The herald., 1894-09-19


attack would have been made, for, in
addition to the regular prize carried in
the express car on the train, was big
bundle OF money to be used by the
Santa Fe in settling with some en-
ployees for August. At least that is the
information ON which the robbers were
acting. But the rain came down toe
early and with too much vigor even to
permit a start.
Detective Kinney was badly cha
Rrinne6 man when the train passed the
point at which. according to pro-
gramme, it should have been tagged.
He WAS on the engine. clad in a euit OF
blue Jumper. and looked for all the
world like an apprentice to the art OF
askillfully constructed dugcus in the
hesping tender full of COAL was another
OF his good men. who had put six bullets
into as many telegraph poles while rid
ing past them as fast as a pony could
take him. Inside the express car, be-
hind an innocent pile of trunks, egg
cases and bundles OF merchandise, which
were in reality barricades of cotton,
were seven men with Winchesters and
. couple OF big colts.
Mighty handy in tight place." as
Kinney put it.
The cunning of the hold-up craftsmen
was shown in the selection OF this spot
for turning the little trick" as the
robbery was, professionally designated.
For 10 miles there is 10 night telegraph
station until La Plata is reached, and
there is no stop there. Once ia a while
the train takes water at Gorin, but
there is nothing there except the tank.
Not within the memory of the Oldest
man on the road has halt been made
at Barring, but at Hurdland, which ia
Just 10 miles west of the last named
station. is q switch into which the train
runs every morning and waits for the
east-bound express to pass. Both are
due there at the same time, and almost
invariably they are on time. But if the
west-bound should not put in an sp-
pearance, the east-bound would have to
camp there until it came along, for
there il no means of finding out what
the trouble is without running back to
La Plata. The men who planned the
robbery, figured that they had the train
and its treasure in pocket and would
have all the time necessary, not only to
rife the express car, but to relieve the
passengers of their valusbles.
1t ie evident that they also made
careful study OF the topography of the |
country, for 1000 feet before the spot |
at which the red light was swung across |
the rails the road winds on a reverse
curve through cut, with embankments |
from 10 to 40 feet high. Then comes q
little hill, followed by stretch OF track |
almost on q level with the surrounding |
country. On either side of the right of |
40 NJ ofo nd s1lr
ory. not to mention an underground al |
most as bad as that of the Northern
Michigan pine forests. But the forest,
though apparently thick and impene-
trsble, is only go for quarter of a mile
from the track. Beyond that the coun-
try stretches practically clear and is
easily trRversed almost to the Iowa line.
1t was in the middle of the timber the
horses were hidden, good strong limbed
animals. and it was the calculation that
after the nights business had been &C.
compishsd. two hours hard riding
would put every man safe from pursuit
and that. too, soon after the day dawned.
There are no telegraph lines up in the
country where the gang has been in hid
ing, and it was thought newa of the
hoid-up would not penetrate to that
region until alter the participants IN the |
affair had time to cover their tracks.
1t ia nearly three weeks since the
Santa Fe and the Wells-Fargo officials
received the tip thst the raid was con-
templated. Since then the express car,
whether inhabited by Detective KIM
ney's men or not. has been q regular
arsenal Every night at least half
dozen secret service men have climbed
aboard at different points along the line
east of Fort Madison, and scattered
themselves in the day, reclining in
chair and smoking cars. Soon after that
point was reached they worked forward
into the smoker-not 8 man exchanging
Q word with another, all total strangers
as far as outward Appearances went
and before CORN was passed half Of
them had disappear ed into the express
car. This was merely precautionary. |
hours' notice of the two premeditated |
raids, spoiled by rain, and then the full
force was on hand. But the railroad |
and express people were taking no !
chances. When the danger point had |
been passed the men would drop off at |
different stations, working back east |
along the road in the daytime and re-
peating the operation the next night.
Train No. 5 Of the Santa Fe lie what is
known as the Colorado and Utah lin
tied. It leaves Chicago daily at p. M,
and il due to arrive in Kansas City the
next morning. The Santa Fe runs al
most due southwest between Chicago
and Kansas City, crosses the Mississippi
river at Fort Madison and enters the
state of Missouri $50 miles distant from
Chicago. The road runs for some miles
through rough country, the many
small streams which have their head
waters in southeastern Iowa breaking it
mp into hills and valleys, some sections
being densely wooded. The brakes OF
the Mississippi are only few miles to
the east. This section during the civil
war was overrun with bushwhackers,
who frequently carried terror into the
little towns OF Van Buren,, Davis and
Appsnoose counties in Iowa by their
frequent raids across the border.
1t is q fitting place for bandits to do
their work, as hiding places are easy OF
access. The inhs bitants of this section,
however, are sturdy, honest, agrioul-
tural class, who have no sympathy with
crime or criminals.
PANIC-sTRICKEN PASSENGERS.
IL A