The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1894-09-20
HAD A HOT RECEPTION
Missouri Ysain Robbers Net With q
Fusilade From Many VIM
chesters.
THEIR PLANS WERE KNOWN
And the Train Was Loaded With
Armed Guards---TwO of the
"@% Bandits Caught.

Armed Guards---TWO of the
"@ Bandits Caught.
GoR1Na, Mo-, Sept. 19.-The Colorado
and Utah express on the Santa Fe was
held up by robbers at $3.50 a. m. Owing
to the fact that the railroad and express
officials had spy ON the trail OF the
bandits when they stopped the train
they met hail of buckshot and bullets,
and it is said that at least two lie dead
in the surrounding woods, while as
many others rode for their rendezvous,
81 miles away, filed with leaden pellets.
They were novices in the art of train
robbery, and brutal ones at that, for
they shot "Dad'' Prescott, the engineer,
before they even gave him chance to
hold up his hands. His wounds, it is
believed, will not prove fatal. The raid
was planned three weeks ago, but not
put into execution.
Walking Arsenals Aboard.
When the train left Chicago at p.
M, railroad and express detectives, all
walking arsenals, climbed on at every
station. Chief Detective J. J. Kenny of
the Santa Fe, with c. G. Montgomery
his right hand man, boarded it at
Joliet. At Streator, they were joined
by two more men, who have been
patrolling the line for 20 days. J. A.
Matthews, who has been acting the spy
for the last two weeks and getting the
news of their plans, put in an appear
ance at Galesburg. he brought news
that the would-be robbers met early In
the day and decided to leave their hid
ing place near Memphis, at $50 in the
evening, and make their third attempt
to get rich at the expense of the express
company. They expected to
Make Haul of at Least $4,000.
the Monday run being always much
heavier than any other day of the week.
When the train reached Fort Madison,
Ia, shortly after midnight. Division
Superintendent Stockton of the Wells
Fargo Express company got into the
treasure car. He carried sawed off
Winchester with history. 1t be-
longed to Bill Dalton, and it was to be
poetic justice to turn it loose upon fol-
lowers in the footsteps of the Kansas
desperate. With him were four men.
Their guns were in the car and had
been for several days.
The Plan of CampaiRn.
The plan adopted was this: Detect
ives Kinney and Montgomery boarded
the engine. Superintendent Stockton
and two of his good shots tarried in the
express car. But it was in the forward
end of the smoking car that the forces
were massed. A partition and door in
closes half dozen seats and shuts off
the rest of the car from it.
There the men, dozen Of them, were
planted. Each one had one Of the sawed
off guns, every cartridge being loaded
especially for the event with two dozen
buckshot, by Superintendent Stockton.
At 2 O'Clock, when Sheriff Sailing of
Scotland county came aboard, all de-
tails. of the surprise party were ar
ranged.
The Longed For Signal Came.
Out from between two high embank-
ments, just mile from Goring sped
the train. One minute more and the
anxious watchers would know whether
they had again labored in vain.
Then came the crack of the looked
and longed-for signal. A moment and
a shrill, sharp whistle gave token that
the engineer had heard, and almost be-
fore his hand had left the valve, across
the tracks not fifty yards away swung
red light A grinding of wheels along
the rails told the air had been applied,
and within 20 seconds from the explo-
sion of the torpedo the train was at
standstiu. Out from the dense under.
growth north Of the track came four
forms. The face of each was hidden by
q black mask. One, more agile than
the rest, rushed to the engine almost
before his companions could reach the
express car. He carried rife and
when within 10 feet of the tender,
pointed it at ''Dad'' Prescott, the white.
bearded engineer, and as he shouted
"Hold up your hands," he pulled the
trigger.
His aim was true and dad" fell to
the floor of his cab with bullet in his
right breast.
Swift Retribution.
With one bound, Kinney gained the
top of the tender, and bringing his gun
to his shoulder, sent shower of shot
almost in the face of the masked indi-
vidual. How on earth the fellow ever
to move six inches is mys-
terry. But he did and made for the
woods.
The shot which laid Engineer Pres
colt low was the signal for fusillade,
and was echoed and re-echoed from
bank to bank, and through the woods.
It was also the signal for hasty re-
treat to the shelter of the timber Of the
part of the greatly surprised individuals
whose faces were hidden by masks.
Not until they reached timber did
they answer; then they only fred two
shots. But their aim was not good,
and although men were leaning from