
the dead robber is none other |
han S. c. Francis.
Francis was a cousin of Gov. Francis, /
whom he greatly resembled, and a |
nephew of Judge Cowan of st. Louis.
lie was heir to an estate near Baltimore,
Nd, bequeathed him in trust by his
ather, the proceeds of which he re-
'eived. Meyers father is wealthy
tockman living near Versailles, Mo.
The dead Robber was known as j. S.
n S. c. Francis-it is learned he was
he fourth man of the Glendale gang
whose name has been persistently
,ept from the public.