Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-06-15
THE TRAIN ROBBERY
How the Santa Fe Was Held Up
Near Cimarron.
The WOUNDED MESSENGERS STORY.
His UnavaiIlnE Efforts to Protect the Ex-
press Property Ills had Wound
Provokes 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 Al, 900 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, AMI when No. pulled
in crowd of 100 mon, most OF them
acquaintance and fellow employees
OF Whittlesey, pressed about the Pull
man car in which he was The wound
ed man was passed through 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
glimpse of the brave fellow. lie was
placed in an ambulance and taken to
his home, 1920 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
pile Of pillows and breathing heavily
from the effects of his wound. Said
Mr.. Whittlesey:
left Kansas City at o'clock yesterday AZ
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 FL Paso and the other for San Francisco
The train was In charge OF Conductor Bender
was alone In the express car aud can not re-
member Just now what amount OF packages or
valuables / had 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. My coat and vest were OF and
was In my stocking feet No matter how
soundly NAV 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 few minutes we pulled out and was lust
doing when the train stopped again, rather
suddenly this time. I 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 10 hurry up and then several shots
rang out am not a tenderfoot In the matter
train was being held up My door was locked
and had no intention OF letting the robbers
into my quarters without q fight so began to
pile boxes against the door
There was terrible racket outside, tho shots
that were being fired sounded like fusilade from
Calling gun, and someone was battcrng on
the door was working In the darkness bar.
Reading the door when bullet struck me in
the back, and had to stop work In that line.
knew from the terrific pounding on the door,
that was beginning TO splinter It, that the fell
lows were bound TO get In anyway, so be
gan hauling tho coin bags across the car from
the way safe In one end OF the pile OF
packages In the other. l had 10 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 heavy, 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 fusilade OF shots which was
indwched In between with some OF the most
blood'curdllnR oaths that I've ever heard, and
I've been on tho frontier Soma, too
had nearly all the money hid when the door
gave way with a crash and two men leaped into
tho car by this time | was so weak from loss
OF blood that tottcred on my feet like drunk.
on man. The men had lighted lantern which
they flashed in my face, 40 the same time de.
manding that give up all yaluablos In the car
The night was warm and the mems faces
were streaming with persplration which had
Hlohltu SNh lnelT races leaving StrcukS OF
white In the CRIME with which they were Gov.
cred They wore SLOUGH felt hats with wide
brims and they scOwled at me In 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 a pet name
that you wouldn't permit In the paper II re-
peated II TO you Then the other noticed the
blood thatwas soaking through my clothes and
trlckling away in o little stream upon the
ioor. He put up his hand and pushed tho other
fellows gun away from my face, at the same
time saying in rough voice that had u 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, and was glad
Of chance to lie down. The fellow started
TO unbutton my shirt but the other
one ordered him, with an oath, to Come
on and let's get through with this
Job and get away from here" TIey searched
through the car and passed out several pack
ages TO the rest OF the gang on the outside
hAva no is.~a what tho '0er who- ESQ.,. ,''ors
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