The Daily Texarkanian., 1894-09-19
A DISASTROUS ATTEMPT.
Would be Train Robbers Meet a Terri
bly, Warm Reception in
Missouri

The details OF an attempted, but
wholly unsuccessful, effort at train
robbery, are contained in the fol
lowing dispatch from Gorin, Mo, +,
under date of Sept. IS;
The Colorado and Utah Express
on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe, was held up by robbers at $3.50
a. m, today. Owing to the fact
that the railroad and express Off
cials had spy on the trail of the
bandits when they stopped the
train, they met a hale of buckshot
and bullets, and it is said at least
two lie dead in the surrounding
woods, while as many others rode
for their rendezvous, twenty-one
miles away, filled with2 leaden pei
let's, They were novices in the art
of express robbery and brutal ones
at that for they shot dad" Pres
cott, the engineer, before they ever
gave him a chance to hold up his
hands. His wound, it is believed,
will not prove fatal.
The raid was planned three weeks
ago but was not put into execution
until this morning. When the
train left Chicago at 5 o'clock last
evening, railroad and express de-
tectives, all walking arsenals climb
ed on at every station. Chief De-
tective ]. ]. Kenny, of the Santa
Fe, with G. G. Montgomery, his
right hand man, boarded it at Jo-
let. At Streator, they we're joined
by two more men, who have been
patrolling the line for twenty days,
James Thomas, who has been act
ing the spy for the past two weeks,
and getting the news of their plans,
put in an appearance at Galesburg.
He brough news that the would-be
robbers met early in the day and
decided to leave their hiding place,
near Memphis, Mo-, at $50 o'clock
last night and make their attempt
to get rich at the expense Of the
express company, They expected
to make a haul of at least $50, 900,
the Monday run being always much
heavier than any other day of the
week.
The spot selected by the bandits
was a most suitable one for the
dark and desperate deed they had
planned. The road at that point is
lined by heavy underground of
timber on either side. The train,
which had armed and expectant
men at every window, was brought
to a Gtand-still, just at the mouth
of a deep cut, by a torpedo signal.
A moment later the shadowy
outlines of four forms could be seen
advancing from a dense thicket just
north of the spot AS the bandits
came out of the gloom it was seen
that they were heavily armed and
their faces covered by black masks.
The officers were waiting for them
to make the first break, 50 as to
take the entire gang red handed.
They were not prepared, however,
for what followed. One Of the more
blood thirsty wretches advanced on
the engine some distance in advance
of his confederates. He carried a
rifle, and when within ten feet Of
the tender brought it to his shoul-
der, pointed at dad" Prescott, the
white-bearded engineer, and he
shouted "Hold up your hands,
pulled the trigger His aim was
true and dad" fell to the floor of
his cab with a bullet in his right
breast,
This proved the signal for the
fray, and was followed almost in
stantly by a perfect tusllade of bull
let's from the ambushed officers,
fred point blank at the astounded
bandits, How single member OF
the band escaped is little less than
marvellous. As it was not one OF
the four was killed on the spot, One
of them even managed to reach the
horses, 100 yards away, mount ant
make his escape, The other three
are in the surrounding forest, it is
supposed, badly wounded, If not
dead. No search for these could
be made before daylight. A possee
of twelve officers are in pursuit Of
the remaining bandit, following him
on horseback. The capture Of the
surviving members of the gang h
regarded as certain, and only I.
matter of brief time The robbers
of course, succeeded in getting
nothing in the shape of valuables,
and no damage other than the
wounding of Engineer Prescott,
WHO, it is thought, will recover Il