Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1893-09-29
The Turpin of The Rail.

There is progress in crime as
there is in civilization, and we are
making footprints on the sands OF
both. The railway train has be-
come one of .he most potent fac
tors in modern progress, and with
it hasl'evolved the new historic
train robber. 1t is unfortunate
that the western world has the
distinction of,producing thessmost
perfect type of the latter gentle
man. In audscity and enterprise
the American Turpin has no con-
temporary. He accepts hazards
with delightful equanimity and
appropriate 8 public property with
apparent Indifference to heroic
passengers and their silent guns.
The more ancient members of the
Turpin family were less ambitious,
and as rule closed their career
of stopping coaches and robbing
squires at the end of hangman' E
rope. The Western type of this
article once confined his attention
to the atage coach, in which the
bold traveller with Colts artillery
at his command and mountain
gold in his valise, unmurmuringly
gave up the latter to the gentle
man who had no fear of the other
Sometimes the daring Turpi1
paid the penalty of his crime, bu
as conditions were in his favor
it was a toss of a penny whethel
his career was ended by whisky
or the sheriff.
The Turpin of the rail has, how
ever, broader field and great
er prise, and it is certain that
with few exceptions, he is equa
to the occasion. The difficult,
lies nowadays not SO much II
catching the culprit as in curing
his paternity of bad habit.
1t may be that in more way
than one we are unintentionall.
encouraging what may yet be
formidable menance to the Sc
curitv of travellers. II is a fac
that some of the most notoriou
outlaws in modern American his
tory are literally and absolutel,
the heroes of thousands. In
dime museum or on the stage the
would be highly attractive. liz
stances are not few where thes
distinguished citizens, when in
INJURED in prison cell, are reclE
tents of boquets and cake, an
ladies of both sexes supply tier
with rugs and emotional atten
tions. Moreover, we adorn th
pages of the daily press wit
brilliant sketches of the hero
career, and spoil printers in
and the lithographer's art with q
large and finished a portrait as
given for Gladstone or q Pres
dent. 1t is not to be suppose
that a modern Turpin is insens
BILE to these attentions. He
probably as fond of glory as he
of Bourbon, and notriety to sue
man is by no means as unplea:
ant as the toothache or the vel
dict of jury. Fools of this cias
are not all dead or out of bushes
and next to a pad of greenbscB
or a bag of iewelry, he loves to /
the hero of such as are as full
sized fools as himself. That thel
is too much of this nonsense L
sane man will deny.
Another thought Is self-sus
gestiye in the matter of train rol
berry. Where is the informatic
gotten from that can select ce
tain train for the special amour
of money it is known to carry
Are we not derelict in caution, an
more than that in the loose an
let-her-rip style by which men al
put in positions of trust. 1t
supposedly an un-Amerlean y
noyation to ascertain character b'
fore we place men. In men
cases a man may have been cor
yict or a missionary, but If b