The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-12
BEHIND TIE BAR RS,
Three OF the Red Rock Express Robbers Now
in the wichita Jail.

| When the EAGLE reporter made th'
rounds Of the iron cells in the county jai
yesterday be saw three silent men lying
down on that many hunks. One Of then
was reading a novel, another was silently
watching the triangular ceiling above
him, while the third was asleep, dream
ing, no doubt, of the dismal career that i:
before him, for his sleep was by no mean:
a peaceful one. These three men arr
known at the Jail as Joe Johnson. Georgs
Macus and Billy Fox. These are not theil
right names, but they will do for the
present. although their actual names art
known.
THE CRIME.
The crime for which these men are now
in Jail is the robbery of the express car OF
the Santa Ee passenger train at Red Rock,
| L. T., June /. On that night when the
train reached Red Rock, it stopped to let
off passenger and while standing on the
track two men stepped up into the engine
cab and with two reyolvers arrested Fire
man Rodgers and Engineer Mack. They
took them off the cab and ordered them to
stand by the side of the baggage car SUBJ
ject to their orders. BY this time four
and they held the train completely
at their disposal. They order
ed Messenger Whitlesey to open the
door and he refused. They then began
shooting through the car, and their shots
were answered by just as many from the
messenger. The robbers then compelled
the fireman to get his coal pick and break
| in the door, which he did. The door
! broken, the messenger said be would kill
the first man to put his head in al it. The
| robbers said to the fireman if he didn't go
| i'll they would kill him. The engineer,
seeing the critical situation his fireman
WAS In, called out to the messenger not to
| fire any more, This much accomplished
the robbers climbed into the Car, broke
! the safe and took its contents. and also
robbed the trainmen of everything they
| had, including revolvers, watches and
money. Their purpose accomplished, the
! robbers rode away.
THE CHASE.
Half an hour after the robbery was
committed an account of it was sent to
! Superintendent Ress-guie in this city and
he in turn notified United States Marsal
Grimes. United States deputies were put
i'll the field at once and never ceased chas-
| ing them till the three above named were
arrested About June fourth four parties
called at the store at Wannamaker on the
east side of kingtsher county near the
strip line and bought provisions such as
are usually bought by prairie travellers.
At Wannamaker they were suspected of
being the train robbers but the philoso-
phic store keeper said nothing about his
suspicious. The officers however found
out this fact and followed Their trail
was struck west of the Rock Island rail-
way near Pond creek and was followed
to the Glass mountains, about thirty five
miles east of Woodward, seventy miles
southwest Of Kiowa This chase was made
by Deputy Swain of the east district of
Texas and Kress and posse of Marshal
Grimes force At the Glass mountains a
heavy rain began pouring down, which
caused the loss and abandonment OF the
trail. Eight days later the sans parties
were seen southwest of Euglewood IN
Beaver county. Grimes made up posse
at Englewood with Mr.. Stockton and Mr..
Dodge of the Wells Fargo company. They
followed up the trail for several days, but
lost it again and abandoned the pursuit.
Ga the night Of June % four parties tried
to rob IA Pan handle train west of Canadian
City in Hemphill county, Tex. They failed
in their attempt. Here Sheriff Tom MCGEE
of that county secured splendid descrip-
ton of them and forwarded it to Marshal
Grimes. Marshal Grimes at once saw
that both parties are one and the same.
Sheriff McGee trailed them east into the
territory to e point about twenty-five
miles west Of Cheyenne. the seat of
county Z. There the trail was
again lost. They were not
seen again till they reached the can
Torment in the west part of county c.
There they stole some Indians horses and
a deputy named Moore with posse of In-
dians followed them. They overlook them
and a fight followed in which one Indian
was shot. The criminals made good their
escape and were followed to Hennessy.
Then the trail was again lost. Ga July ,
the same party that brought provisions at
Wannamaker after the Red Rock robbery
called there again and bought some more
provisions. This was in the morning
They left and went in the direction of
Cimarron, but at night they returned TO
Wannamaker and asked for more provis- |
ions When Mr.. Overton, the merchant, |
turned his back to them to get something, |
they shot over his head and blew !
the light out. Overton dropped IN |
der the counter aud crawled to |
the other end of the store. They took /,
$50 in cash, some provisions and box of !
cigars. On Sunday the matter was re- |
ported at Dover, and at II o'clock Monday |
Mr. Grimes received the news at King |
fisher. 1t being July 4 it was very hard |
matter to get horses and, necessarily, a 1
late start was made. Marshal Grimes !
took the field, accompanied BY Deputies |
Lilly and Madsen They trailed the GRIM I
inals northeast Of Columbia. and within /
two miles of Rice's store On the northern |
line OF kingfisher county. Thursday Mar |
shall Grimes learned, from man who /
came IN from Cottonwood Creek. that four /
men were seen there at ll.30 O'Clock in the /
night Early in the morning Messrs 4
Grimes, Lilly and Madseu, and posseman
named Brown. strack the trail south /
Cottonwood. where they were seen. I
and followed it south nearly as f
fur as Frisco where they reiayed When
bout two miles further soaJh they ran /
across one OF the men. Billy Fox. who was 4
returning for some provisions I
They pulled down on him and captured 4
him Nothing would persuade him to Tell /
" here his comrades were. Still farther
south they found by the trail that one
man had started Of 10 an eastern direction
while the other two men had Ia ken the d.
rection OF Minco. After chasing around
over scores of miles taking in Chickasha
and other places in the Chickasaw nation