The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-01
THE cESTEALIA TKAIS HoLD-UP.
Last OF the Robbers Arrested Makes
fall Gonfessfou.


Fail Confession
CEsrRALfA. H., Sept 3o.--Jsmes Hardin,
the last OF the Centraiiz gang OF train rob
hers, who was captured last night in Gin
e8nnati, was taken from Detective Smith
at odin this afternoon by Sheriff Helm on
state warrant, while being conveyed 20
st. Louis on an Ohio e. Mississippi tram.
The detective was unwilling TO surrender
the prisoner. but had no papers on
which 10 hold him. and Ire was
conveyed 10 Salem jail. where his
pals, Jones and 0'Dwyer, are
confined. While the officers were dis
putting over the possession of the prisoner.
some one reported in The hearing Of
Hardin that the news OF bis detention in
0din had been teiegraphed 10 Censralia
and so railway men were en- route to
Odin on q special train 10 lynch him.
This completely unneryed the ban
dit. and be begged the officers To hurry
him OF to Jail. lie then made full con-
fession Of the robbery.
There were three Of as implicated,
Jones. O'Dwyer and myself he said. ''fhe
robbery vas planned at 1913 Choteau ave-
nue.. 81. Louis, over three months ago.
Jones was too drunk to play his part we'll.
lie held mp the engineer and fireman be-
fore O'Dwyer and | were ready TO attack
the car, and our plans were thrown into
confusion. When we entered the car
found myself in the grasp OF Baggage
master Armstrong | saw man coming
into the car with q gun and supposed
we had been trapped. From that mo-
ment my sole object was TO get
out OF the car. | endeavored to
keep Armstrong between myself and the
shotgun, and did so pretty successfully
unit! impulsively reached for the bell
cord 20 stop the train. Ii was then that
saanders shot me In the arm. The shoot
Ing fled the Car with smoke, and man
aged to jump out at the east door.
o'Dwyer was a few feet ahead OF me. We
both landed outside about the same time.
We ran east till We reached 0'Dwyer's
house, where he stopped. passed on in a
circuitous route until returned to the IL
iinois Central track, nearly milo from
where we held up the train. My arm
was paining me iearfuily aud crawlcd
into culvert and laid down. While lay
there wild engine bound for St. Louis on
the Air Line pulled MP to the depot and
stopped. While the engineer and fireman
and secreted myself on the engine, on
which rode into st. Louis. I went
directly TO Mrs. Rays about O'Clock in
the morning after the robbery. / kept
myself secreted during the day in the
vicinity OF the relay depot in East st.
Louis, and at p. m. September 81 I
boarded an Ohio Il Mississippi train
and rode to Cincinnati. No one on
the train suspected me. have
friends in Cincinnati and went
direct to the city hospital after resting up
little and had my arm dressed. | regis
tered under the name of Kay. had been
reading the papers regularly, and supposed
the detectives were searching for rue in
Missouri and Indiana. 1t was this that
caused me TO be off my guard when was
arrested. think II was the description OF
my wound given to the press by ST.
Louis woman that caused the city hospital
authorities TO identify me and give me
away"
The bandits arm Is not In bad condition
and he can use IL freely. Hardin told the
officers that he left Colts revolver In tho
culvert where he rested the night of tho
hold-up, and they could have the weapon.
The Centralia express robbery took
place at midnight OF September % when
tour men secreted themselves on top of
the express car of q New Orleans limited
from Chicago. One of the robbers,
named Jones, was shot in the attack on
the car and captured. When threatened
with lynehiBg he confessed, giving the
names OF the other members of the gang
ODwyer was arrested the following day