The morning call., 1893-09-26
STOPPED A DECOY.
Train Robbers Cleverly
Captured.
SPIES GAVE THEM AWAY.
And Dummy Express Went Out
for Their Benefit.
CARS FILLED WITH OFFICERS.
Never in the History of Crime Did
Bandits Meet With a Warmer
Reception.
CARS FILLED WITH OFFICERS.

have developed an altogether new scheme
for blocking train robberies, the plan
being to put number of spies in the gang
of robbers and TO let them keep the officers
advised up to the very time and place
when and where the proposed robbery is
to be committed. Then the police board
the train 1t is proposed to hold up and
give the bandits warm reception, the
spies meanwhile dropping to ground 10
escape flying bullets and subsequently
coming away with the police in the con-
sciousness of duty we'll done. 1t was the
following out of this plan that frustrated
the robbery attempted on the Kansas City,
st. Joseph and Council Bluff road at an
early hour this morning by desperate
gang of cut-throats. The gang had been
plotting rObberies since early last August,
but on two or three occasions the plans
went awry, owing TO unforeseen eircum-
stances. The police and railway officials
have been kept informed of the robbers
intentions and were prepared to meet
them on each occasion.
The train which the bandits had at
tempted to rob was passenger train 8
on the Kansas City. st. Joseph and Coun-
Gil Bluffs railroad, which left Kansas City
dA J.OO AphhuLNog bi6nts
rived here at 1880 Sunday morning.
When the train arrived here a dummy train
was made up and sixteen police officers
under command of the Chief of Police
were put aboard. In order to thoroughly
deceive the robbers the train was made an
exact duplicate of train 3. aud consisted of
engine and tender, an express and baggage
car. and the usual coaches and Pullman.
When the decoy reached the point two
miles north of St. Joseph, the engineers
attention was arrested by a lighted lantern
moving 10 and fro between the rails. He
Obeyed the signal, and soon six masked
men surrounded the engine.
One of the bandits mounted the engine
and presented one revolver at the engi-
neer's head aud another at the fireman's,
keeping them in subsection, while the
other five men hastened o. to rob the ex-
press car. They ordered the messenger to
open the door, which he did forth with.
The bandits then entered the car. leaving
two without TO guard.
The policemen who were guarding the
train were distributed In various cars. the
majority of them being concealed liz the
express car. Immediately after the three
bandits who had undertaken the work OF
roDbing the car entered the door the police
within ordered them to surrender.
The robbers we're taken completely by
surprise, but they opened fire at once upon
the police. The police returned the fire
and general fusillade followed. About
twenty-five shots were fred on both sides.
When the smoke cleared awav the lifeless
bodies of Kohler and Gleitz were lying on
the floor of the car. They had been shot
through the head. The bullet which
pierced Kohler's head produced instant
death. He never stirred after he was hit
GleitZ was still breathing. but he died
shortly after he was brought here. Fred
ericks, the third man engaged in the light,
was not injured and was placed under ar
rost. None of the officers were injured.
While the fight was going on in the car
those Of the police not engaged in it were
looking after the two men who had been
left outside TO keep watch. The police
quickly took them in and placed them un-
der arrest. These two men, with Fred
ercks, were the police decoys and were
found quietly lying on the ground below
the line of fire.
When the train reached here after the
fight it was found that their names we're
~. u. II uiols 4lCnl1 anu NuaIleS
Fredericks.
The bandit who had been detailed to
guard the engineer and fireman quickly
realized the situation when he heard the
battle going on in the express car and
promptly made his escape A detail Of
officers was put on his track aud quickly
took up the pursuit. with every prospect
of capturing the fugitive.
A remarkable feature Of the fight in the
express car was the escape of all the off,
GERS from injury. The three robbers in
the car were each armed with a brace of
revolyers and the two who were killed
used them freely, but still they did no
damage.
The bodies of kohler and Gleitz were
brought here on the dummy train, which
returned to the city soon after the en-
counter. They were taken to an under
takers. The Fredsrieks, Hurst
and Garver-were brought here on the
same train with their dead comrades. aud
were locked up at the police station, but
were subsequently released.
The robbers had dynamite enough with
them TO blow the car to pieces, and threat
ened TO use it unless the door was opened.
The sticks of dynamite had fuses with
Illuminating caps attached.
Fred Kohler. one of the dead robbers.
was only 10 years of age. He leaves
young widow.
TIE other one. known as Hugo Gleitz. Is
the stepson of Henry Gleitz, proprietor of
the Occidental Rotel. His real name is
Hugo Encel.
The man who escaped was said to be
Henry GleitZ son OF the proprietor of
The Occidental Hotel, and he was captured
at 8 80 o'clock this morning at the house of
Mary Elsnes in South ST. Joe. His pockets
were full of ammunition and three fingers
of his lett hand had been shot off. He de-
MED having taken any part in the at.
tempted robbery. but refused doggedIy 10
talk further.