Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-06-15
THE TRAIN ROBBERY
How the Santa Fee Was Hold Up
Near Cimarron.
THE WOUNDED MESSENGERS STORY.
His Unavailing Efforts TO Protect the Elk.
press Property His Bad Wound
Provokes a Robbers
Sympathy.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, June 12.-Five
men held up the California limited ex-
press train on the Santa Fe railroad,
one-half mile west of Cimarron, Kan,
early Saturday morning. wounding Ex-
press Messenger Elston c. Whittlesey,
of Kansas City, and escaping with a bag
of silver dollars and the contents of the
way safe. They are supposed to have
secured about 1000 in all.
Express Messenger Whittlesey was
brought to Kansas City on Santa Fe
train No. 4. The news that the wound
ed messenger was on the train spread
about the depot. and when No. pulled
in crowd of 100 men, most of them
acquaintance and fellow employees
of Whittiesey, pressed about the Pull
man car in which he was The wound
ed man was passed through a window
OF the car and laid upon a cot. The
services of three policemen were neces-
sary to keep back the crowd that in
sisted on pressing about the cot to get
a glimpse of the brave fellow. He was
placed in an ambulance and taken to
his home, 1720 Montgall avenue, where
he was seen later by reporter. to
whom he related the incidents of the
robbery as he lay propped up against a
from the effects of his wound. Said
Mr.. Whittlesey:
left Kansas City at O'Clock yesterday af-
ternoon. My train was made up of one bag
gage car, one mail car, one chair car and two
Pullman sleepers One of the latter was bound
for Ell PaSO and the other for San Francisco
The train was in charge of Conductor Bender.
was alone in the express car and can not re-
member just now what amount OF packages OF
valuables had with me. know there was quite
yai1a of hr1v1d drffl MO-
and there was cons iderable silver coin in bags.
No train seldom stops at Cimarron, but we
stopped there shortly after midnight for orders
was lying upon my cot asleep and had no
light in the car. My coat and vest were OF and
1 was in my stocking feet No matter how
soundly NAV be sleeping the stopping of the
train never fails to awaken me, when the
train pulled up got up. looked out the window.
recognized the familiar Cinarron depot and lay
down to sleep again
In few minutes We pulled out and was just
doing when the train stopped again, ra Their
suddenly this time. got up again and looked
through the little barred window in the side of
the car. AS did SO heard voices command
ing some one to hurry up and then several shots
rang out am not tenderfoot in the matter
of train robberies and knew at once that the
train was being held up. My door locked
and had no intention of letting the robbers
into my quarters without a fight so began to
pile boxes against the door.
There was. a terrible racket outside the shots
that were being fired sounded like fusiiade from
a Calling gun. and someone was battering on
the door. I was working in the darkness bar
ricadlng the door when a bullet struck me in
the back. and had to stop work in that line.
I knew from the terrific pounding the door,
that was beginning to splinter ii, that the fell
lows were bound to get in anyway, 50 I be-
gan hauling the coin bags across the from
the way safe in one end or the pile OF
packages in the other. I had to drag them the
whole length of the car and then lift them up
and drop them down behind the pile of express
matter. They were heavv, and was getting
weaker every minute All this time the HIM
nlering on the door was kept up. and there was
no let-up in the fusilade of shots which
sandwiched in between with s0Ene OF the
blood-curd.ing oatls that I've ever heard, and
I've been on the frontier soms, too.
had reIr.y all the money hid when the door
gave way with crash and two men leaped into
the By this time I was so weak from loss
of blood that tottered my feet like drunk
en- man The men had lighted q lantern which
they flashed in my face. at the same time de-
handing that give up all valuables in the car.
The night was warm and the mems faces
were streaming with perspiration which had
tr1ckled down their faces, leaving StreakS of
white in the CRIME with which they were COW
cred They wore SLOUGH felt hats with wide
brims and they scoWled at in way that
convinced they meant business and were
not out for the fun of the thing.
at first they were fierce and showed guns in
| my face. One of them called pet name
that you wouldn't permit in the paper if I re-
peateu II 10 you Then the other noticed the
blood that was soaking through nv clothes and
tr.ckling away il little stream upon the
. floor. He put up his hand and pushed the other
fellows qua awav from my face at the same
| time saying in rough voice that had trace Of
tenderness in it:
Let up, Jim, the fellows shot, He laid his
six-shooter box, put his arm around me
and laid me on the cot L couldn't have stood
on my feet much longer. anyway, ami was glad
of chance 10 lie down The fellow started
uODuttOQ shirt but the
one ordered him. with an oath, to Come
on and let's get through with this
job and get away from here" Tley searched
through the car and passed out several pack
ages to the rest of the gang the outside. 1
have no idea what they took. When they were
through they came back to me, and the tender
hearted one asked me: Are you much hurt
pard:''
told him though. was pretty badly used
up.
Well" he said, IT N sorry we hurt you but
it can't be helped ROW" He gave me G drink
of water from the cooler and then the two
jumped from the car door and that's the last