Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-21
HELD UPBY THUGS.
Wild Western Scene in a Su.
burban Train.
TWO THIEVES DEFY THE OFFICERS,

Hold Them al Bay with Revolvers and
Rob Them OF Their Arms and Money
Passengers Kept Down by a Fusillade
and the Robbers Escape-The Helena,
Ark, Affair an Undoubted Case of Poi
sOning-Two More Deaths and Four
Others Ill.
CHICAGO. Dec. I.-Amid fusillade of
shots four desperate thieves esbaped from
Chicago and Eastern Illinois suburban
train at Fifty-third street last night during
reign of terror that had been inaugur-
ated by Officer Bailey attempting to arrest
one of their number. Windows were shat
tered and lamps extinguished by the
shower of bullets that whistled over the
heads of the passengers in the smoking
car, and for five minutes the scene riyaled
tale OF life in the far west. 1t was colored
effectively by the two policemen standing
at bay before the revolvers of two of the
thieves while their pockets were rified
Resisted an Attempt at Arrest.
Officer Bailey and his brother. both de
tectives, boarded the train at Chicago and
at Forty first street four men boarded the
train. A little while later Bailey on pass
ing the men recognized John McGrath and
Walter Gaynor, two members of the Nc
Grath- 1Iortell gang, which is notorious
Knowing that the police were looking for
him Bailey Laid his hand on McGrath's
shoulder and said:
You are under arrest McGrath, so
come with me-"
With an oath McGrath declared that no
officer could take him single handed, and
before Bailey could suspect his intention
he had drawn q large revolver which he
thrust in the detectives face.
Both Officers Held Up.
TRY to take me and I'll kill YOU NC
Grath exclaimed, at the same time cooking
his revolver.
Bailey's brother noticed the disturbance.
and started to help his brother. He was
stopped by Gaynor, who, with revolver in
hand, told him to throw up his hands.
There were a number of passengers in the
car, but everything had transpired so sud
denly that no one was able to offer assist
ance. McGrath gave instructions to his
companions to search Bailey's pockets,
take his revolver, and any money that was
on his person.
Terrorizinc the Passengers.
In the meantime McGrath's companions
marched up and down the aisle of the coach
firing their revolvers in every direction,
using the stove, windows and other objects
for targets By two or three clever shots
the suspended lamps were extinguished,
increasing the confusion. There seemed to
be no attempt on the part of the men to
shoot the passengers, and McGrath, seeing
that some OF the passengers were looking
dangerous, called his men together and
told them to leave the train rs it was ap-
preaching stopping place. In a moment
they all jumped off and disappeared
Struck the Officer with His Pistol
Before McGrath passed out, however, he
dealt Officer Bailey a blow on the left side
of the head. lie sprauG from the car, fol
lowed by GaynOr, and both disappeared
among the freight cars in the yard. Recov-
ering himself Officer Bailey FASTENED after
them, accompanied by his brother. He
fired a number of shots in the direction the
men had taken but the men escaped The
police were called up all over the city when
the train reached Englewood, but so far no
arrests have been made