The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-22
AN AWFub DISASTER


A Passenger Train Wrecked by Robbers
on the santa Fe Road-FOur Killed and
Twenty-Five Iniursd.
KANSAS CRY, Sept 2l.-A special to
the Star from Topeka, Kansas, says:
Passenger train No. s, on the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe railroad, was
wrecked by robbers three miles west OF
Usage City at 8 o'clock this morning.
The train, consistingof baggage, ex-
press aud mail car, two day coaches,
two chair cars and three sleepers, was
thrown over an embankment three
feet high and the first three cars tel
escoped Fopr persons were killed
outright. and twenty-five seriously in
iured. Those killed are:
FRANK BAxTER, express messenger;
Kansas City.
- BLooMENTHAL, express guards
man; Mexico, Mo.
JAMES CHADDIcKs, fireman; Topeka.
Ed MAYER, engineer; Topeka.
The wounded are:
Mary Lyman, Bloomington, ILL.,, badly
injured and bruised about head and
face.
William Dorr and child, chfllicothe,
No., badly bruised and scratched.
Mrs. NJ. Jones and two children,
Wichita, slightly bruised.
Thomas Nelson, Topeka, bruised alb out
head and face.
NJ. A. Roberts, Emporia, back injured.
Mrs. w. N. Miller, Macon, No., in
iured in spine and side.
]. F. Waddel, Rayonne, Kansas, In
iured in left hip.
S. G. Kelly, OF Kansas City, postal
clerk; internal injuries.
Q, I: Wordlaw, Elliott, Ills, badly
". a. Cary, Burlingame, Kansas, head
ollie Young, Poplar Bluff, Mo-, head
badly cut.
a. 9. Roark, Newton, Kansas, head
j. E. johnson, Minneapolis, MINI,
badly bruised.
H. g. Mcclure, Richmond, Mo-, knee
fractured and head badly cut.
W. D. Miner, Mesa City, Kan, knee
hurt.
II. S. Foster, Lawrence, Kan, postal
clerk, badly bruised.
R. B. Donohue, Kansas City, leg
mashed and badly bruised.
@. B. Kline, express messenger, Kan
sas City, slightly bruised.
]. B. 0berlin, postal clerk, Kansas
City, slightly bruised.
The wreck occurred at small bridge
which crosses n ravine. There is a
heavy down grade and the train was
running fully forty miles an hour 1t
was impossible for the engineer 70 SEQ
tho misplaced rails in time to check the
speed OF the train and the coaches piled
one over the other until the baggage
and express cars were completely hid
den from view. The three Pullman
sleepefs remained on the track. Men,
women and children were piled over
each other caught in the seats and
thrown through the windows OF the
car. Relief first reached the train from
Emporia. An examination Of the track
was made and 1t was found that the fish
plates had boen carefully removed, the
bolts taken out and spikes drawn from
ten ties and the rail bent over to the in
side. Robbery was unquestionably the
object. The train carried Sl,000,000 in
currency en- route from the Mexican
Central railway to its headquarters in
Boston.
A. A. Robinson, general manager Of
tho Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe road
offered reward OF $4,000 for the ar
rest OF the menimplicated in the wreck
ing Of the train.
ALATER REPORT.
A million dollars in currency was the
prize for which Kansas train robbers
strove to-day and appalling loss Of hu-
man life was the price they were willing
to paw for it. Passenger train No. 8, on
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
road east bound, was wrecked early
this morning, three miles west Of Usage
City by train robbers who hoped by
that means to plumber the express car
Of million OF dollars which was being
transported from the city Of Mexico to
Boston.
A wrecked train, four killed and
thirty-fve men, women and children
injured are tho only results, for the
robbers secured not q penny Of the
treasure, TO secure which they imperilled
60 many lives, The wreck and attempt
ed robbery had been carefully and de-
liberateIy panned. To avoid the pos
sibility Of leaving clue behind them
the robbers stole the tools with which
they did their dreadful work instead Of
purchasing them. They stole crow
bar, wrench and sledge hammer from
the tool house at Barclay, three miles
west Of the scene OF the wreck, and with
them removed o 1sh plate which Joined
two rails together, which would neces-
sarily derail the train. The robbers
had evidently selected with care the
spot on which to wreck the train. They
selected the top OF 8 grade which the
train would be obliged TO ascend, thus
lessening its speed and at the Same time
lessening tho chances Of so badly wreck
ing the train rs TO bury beneath the
debris the treasure they were seeking.
Their precautions were unayailipg
and tho very thing they sought 10 eyade