The times., 1893-09-29
NOT ONE ESCAPED.
TWO TRAIN ROBBERS KILLED AND
FOUR NOW IN JAIL.

A Dummy Train, Filled With Policemen,
Sent Down the Line-Fierce Battle BE-
tween the Omcers and Bandits In
the Express Car.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, Sept. GA bold
attempt at train robbery was cleverly
frustrated here just after midnight
Monday morning. AS result two
wouldbe train robbers are dead and
four are behind the bars in Jail. Of
six men who attempted the robbery
not one escaped.
The robbers who were killed are Fred
Kohler and Hugo Engel. The men
captured are N. A. Hurst, Henry Gar
yer, Charles Fredericks and John
Gleitz. The train which the bandits
had attempted to rob was pas senger
train No. on the Kansas City, st.
Joseph and Council Bluffs railroad,
which left Kansas City at 9:05 p. m.
Sunday night, and which arrived here
at 1880 Monday morning. The Of
ficials of the road had been notified
that the robbery of the road had been
planned and they notified the police.
When the train arrived here dummy
train was made up and 16 police officers
under command of the chief of police
were put aboard. In order to thorough
ly deceive the robbers, the train was
made an exact duplicate of train No.
and consisted of an engine and tender,
an express and baggagecar and the
usual coaches and Pullmans. When
the decoys reached a point two miles
north of st. Joseph the engineers at
tention was arrested by lighted
lantern moving two and fro between
the rails. He Obeyed the signal and
soon six masked men surrounded the
engine.
One of the bandits mounted the train
and presented one revolver at the head
OF the engineer, another at the fire
mans, keeping them in subjection
while the other five men fastened to
rob the express car. They ordered the
messenger to open the door, which he
did forthwith. Three bandits entered
the car, leaving two without to guard.
The policemen who were guarding the
train were distributed in the various
cars, the majority of them being coh-
cealed in the express car.
Immediately the three bandits who
had undertaken the work of robbing
the car entered the door the police
within ordered them to surrender. The
robbers were taken completely by sur
prise, but they opened fire at once. The
| police returned the fire and general
| fusillade followed. About 20 shots were
| fired on both sides. When the smoke
| cleared away. the lifeless bodies of
Kohler and Engel 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. Engel was still breathing, but
he died shortly after. Fredericks, the
| third robber engaged in the fight, was
not injured and was placed under ar
rest
While the fight was going on in the
car those of the police not engaged in
it were looking after the two robbers
| who had been left outside to keep
watch. The police quickly took them
in and placed them under arrest.
The bandit who had been detailed to
guard the engineer and fireman quick
| ly realized the situation when he heard
the battle going on in the express Car,
and promptly made his escape, but was
later captured by detail of officers.
A remarkable feature of the fight in
the express car was the escape of all
| the officers from injury. The three
| robbers in the car were each armed
with brace of revolvers and used
them freely, but still they did no
damage.
The bodies of Kohler and Engel were
brought here ON the dummy train,
which returned to the city soon after
the encounter. They were taken to an
undertaken. The prisoners, Fredericks,
Hurst, Gleitz and Carver were brought
on the same train with their dead COM
rades, and were locked up at the police
station. All the robbers lived here.
The robbers formed plot last week
to hold up and rob the Omaha express
at Roy's Ranch, one mile above this
city. Friday night was set for the
robbery but owing to the fact that the
robbers got trains mixed up the train
of that day escaped. Sunday the Of
ficials of the railroad com pany were
notified by Hurst. who turned traitor,
that another attempt would be made
at o'clock Monday morning at the same
place.
The coaches were riddled with bul :
lets and all of the windows were shot
out. Kohl married a most estimable
young lady three weeks ago.
RESUMlNG WORK.