The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-27

lar Train Went on Its Way without
the Passengers Knowing what Had
Happcned-A Reckless and Desperate
Effort Frustrated.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo, Sept. 25.-Six
would-be train robbers were caught in
a trap this morning. Two of them
were killed. three captured and one es-
capped. The Kansas City. st. Joe &
Council Bluffs road was the intended
victim. A dummy train was sent
ahead. and when the express messenger
was ordered to open his car, he did so.
The officers then opened fire upon the
robbers. The attempted robbery oc-
CURED at :55 O'Clock last night on the
north-bound train on the Kansas City,
st. Joe & Council Bluffs road, which
was stopped by six men at Schutzen
park, one mile and half north of St.
Joseph. The men who were killed We're
Fred Kohler, age nineteen, who lived
with his young wife at 1915 S. Tenth-st.,
this city, and Hugo Engle, stepson Of
Henry Gleitz, proprietor Of the Occi-
dental hotel. The man who escaped is
supposed to be Henry Gleitz, a brother
of the man who was killed. Three 9TH
er men, N a. Hearst, Charles Freder-
icks and William Carver, were cap
tured. but they were decoys and were
not directly connected with the attempt
ed robbery.
The officers of the road have known
for some time that an attempt would be
made to rob the train and preparations
We're made to capture them. Detectives
Z. II. Locke first received information
about the proposed robbery Aug. H.
and he has been in constant cOmmuni-
cation with the railway officials since
then. The train was in charge Of w.
c. Brown, general manager of the Bur-
lington; c. NJ. Hohl, superintendent;
Sheriff w. c. Carson, Deputy Sheriff
John Brown and Chief of Police John
Broder. With Chief Broder were thir-
teen officers.
Ready for Them.
The regular train on the Kansas City,
st. Joe & Council Bluffs road left the
Union depot at 11:40 o'clock last night
Mr. Brown got word early in the even
ing that last night was the time that
had been fixed for the robbery, and his
first intention was to send out the regu-
lar train and place the officers on ii.
He declared later that it would be un-
safe to risk the passengers in a battle
with the robbers. and changed his plans
He instructed Superintendent Hohl to
make up a dummy" special and run
it out on the time Of the regular train,
No. 3. This dummy" consisted of a
mail-car, express car and six coaches,
the two latter darkened to represent
the appearance of sleepers. Engineer
Lee Wright and Fireman Victor Wise
were in the cab, and Conductor John
Hardenstein had charge of the train.
In the mail car were Sheriff Carson,
Deputy Brown and a number Of police.
In the express car were Chief Broder
and a portion of his force, while the
rest Of his officers were scattered
through the other cars. Engineer CALI
cote was pressed into service as an
express man. He wore cveralls, and an
empty safe and some empty boxes were
put in his car, to give it the appearance
of an express car. In the first coaches
were w. c. Brown, Mr. Hohl and Mr.
Sanford, superintendent of the Adams
express company.
FIaEEed the Train.
When the train reached Schutzen park,
a short distance this side of the water
works, a man stepped out on the track
and swung a red lantern. Engineer
Wright stopped his engine, and he and
the fireman were at once covered by
masked man with a shotgun. They were
ordered to go back 30 the express car.
When they reached the car. two of the
robbers pounded on the door with their
guns and ordered the messenger TO open
1t. After a short parley, Callicote threw
open the door. Chief Broder and his men
were concealed behind the safe and empty
boxes when the robbers ordered the ex-
press messenger to open the door; they
theatened to blow up the car with dyna-
mite, and one OF them said:
"Open here; be damn quick about IT,
or we will blow up the car with dyna-
mite. Open up or we will kill you"
They had two large sticks of dynamite
and each was wrapped up In two or
three copies OF newspaper. To each of
the sticks was attached a fuse about
three feet long. This fuse connected with
a Illuminating cap in the end of the stick
and would burn up and explode the dyna-
imte in about two minutes
1t was known to the officers that dyna-
mite might be used and II was at first
proposed to let the robbers explode some
OF It before firing upon them. Before
leaving ST. Joe. however. Chief Broder
decided 1t would be a very dangerous
risk, and he concluded to take no chances.
He instructed the bogus messenger to
open the door before the robbers had
a chance to explode the stuff. Chief
Border says there was enough dynamite
to blow the car into splinters, and his
action now proves TO have been a wise
one.
-Four OF the men leaped into the car,
the other two remaining outside One
Of these was Henry Gleitz and the other
was Fredericks.
The Battle On.
When the men entered the car. the
officers raised up and. covering them
with their guns. ordered them TO throw
IN their hands. Instead Of doing that