Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-09-18
ROBBERS CAUGHT.
Five Farmers in Northern Missouri
Plan to Rob an A., L. u ). f.
Express Train.
Well Laid Plans Divulged and Tragic
Scenes Follow-Twe OF Them
in Jail.

CORN, Mo-, sept. lo.-Ine Colorauo
and Utah express on the Santa Fe rail-
road was held up by robbers at $3.50 a.
m. to-day. As the railroad and express
officials had a 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 are dead in the
woods, while the others rode
away to the rendezvous twenty-one
miles away, filled with bullets. They
shot Dad Prescott, the engineer, before
they had even s '-sn him chance to hold
up his hands. hr. wound, it is believed,
will not prove fatal.
!, Afs1r the train left Chicago at o'clock
last evening, the railroad and express de-
tectives,
ALL HEAVILY ARMED,
climbed on at every station. j. A.
Mathews, who has been acting as spy for
two weeks, boarded the train at Gales
burg. He brought news that the rob-
bers had decided to leave their hiding
place near Memphis at $3.50 o'clock last
night and to make third attempt to get
rich at the expense of the express COM
pany. They expected to make haul of
at least $4,000. At Fort Madison, Ia,
Division Superintendent Stockton of the
Wells Fargo express got into the treasure
car. He carried Winchester that once
BELONGED TO BILL DALTON,
and with him were four men. Two Santa
Fe detectives. Kinney and Montgomery
boarded the engine and Superintendent
Stockton and two good shots tarried in
the express car. In the forward end oi
the smoking car a dozen men were
placed. At 2 o'clock, when Sheriff Sailing
of Scotland county, climbed on board, al
the details Of the surprise party had beer
arranged.
THERE WAS A SPY
who had to be protected; for, according
to the report brought in by Mathews, the
spy would endeavor to be the one who
tagged the train. If so, one torpedo
would precede the swinging of lantern
Orders were given that no matter if every
robber got away there was to be nc
shooting to endanger the life of a mar
who had taken his life in his hands te
frustrate the attempted robbery. In the
little compartment
FILLED WITH ARMED MEN
the lights were out, the windows up, ant
in each seat were two men sitting side
WAYS. The muzzles of their guns pro
truded Just over the stills and beside them
stood others with Winchesters at half
cock resting across their arms. Out
from between two high embankments
Just one mile from Gorin sped the train
Then came the crack Of the longed-fol
signal and across the tracks not fift!
yards away
B. SWUNG RED LIGHT.
Within twenty seconds the train was at
stand still. Out from the dense under
growth came four forms, the face of eacl
being hidden by black mask. ON
! rushed to the engine almost before nj
companions could reach the express car
and when within ten feet of the tender h
pointed his rifle at Dad Prescott, tn
white bearded engineer, and as h
shouted
"HoLD UP YOUR HANDS,"
! he pulled the trigger. Dad fell to tn
floor of the cab with bullet in his righ
breast. With one bound Kinney game
the top of the tender and sent shove
of shot almost into the face of th
masked individual. How the fellow eve
managed to move six inches is myster!
but he did so and made for the wood
The shot which laid Engineer Prescott
low was the
SIGNAL FOR FUs1LADE
and also for the hasty retreat of the rot
bers to the timber. They fired two shot
but, although the men we're leaning frol
the car windows and pulling the trigger
as fast of possible, while the others wei
given a chase they failed to hit maj
The place where the horses were tied Wa
soon found and the fact that the hitchin
straps were cut, showed that one man {
least had life enough to escape. Scare
for the dead and wounded was postpone
until morning, but chase after the one G
more who had escaped WAS started witt
in ten minutes. 1t is not likely tn
passengers will ever forget their exper
ence. With the first shot, every ma
near window opened it and looked ou
but within second he drew his head
and
DROPPED ON THE FLOOR.
The cry, "Train robbers" went throug
the train and the women, with scream
went down on their knees. When ii
train reached Gofin, Engineer Presco
was removed to house and DR.. Cruil
| ahank n Santa EA nhvsician living