The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-26
TRAIN ROBBERS TRAPPED.
They Hold Up a Dummy Train Filled
With Police.

Two of the Bandits Killed in the Fusil-
lade That Followed-Three others
Taken Prisoners and Sixth Es-
capes-None of the Police Wounded.
The Officials of the Road Warned of
the Contemplated Raid.
St. Joseph, Mo-, Sept. 25.-The Kansas
City, st. Joe and Council Bluff road has
| just foiled an attempt to rob one Of its
passenger trains, killed two of the ban
dts and captured three others at Fran
els, one and one-half miles from this city.
The officials of the road had been notified
that the robbery had been planned and
notified the police. When the train ar
rived here a dummy train was made up
and sixteen police officers under command
of the chief of police were put aboard.
WALKED INTO THE TRAP.
When the dummy reached a point two
miles north of St. Joseph, it was stopped
| by six masked men. One mounted the
| engine, presented revolver at the engin-
| eer's head, and another at the fireman, and
| held them in SubiectiOn, while the other
| five men hurried to rob the express car.
| They ordered the messenger to open the
| door, which he did Three bandits en-
tered the car, leaving two to keep guard
| The police secreted in the car, ordered
| the three men to surrender.
A FUsILLADE.
The robbers were taken by surprise.
but opened fire on the police. The police
returned the fire, and general fusillade
| followed. Two of the robbers, Hugo
| Engel and Fred Kohler, were shot in the
| head and killed. Three robbers. Charles
| Frederic, N. A. Hurst and William
| Carver were captured. The sixth man,
| Henry G. Leitz, escaped, but was cap
tured here this morning. None of the
police were injured.
A DESPERATE GANG.
The robbers were with two exceptions
| desperate men. They formed a plot
| last week to hold up and rob the Omaha
| express at Roy's Branch 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. Yesterday the Off
| cials of the railroad company were noti-
! fed by Hurst, who turned traitor, that
| another attempt would be made at
l o'clock this morning at the same place.
| The officials quietly sidetracked the
| regular train and with a train made up
like the regular, the two rear coaches
| darkened to aid in the deception, started
| for the place. IN the baggage car were 15
armed police, commanded by Chief
Broder, Sheriff Carson and four deputies,
| all heavily armed. General Manager
Brown and Superintendent Hoyt were
| also in the party. At the place stated by
| Hurst. red light brought the train to a
| stop and Glettze and Kohler jumped on
the engine, and with pistols at the heads
| of Engineer Wright and Fireman Wise,
| ordered them to take dynamite and blow
| open the express car door under pain of
death. On refusal the two bandits
asked the messenger to open the door,
but he refused, and Kohler shouted :
''Open, or Wen blow you all to hell" At
this the door was opened and Kohler and
Gleitze jumped in and made for the safe.
CARELESS OFFICER.
AS they did so an officer carelessly ex-
posed his head. Kohler took shot at
him and with his companions sprang
from the train. A volley followed them
and Kohler fell. A general fire was then
opened, the robbers standing their ground
until Engle fell. The police made rush
and captured Frederichs, Carver and
Hurst, who were lodged in jail. Kohler's
body was pierced by forth-three bullets
yet while he lay on the ground, he man
aged to fire four shots before he died
Engle was struck by fourteen bullets and
yet lived short time. The coaches were
riddled with bullets and all of the win
dows shot out. The officers escaped
unharmed.
Kohler married most estimable young
lady three weeks ago. The bandits had
two sticks of dynamite, to each of which
was attached fusue about three feet
long. It was known to the officers on the
bogus train that dynamite might be used,
and it was at first proposed to let the
robbers explode some of it before firing
on them. Before leaving St. Joseph, how
ever, Chief Broder decided it would be
a dangerous risk, and instructed the bo-
gus messenger to open the door before
the robbers had chance to explode the
stuff. Chief Broder said there was enough
dynamite to blow the car into splnters.
The bodies of the Two dead bandits and
the three captured men were placed on
the train which they had attacked. The
train then returned to the Francis street
depot at 12:35 o'clock, and the regular
train went on its way The passengers
did not know what had happened. 1t was
quick work, and the train bearing the
officers was backed at the Francis street
depot in just forty-five minutes from the
time it left.