The herald., 1893-10-01
cENTRAL!A TRAIN ROBBERS.
The Third Member of the
Gang Caught.
Fearing Lynching, He Makes Full
Confession.
The rhrcs Bandits All Safely Landed
In the Jail at Salem, Illinois.
che Kendnilsville Train
Robbers Jailed.
py tho Associated Press.

BY tho Associated Press.
CENrRALIA, ILL.,, Sept. 30.-Hardin,
the last of the Centralia gang of train
sobbers, who was captured last night in
Cincinnati, was taken from Detective
Smith at Odin this afternoon by Sheriff
Helm, on state warrant, while being
conveyed to st. Louis on an Ohio and
Mississippi train. The detective was
unwilling to surrender the prisoner, but
had no paper on which to hold him,
and he was conveyed to Salem Jail,
where his pals, Jones and O'Dwyer, are
confined. While the officers were dis
putting over the possession OF the pris-
oner, some one repeated in the hearing
OF Hardin that the news of his detention
in Odin had been telegraphed to Gen.
sraiis, and that 800 railroad men were
onroute to Odin on special train to
lynch him. This completely unnerved
the bandit and he begged the officers to
hurry him of to Jail. He then made a
fs II confession of the robbery.
"rhere we're three of us implicated
Jones, O'Dwyer and myself" he said.
The robbery was planned at 1913 Cho-
teau avenue, st. Louis, over three
months ago. Jones was too drunk to
play his part we'll. He held UP the en-
gneer and fireman before O'Dwyer and
were ready to attack the car, and our
plans were thrown into confusion.
When we entered the car l found my
self in the grasp of Baggage-man Arm
strong. l saw man coming into the
car with gun and supposed we had
that unnrnnnt MI
sole object was to get out OF the car. l
endeavored to keep Armstrong between
myself and the shotgun, and did 30 sue
ceesfully until impuleively reached for
the bell cord 10 stop the train. 1t was
then Saunders shot me in the arm. The
shooting filled the car full of smoke,
and I managed to jump out of the east
door. O'Dwyer was few feet ahead OF
me. We both landed outside about the
came time.
"We ran east until we reached
O'Dwyer's house, where we stopped. l
passed on in circuitous route until l
returned to the Illinois Central track
nearly o mile from where we held mp
the train. My arm panied me fearfully
and crawled into culvert and lay
down. While lay there wild engine
bound for st. Louis on the Air Line
pulled up to the depot and stopped.
While the engineer and firemen were in
the telegraph Office, I crawled out and
secreted myself on the engine ON which
/ rode into st. Louis. weEt directly to
Mrs. Ksys, about O'Clock on the morn
ing alter the robbery. l kept myself
tecreted during the day in the vicinity
CT the Relay depot in East st. Louis,
and at 7 p. m. September 21st boarded
an Ohio and Mississippi train and
rode to Cincinnati. No one on the train
suspected me. I have friends in Gin
cinnati and / went direct to the city
hospital, after resting up little, and
had my arm dressed. registered under
the name of Kay. I had been reading
The papers regularly and had supposed
the detectives were searching for me in
Missouri and Indiana. 1t was this that
caused me to be off my guard and was
arrested. think it was the description
OF my wound given to the press by the
st. Louis woman that caused the city
hospital authorities to identify me and
give me away"
The bandits arm is by no means in q
bad condition, and he can use it freely.
Hardin told the officers he left Colts
revolver in the culvert where he rested
the night of the hold-up, and they could
get the weapon.