Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-09-28
A TRAIN RAID.
Robbers Meet with Misfortune
This Time.
TWO WOUNDED AND IN JAIL.
Tralnmen ON the Illinois Central Resist and
Two or Three Are Wounded One Of
the Captured Robbers Makes
Confession.

Confession.
CENTRALIA, ILL.,, Sept. 22.-The trair
robbing epidemic reached this plac,
shortly before ~ o'clock Wednesln,
night when three men attempted /,
hold up the Chicago New Orleans lin
tied express train on the Illinois Central
which arrived here from Chicago two
hours late. The attempted robbcr,
occurred at the coal chute Just soutl
OF the city. The robbers were given a
warm reception and were finally beat
en- Off One of the robbers was badly
wounded and three of the trainmen,
two Of them seriously.
Wednesday afternoon three strangers
were noticed lounging about the hi.
nois Central depot here AS IL waiting
for train. IL is supposed that these
were the robbers. 1t is believed that
when the train pulled up here the rob
bcrs got on the front end OF the ex-
press car When the coal chute was
reached, where coal was taken on, they
climbed over the tender. As the train
was about to start after coaling, two
OF the men confronted Engineer Ben
Young and Fireman Mccullough and
commanded them to stop.
Don't move for your life" cried ono
OF the robbers, but the engineer and
fireman paid no heed to the command,
and made a spring for the robbers.
They were met with shots from the re-
volvcrs In the hands of the robbers,
which laid them low for the time being.
Engineer Young was seriously
wounded. lie was shot twice, one of
the bullets entering his shoulder and
blowing through the arm down to the
elbow, where it made its exit, and the
other penetrating his back and lodging
in his left hip. The fireman received a
shot in the forehead and one in the
leg.
The two robbers then proceeded to
the express car To demand admittance
but they were met with a volley from
the express messenger and Conductor
Odum, who had gone to the express ear
to see the messenger. Nulley after vol
ley was fired by both bcsc-cd d be-
sicgers, until the door was shot full of
holes, Finally, the bandits, with
sledge hammer, broke in the door The
trainmen had erected birr.clde OF
boxes and express packages and a reg-
ular fusilade began.
The robbers introduced novel tactics
in gaining an entrance to the car
When the men in tine express car had
emptied theirrcyolvers and were reload
Ing them, the robbers tried plan for
which they had prepared. They had
grab hooks. These they fastened on
top of the express car and with ropes
lowered themselves from the roof
to the top of the door. This
was done to avoid being tar
get for the bullets that soon began TO
pour through the door from the inside.
The railroad men were aiming low.
while serenely above them the two
robbers were welding heavy sledge.
The door did not Withstand the assault
and soon an opening large enough Tor
the robbers to enter showed itself
Through this they leape and, rcvolv-
ers in hand, faced the conductor and
messenger, both similarly equipped.
Then followed the battle royal.
In the meantime one Of the bralscmen
had & me to the rear ami aroused the
passengers and asked those who had
arms to come To the assistance OF the
trainmen. Among the passengers was
an old time brakeman named Jake
Sanders. He had been out huntingand
had shotgun with him lie imma.
diately proceeded 30 the express car,
shotgun in hand, and ON arriving there
began firing on the two robbers in the
car, who were slowly gaining supre-
macy over Conductor Odum aud the cx-
pressman. One of Sanders shots took
effect on one of the robbers and he
sank TO the floor of the car.
While Sanders was doing yeoman
service the third robber who had kept
in the shade up TO this time, came out
and began firing at Sanders from the
shadows of the coal chute. Ills aim
was bad, however, and Sanders escaped !
unhurt
When the wounded robber fell to the !
floor the two others, seeing the game |
was up, started ON run and disap. |
peared in the darkness.
The wounded robber is known as d. |
l.. Jones. lie carries "a card from the |
order OF Railway Trainmen, issued by |
one of the Chicago lodges, and he also |
has switchmens card from the Atch- |
ison, Topeka & Santa Fe at Kansas
City.
As soon as the passengers on train |
were notified that robbers were attack |
ing the train they hurriedly sccreted |
their valuables and stood about the
cars terror stricken.
The wounded bandit was threatened |
with lynching unless he made a full
Jones is Catholic and |
priest was introduced and Jones then
gave the names of the members OF the
gang as ODwyer and Harding. lie
also implicated Il man by the name of
Martin, from DuQuoin, whom he claimed
was not with the gang at the time of
The robbery.
O'Dwyer's home is in this city and
his house was Immediately surrounded
md his surrender demanded. His
mother denied admission TO the search.
ng party and they kept guard over the
house until daylight, when UDwyer
gave himself up and is now in jail with
Jones.
One of the escaped men was badly
by a shot from the hunters
run fred into the car where Conductor
)dum was accidentally shot O'Dwyer