The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-26
TRAIN ROBBERS FOILED
They Held Up a Train Contain
ing a Posse of Police.
TWO KILLED, THE REST CAPTURED

Railroad omcinis Learned of Proposed
Raid and Prepared n Dummy Train.
Desperate Battle in tho Express Car.
None of the oGccrs Injured.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, Sept. 26-Train robbers
attempted to hold up what they supposed
was regular Council Bluffs passenger
train, at Francis, just outside of this city.
in the fight that followed two of the ban
dts were killed and three were captured.
The dead are Frederick Kohler and Hugo
Engel Those captured are N. A. Hurst,
Charles Frederick and William Carver.
Henry Gleitze, the other robber, escaped,
but was captured soon afterward.
The bandits had selected train No 8, but
railroad officials learned of the intended
robbery and notified the police An exact
duplicate of No. was prepared, and six
teen police, under command of the Chief,
were put aboard
When the train reached a point two
miles north of st. Joseph, man on tho
track ahead siGnaled the train to stop
The engineer obeyed. and six masked men
surrounded the engine.
One Of the robbers boarded the engine
and covered the engineer and fireman with
revolver in each hand The other five
ran to the express car and ordered the
messenger TO open the door, which he did
Three of the robbers jumped aboard, leav-
Ing two outside as guards. The police
were massed in the express car, and Or
uered the three robbers to surrender as
soon as they entered
The bandits, although surprised, opened
fire at once. The police replied, and a
tusillade followed. Twenty-Five shots were
fred during the fight, and when it ended
kohler and Engel lay shot through tho
head. Kohler was instantly killed, but
Engel lived until he reached here. Fred
srick was uninjured and was arrested
None of the police were injured.
During the fight another detachment of
police captured the two guards left out
side, but the bandit on the engine, Gleitze,
hearing the firing, realized the situation
and temporarily escaped.
A remarkable feature of the fight was
the escape of the officers from injury, each
bandit having two revolvers which were
hrcd freely.
The robbers were residents of st. Joseph,
and desperate men. They formed a plan
last week to rob the Omaha express Fri
day night at Rays Branch, mile above
the city. They got trains mixed up, and
the attempt was abandoned. Hurst, one
The officials that another attempt would
be made
The bandits had two sticks q dynamite,
10 each Of which was attached fuse about
three fe,t long.
1t was known that the robbers had the
explosive, but the police decided it would
be dangerous to force the robbers to use
u, and the messenger quickly opened the
express car door when ordered to do so.
The robbers endeavorcd to force the en-
kineer and fireman to explode the dyna-
tntfe, but they refused.
Fred koehler was only 10 years old, but
be was a hardened and desperate boy. He
bad been employed on the daily papers oil
Bi. Joseph as IL carrier for two or three
years. lie was discharged from the ser.
vice of "A paper last winter because of his
uuarrelsome and surly manner. After his
discharge he came to the Office and was
put out Cf tho carriers room by John
Clark, the superintendent. He drew re-
volvcr and threat cned TO shoot Clark, and
has since Threatened TO kill him. He had
fesrhrfy stolen three horses. He had been
married but few days. .
Hugo Engel was the son Of widow
who recently married Henry Gleitze, pro
prietor OF hotel He wns known as
"Plug" Engel and was considered to be
generally tough. but 1t was not believed
tbat he had nerve enough to attempt n
fob of train robbing. lie was about O.
years old ......
Henry Gleitzc, who escaped, but was
afterwards captured, is an cx convict He
was convicted FER highway robbery about
three years ago and was sent TO tho peni
tentary for two years. lie has been out OF
prison about year. lie is known to be a
dangerous man and ambitions to engage
In more dangerous crimes than highway
Robbery. It is believed that he was the
leader of the gang, although he did moi
plan tho robbery. When captured his
pockets were full of ammunition, and
three fingers Of his left aand were shot off
BE denies that he took any part in the at.
teinpted robbery. but the police arc con.
ndent they have tho right man.