The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-06-16
THE TRAIN ROBBERY
How the Santa Fe Was Hold UD
Near Cimarron.
The WOUNDED MESSENGERS STORY.
His Unavaiiing Efforts to Protect the Ex.
press Property His Bad Wound
Proyokes a Robbers
sympathy.


! 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 bag
of silver dollars and the contents of the
way safe. They are supposed to have
secured about $1,000 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 a crowd of 100 men. most of them
acquaintances and fellow employees
of Whittlesey. pressed about the Pull
man ear in which he was. The wound
ed man was passed through window
of the car and laid upon n cot. The
services of three policemen We're neces-
sary to keep back the crowd that in
sisted on pressing about the cot to get
q glimpse of the brave fellow. He was
placed in an ambulance and taken to
his home, 1920 Montgall avenue, where
he was seen later by a reporter. to
whom he related the incidents of the
robbery as he lay propped up against
pile of pillows and breathing heavily
from the effects of his wound. Said
Mr.. Whittlesey:
left Kansas City az o'clock yesterday az
ternoon Ny 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.
1 was alone in the express car and can not re-
member Just now what amount of packages or
valuables Ihad with me. know there was quite
pile of boxes and bundles in one end of the car
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. NV coat and vest were off and
| was in my stocking feet No matter how
soundly mav be sleeping the stopping Of the
train never fails TO awaken me. so when the
train pulled up got up looked out the window,
recognized the familiar Cimarron depot and lay
down to sleep again
In a few minutes we pulled out and was just
doing when the train stopped again, ra ther
suddenly this time. 1 got up again and looked
through the little barred window in the side of
the ear. 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. Ny door was locked
and had no intention of letting the robbers
into my quarters without a fight SO l began 10
pile boxes against the door.
There was a terrible racket outside, the shots
that were being fired sounded like fusilade from
a Gatling gun, and someone was bltterng on
the door. ] was working in the darkness bar
ricading the door when a bullet struck mo in
the back. and had to stop work in that line.
l knew from the terrific pounding on the door,
that was beginning TO splinter H. that the fel
lows were bound to get in anyway, 50 be-
gan hauling the coin bags across the car from
the way safe in one end of the pile of
packages in the other l 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 heavt, and was getting
weaker every minute All this time the ham
mering on the door was kept up and there was
no let-up in the fuslIde of shots which
saudwiched in between with some of the most
blood curdiing oaths that I've ever heari aad
I've been on the frontier SOM too.
had nearly all the money hid when the door
gave way with a crash and two men leaped into
the car. By this time weak from loss
OF blood that tottered on nv feet like drunk
en- man The men had lighted lantern which
they flashed in mv face. at the same time de-
mGnding that give up all valua6les in the car.
The night was warm ana the mems faces
were streaming with perspirItion. which had
trickled down their faces, leaving streaks of
white in the CRIME with which they were
cred. They slouch felt hats with wide
brims and Ihcy scowled at me IN a way that
convinced me 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 me pet name
that YOU wouldn't permit in the paper If l re-
peated it 20 you Then the other motto, the
blood that was soaking through nv clothes and
tr ckling away in little stream upon the
floor. He put up his hand and pushel the other
time saying in a rough voice that had trace OF
tenderness in il:
Let up Jim, the fellows shot" He laid his
siXshooter on n box, put his arm around me
and laid me on the cot / couldn't have stood
on my feet much longer. anyway, AMI was 8, al
of chance 10 lie down. The fellow started
to unbution my shirt, but the other
one ordered him with an oath, 70 Come
on and let's set through with this
job and get away from here TIey searched
through the car ami passed out several pack
ages TO the rcs; of the gang on the outside. 1
have no idea what they TOOK. When they were
through tht y came back TO me, End the tender
hearted one asked me: Are you much hurt,
pard:''
] told him thought was pretty badly used
up
We'll" he said, I'm sorry we hurt you but
it can't be helped low" He gave me a drink
Of water from the cooler and then the two
jumped from the car door and that's the last 1