New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-19
ROBBERS NEATLY TRAPPED.
AN ATTEMPT TO HOLD UP A SANTA FE
TRAIN RESULTS DISASTROUSLY.
THE HIGHwAYMEN WOUND THE ENGINEER
But ARE BEATEN OFF FL voILEY FROM
WINCHESTER RIFLEs-cAPTuRE

OF THE CRIMINALS.

Fort Madison. Iowa. Sept. ls.-Two masked |
men attempted to hold up train No. ;. the Utah |
and Colorado Express on the Atchison Topeka /
and Santa Fe road near CORN, Mo. seventy-flve |
miles west OF here. at o'clock this morning. /
AS result. pad" Prescott. the engineer Of the !
train is seriously wounded and the bandits are |
in custody.
The attempt to rob the train failed completely |
The plot was formed three weeks ago and the |
railroad anl express officials have had spy In |
the camp Of the bandits ever since. From the |
time the train left Chicago. at > o'clock last
evening railroad and express detectives all walk
ing arsonals climbed on at every station Chief |
Detective J. j. kenncy. of the santa Fee. with g.
g. Montgomery. his right hand man. boarded IL
at Joliet. Al Strcator they We're joined ny TWO
more men. who have been patroing the line FOR
twenty DAYS. j. y. Mathews. VINO has been act
ing the spy for the last two weeks. appeared az
Galosburg lie brought good news. The would
lie robbers met early In the d~ and decided 70
leave their hiding place. near Memphis, NO. AT
$50 O'Clock last night. and make thelr third at
tempt 10 get rich at the expense Of the com
pany. They expected t. max naul oi az r LraS1
| $4,000 the Monday run being ALWAYS much
| heavier than any other day Of the week.
PREPARING To RECEIVE THE OUTLAWS
When the train reached this place. shortly
after midnight Division Superintendent Stock
| ton. Of the Wells Fargo Express Company got
| into the treasure car. lie carried Sa"ed-oH
| Winchester rifle with him were iour mn.
| Their arms We're I'm the ana hov" bocn ipr
| several days. Then ulcil oi war WAS hrlu
| ard a plan ~ campaign was adopted. Superih-
| tcnlent stockton and two of his good shots tar
| r!ed in the express ear But II was N me '"'-
| ward end of the smoking car the forces were
| maased 4 partition and door inclos'd nan
dozen seats ard shut off the i"st oi me ear ii",
| H. There dozen men were placed Eacn naa
| one of the "sawed-ofIs.' every cartridge load""
| especially for the occasion .'th two dozen buck-
| shot There was only one passenger in that
h.4 r.I1l u
| brakeman t. take a seat in the chair ear as
| "thcy we're going Ia sweep" Pullman car con-
| duc,ors and porters sought places 81 saIety anu
he tranmen did not expose themselves uhheces-
! sarily
Ton minutes before the time set for the cur
| tain 10 rise tho little compartment III the oas-
| raga car was nilcd with armed men. Tn" lghts
| werc ont. the windows were up. In earh sea-
| were two mon sitting sideways. inc muz]i'S o'
| heir guns protrud.ng just tr.he ov"r the Sl!ls
| behind them stood others. with Ninchest'rS a'
| haif-rock resting across their arms. out rom
| between two high cmbankmenis. Just one milo
| from CORN. sped the .sain. Then came th'
rack II - railway torpedo. moment ana
| shriu sharp whistle gave token that the "ngi-
| ncer had heard. and almost before MS hand
| loft tho valve. across tho track. not hity yards
awav swung a rcd Hight. Within twenty seconds
from the explosion II the torpedo the lta!n was
| ~ a stardsiill
SHOT DOWN THE ENGINEER
From rhe dense underground nor,h ~ the
track came two mon The face of each was
hidden by a black mask one. more agile thah
the other rushed to the engine almost before his
companion could roach the express car. c hc
carried rifle and when within ten feet OF me
,cnder brought II To- his shoulder, pointed 1t a,
Dad Prescott. the whtc-bearded enrin"ei. ara
| as h. shouted. Fol up your hands" pulled IN"
Trigger II's aim was true and pad" fell -
~" noor of his cab with bullet In ms fsh'
breast WIKI one bou'd I'rteeiNe h"nhey
gained IA. top ~ the tender and. bring
ing his gun - h- shoulder sent shower Of sn''
almost into the fac IL the masked rohher How
he fellow oyer managed {" move SIX lhch"S j. 4
mystery i,ui he sprHug from the engine ana
mad. for IA. woods The -h Z which laid En-
,:ln.~r Prescott l,w was tn" signal for fusillade
md ,os .rh cd and r.-"ch0el from bank 20 bank
and through the woods II was ais the signal
rl~ a hastv retreat t. IN" shelter OF lumber on
ne part ~ the greatly surprised men. who's"
Textures were hidden hy masks. N'i u%ntli % % 'hIy
roachcl timber did they ansN =; mon th"y "'';
nred TWO shots Bur their aim was not good
and although rn"r wor" leaning from the ear
windows aul pulling triggers as fast as possible
while others had jumped Z" earih and "er" aft"r
| them on foot they failed 20 hit man
According 20 programme. their horses wrr"
| hiichel not over 100 wards away. When IN"
| posse from the train reached the spot th"y saw
| one animal a gray. galloping north. we'll
| directed shot brought II low. but ther" was no
| rider on his back. The place where the ho'
wrre tiod was soon found and the cut hitching
| straps showed tina; on" man. a. least had Ire
| enough left To- make his escape Sheriff SAILING.
| OF scotland County. Missouri. who was one or
| the party Ia III" hageage-car TOOK me saddle'
| blanket and bride from the dead gray.
when the train reached CORN. Engineer Pres
| colt WAS removed - a private house. and Dr.
| cru,chshonk n physician of santa Fe. New
Mexico who on IN" train. attended To- his
injuries Fireman McGraw took the train West
| 4 pack OF blOldhounds was IN readiness upon the
| arrival Of the train at CORN. ana with these
the officers began the pursuit II the robbers
II l. not likely the passengers In the rear end
~ the smoker. those whr were doIing n the
| chalr car and a half dozen or so s"cpless ones
in the scepers. will ever forget the experience.
With the first shot. every man near WINDOW
he. 10
| 1rew his head m. And when tho voleying De-
gan he had not time to close the window but
lust dropped fla, the floor Of the car Then
| The cry Of Train robbers went through the
train and women went down on their knees.
lifted their hands and screamed vigorously ana
persistendy. -,
The disastrous attempt OF the bandits 10 hold
up the train was the result Of a we-consid"red
plan which would probably have proved sue
cessful had IL not been for the betrayal ol IN,
. plot by Matthews. Twice before the bandits had
lef, their hiding places. twenty-one miles away.
and started for the spot selected for tnelr dce
Of violence. Each time coPous ran 9L ram am
baked them. as they feared being tracked IN the
mud This morning the performance came Oh
r according to programme. ana the result VIII DE
most Giscouragng to the traln-ropDhs H'Uus'H
In the West
/, Keokuk. Iowa. Sept ls.--After the failure of
the would-bc robbers and their hurried escape
/ Sheriff Sailing. together with his posse. and
r. the railroad and express officials and ohcers'
secured teams and started for the section oil
, | the country from whence the bandits haiied
. | The persons who undertook the Jop were
, Charles Abrams and Lincoln Oyerheld hVihs
4 | about eight miles northeast of Memphis MO
There were others In the plot. but II appears
| they weakened AT the last moment. When the
( sheriff and posse reached Abramss nome they
= found him secrcted behind dresser. ana thousn
4 | dangerously wounded, he was inclined 10 sioW
= | fight The officers had the drop on MIN, now,
ever so he surrendered and was landed III jail
| at
e -'b. nosse then vent To the farm Of Mrs. ID
4 | Tull and surrounded the premises Here over
j. | field who was also inclined 10 make reals'al.'
h | and who denied having been absent from tnt
/ | nlace las; night was taken. MIS-. IulI anc
, | dauehters also made a like claim In his Dehai
but his horse was found badly )aded ana sun