St. Paul daily globe., 1892-07-03
The KASOTA ROBBERS
Excitement Oceasioned by
Their "Hold Up Of the
Omaha Train.
Reward of $1,000 is offered
by the Road for Their
Capture.
The Express Company Offers
An Equal Amount in
Addition.
's.-a-s'--5z *jf
Not a Penny Obtained by the
Highwaymen for Their
Pains.

night, as published in a late edition of
the GLOBE yesterday morning, created
considerable excitement among ex-
press and railroad officials. Supt, Id.
ans, of the American Express company,
accompanied by special detectives OF
the road. and Pinkerton agent. left
for the scene early yesterday morning.
Geneyai Manager Winter and Supt.
Scott, of the Omaka road, caused tele-
grams to be sent to different points on
the line offerirg $1,000 reward for the
capture of the robbers, and Supt. Ad-
ans, of the express company, also Of
fers an additional $1,000 for their ap-
prehension. The passenger train left
ST. Paul for Council Bluffs at 7:55 Fri
day nlght,ln charge of Conductor Blaser.,
The Train Was Delayed
between St. Paul and St. Peter and on
reaching the aforementioned station was
several minutes behind schedule time.
AS the train pulled out of the station at.
st. Peter two men with masks over their
faces crawed over the tender and lev
eled ShOtgunS at the engineer and fire.
man. The robbers ordered both ell
glneer and fireman to keep still. and,
under penalty OF being killed, to do as
ordered. At point about two miles
this side of KasOta, and known to rail-
road men as West Spring Lake, the
engineer was ordered to stop the
train. One of the highwaymen
then conducted the engineer and
fireman back to the express
car and made them call the messenger
to open the door. Thinking the train
had arrived at Kasota. the messenger,
John +. Kennedy, threw open the door.
He was ordered out, forced to give up
Ills revolver, and asked where the
guard was. On being informed there
was no guard on the train, for the srea-
son that there was no money carried,
the messenger was
Ordered Back
into the car and followed by one of the
robbers. While the fellow was climb
in Messenger Kennedy opened his safe.
and taking the money packages, amount
ing to about $4,000, threw them to the
other end of the car. After examining
the safe, the messenger was ordered to
join the engineer and fireman on the
ground. The headlight of the locomo-
tive was ordered eXtinguished, and the
engineer, fireman and messenger
walked up the track half
mile. Here the highwaymen faced
the trio toward the train and
instructions were obeyed, and in twenty
minutes after it had been stopped it
was again Ell route for Kasota. A tramp
who was riding .'blind baggage'' says
there were four in the gang, bYt. the
railroad men saw only two. There were
two shots fired during the time the train
was stopped, one at brakeman who
was on his way to the engine to see
what was the trouble, and another at
brakeman on the rear coach who
Swung His Lantern
from the platform. None of the pas
sengers were disturbed by the robbers,
but the stopping of the train and shbts
acquainted them of the fact, and ere
ated something of panic.
Conductor Blaser sent the following
account of the affair to Division Super
intendent Spencer:
''On train No. tonight, just as we
pulled out of st. Peter. two men with
masks OH came In the cab of the engine
and covered the engineer and firemen
with guns and told them to keep still
| and go ahead until told to stop. One of
the robbers produced two cigars and
made the fireman light them and hand
one to each of themselves, and they
smoked them hard. keeping the end
| OF the cigars burning brightly. This,
we judged, was signal to their con-
federates. When we had got about
| sixty rods west of Spring Lake they
told the engineer to stop, which he did.
! They then made the engineer and fire
man get down OH the left hand side and
! go back to the express car and knock on
| the door and ask the messenger to open
it. The messenger was busy, and did
not notice where we were or how far the
| train had gone from st. Peter, but sup
nf 10 Co I,af
the door open and faced the gun. They
made him jump down and
Took His Revolver
and threw it down on the ground. They
then inquired for our guard, and were
! told the guard was not OH tonight, as
| we didn't have any money at all. They
then made him get back in the car, and
one of them followed him. while the
| other held the engineex and fireman on
the ground by keeping them covered
with gun. The messenger got into the
| car quicker than the robber. and opened
his safe and locker, which stood
! by the safe, and managed to con-
ceal what money he had while
| the robber was climbing into the
car door. the robber being hampered
some by his gun and being such large
man. The messenger showed him all
around the car and convinced him there
was no money aboard the car. They
| then took the engineer, fireman anu
messenger and made them walk ahead
| of them to farm crossing at the top of
the hill and then sent them back to the
train. There two shots were fired. one
at the head Of the brakeman, who was
Oh his way to the engine. and the other
back beside the train on the appearance
of light back along the train some
where.
The Train Robbers
| are described as one being n yery large
man, and the other trifle smaller.
Both wore long masks that covered
their faces and hung down On their
coats. There is some question among
| police and detectives as to whether the
fellows were professionals or new men
at the business. 1t is argued that had
they been old hands they would not
have been armed with Shotguns as
these weapons are very unweildy and
do not give as good satisfaction as re-
volverS. Other officials claim novices
at the business would not 20 about the
game in such nervy way. The plan
OF walking the messenger, engineer and
fireman away from the train after the
attempted robbery is the same adopted
by the men who held up the
Milwaukee q st. Paul train near Mil
waukee some months ago. The spot
selected for the ''hOid up" is desolate
place, and was probably selected eli
| this account.
A farmer was held up by two men
near Kasota Thursday night aud robbed
of $3.50, and the local officials think the
robbers are the same ones who commit
ted the deed. The highwaymen evi-
IDENTIFY expected to realize snug sum
as result of their work, the express
company carrying from $4,000 to $50, 900
usually on the first two or three days of
each month.
Got No Money.
A visit to the offices of the American
Express company last night resulted in
no additional information concerning
| the attempted robbery. No money was
secured by the robbers and no word had
| been received from Supt. Adams, who
l oorlr SQfurdav