St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-26
TRAIN ROBBERS CAUGHT.
TW0 WE'RE KILLED AND THREE OF
THEM CAPTURED.
CLEVER WORK OF OFFICERS.
Dummy Train on the Kansas City,
st. Joe & Council Bluffs Road
Surprises q Gang Of Bandits
How the Brilliant Plan of
the Train Officials Worked-A
Desperate Fight.

:
How the Brilliant Plan of
the Train Officials Worked-A
Desperate Fight.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. Sept. 25.-Six would
be train robbers were caught in trap
this morning. Two of them were killed,
three captured, and one escaped. The
Kansas City. St. Joseph d 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.
AT 11:55 O'Clock last night the south
bound train on the Kansas City, st.
Joseph q Council Bluffs road was
stopped by six men at Schnitzen Park,
mile and half north of st. Joseph.
Two men were killed and three capt
ured, while one escaped. The men who
were killed were Fred Kohler, aged
nineteen, who lived with his Young wife
at 1915 South Tenth street; Hugo En-
gel, stepson of Henry 'Gleitze, proprie-
of the Occidental hotel. The u.an who
escaped issupposed to be Henry Gleitze.
Three other men, N. A. Hearst, Charles
Fredericks and Will Carver. were cap
tured, but they were decoys and were
not connected with the robbery. The
officers of the road have known for
some time an attempt would be made
to rob the train, and preparations were
made to capture them. Detective P. T.
Locke first received information about
the proposed robbery Aug. IL, and he
has been in constant communication
with the officials since then.
The train was in charge of W. G.
Brown, general manager of the Burling-
ton; q. NJ. HOhl, superintendent; Sher-
if w. c. Carson, Deputy Sheriff John
Brown and Chief of Police John Broler.
With Chief Broler were thirteen Off
GERS. The regular train on the Kansas
City, st. Joe & Council Bluffs road
leaves the union depot at 11:4O. MI.
Brown got word early i'll the evening
that last night was the time that had
been fixed
FOR THE R oBBERY,
and his first intention was to send out
the regular train and place the officers
upon it. He decided later it would be
unsafe to risk the passengers in battle
with the robbers and changed his plans.
He instructed Supt. Hohl to make up
dummy special and run it out OH the
time of the regular train, No. 8. This
consisted OF mail car, express car and
SIX coaches, the two latter darkened to
represent the appearance of sleepers.
Engineer Lee Wright and Fireman Vic
tor Wise were in the cab, and Con-
ductor John Hardenstein had charge of
the train. In the mail car were Sheriff
Carson. Deputy Brown and a number
of others. In the express Car were
Chief BrOler and portion of his force,
while the rest were scattered through
the cars. Engineer Callicot was pressed
into service as express messenger. He
wore overalls, and an empty safe and
some empty boxes were put into
the car to give it the appearance of all
express car. In the first coach were w.
e. Brown, Mr.. Hohl and Mr.. Sanford,
superintendent of the Adams Express
company. When the train reached
Schnitzen, short distance this side of
the water works, man stepped out on
track and swung lantern. Engineer
Wright stopped his engine and he and
the fireman were at once covered by a
masked man with shotgun. They
were ordered to go back to 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 it. After a short parley, Calllcot
threw open the door. Chief Broler and
his men were concealed behind the safe
and empty boxes. When the robbers
ordered the express messenger to open
| the door, they Threatened to blow up
the car
WITH DYNAMITE.
One of them SAID:
open up here d quick about 1t, or
Well blow the car up with dynamite!
open up or we'll kill you"
They had Two large sticks of dyna-
mite and each was wrapped up in two
or three copies of a newspaper. TO
each of the sticks wac attached fuse
about three feet long. This fuse con-
nected with Illuminating cap in the
end of the stick, and would burn IN
and explode the dynamite in about two
minutes. 1t was known to the officers
that dynamite might be used, land it was
at first proposed to let the robbers ex-
plode some of 1t before firing upon
them. But on leaving st. Joe, how
ever, Chief Broler decided that it would
be very bad risk, and he concluded to
take no chances. He instructed the
bogus messenger to open the door be.
fore the robbers had a chance to ex-
plode the stuff. Chief Broler 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 Gleitze. and the other was
Fredericks. When the men entered the
car. the officers raised up, and covering
them with their guns, ordered them to
throw up their hands, Instead of doing
that, the robbers began firing at the of |
ficers and the battle was on. At the |
first fire Hearst, Fredericks and Carver |
dropped to the ground and laid down to |
prevent being shot EngIe leaped from |
the car and ran for the brush OH the east |
side of the track, from where he con- |
tinued to shoot till discovered. Kohler. |
whose job was to stand outside ana keep |
the passengers from coming out of the |
cars, was on the east side of the train |
also, and he poured
DEADLY FIRE
into the express car and coaches. Henry |
GleitZe, who was OH the west side of the |
train, fired several shots at the officers
i'll the express and mail cars, and then
ran. KOhler proved himself to be a |
+ most desperate man. He continued to |
shoot until he fell over dead. Engle |
fell soon after Kohler Was killed, and
when picked up was found to be NOR
tally wounded. He was shot twice in |
the back of the head and his brains
were oozipg out. The men were placed