St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-09-19
THEY GET A SHOWER OF SHOT
From Detectives, Who Knew
Of the Raid Through
Spies.
THE OUTLAWS CAPTURED.
One Badly Wounded--Engin-
eer Seriously Shot in the
Hold-Up.

CORN. Mo-. Sept. 1s.-The Colorado
and Utah express on the Santa Fe was
held up by robbers at $3.50 a. Ill. today.
Owing to the fact that 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. They were novices in the art
OF tram robbery, and brutal ones at
that, for they shot ''Dad' Prescott. the
engineer. before they even gave him a
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 until
this morning.
When the train left Chicago at 5
o'clock last evening, railroad and eX-
press detectives.
All Walking Arsenals.
climbed on at every station. j. A.
Matthews, who had been acting as spy
for weeks, got on at Galesburg. He
!. brought news that the would.be rob-
/ bers met early in the day and decided
{ to leave their hiding place. near Mem
phis, at $3.50 o'clock last night, and
make their third attempt at robbery.
They expected to make haul of at
least 5000 When the train reached
Fort Madison. To-. shortly after mid
/ night. plans for the defense were made.
The plan adopted was this: Detectives
. Kinney and Montgomery boarded the
. engine. Supt. Stockton and two of his
good shots tarried in the express car.
( But it was in the forward end of the
smoking ca that the forces We're
masSed. A partition and door incioses
half dozen seats, and shuts OFF the
/ rest of the car from it. There the men,
"a dozen of then, were planted. Each
I one had one OF the sawed guns. every
cartridge being loaded especially for
the event with two dozen buckshot by
Supt. Stockton. There was only one
passenger i'll that compartment, and he
was requested by the party to take
seat in the chair car, as "they were
going to sweep"
Scotland county, climbed on board, all
! the details Of the surprise party were
arranged. There was one man, however,
who had to be looked out for and pro-
tec1ed. He was the spy. According to
the report brought i'll by Matthews, the
spy would endeavOr TO De the one who
Tagged the train. If so, one torpedo
whOuld precede the swinging of the
lantern. If another, there would be
couple of the tiny bombs
In the little compartment filled with
armed men the lights were out, the will
dows were up. In each seat we've two
cir Inn ~ O. nF
their guns prOtruding just trit1e over
the sllls. Behind them stood others,
seemingly statues,
With Winchesters at fAalf.COck
resting across their arms. They were
waiting for the torpedo.
Out from between two high embank-
ments, just mile from Gurin. sped the
tain. Then came the crack of the
looked-for signal. There was but one.
a moment and shrill, sharp whistle
gave token that the e.,glneer had
heard, and almost before his hand
left the valve, across the tracks,
not fifty yards away, swung a red
light. A grinding of the wheels along
the rails told the air had been applied,
and within twenty seconds from lne eX-
plosiOn of the torpedo the train was at
a standstill. Out from the dense under
stOWtu uol tii VI tuS tioSh SohC jOuI
FORMS The face of each was hidden by
a black mask. One rushed to the en-
gine and when within ten feet of the
tender brought his rifle to his shoulder,
pointed il at dad" Prescott, the white
bearded engineer, and, as he shouted
Hold up your hands," he pulled the
trigger. dad" fell TO the floor of his
cab. with bullet in his right breast.
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
managed to move six inches is mys-
terry, but he did aud made for the
woods.
The Fusilade Then Began
The surprised robbers beat hasty
retreat to the shelter Of the timber. Not
until they reached the timber did they
answer. Then they only fired two shots.
But their aim was not good, and al
though men were leaning from the car
windows and pulling triggers as fast as
possible, while others had jumped to
the ground and were after them Oh foot,
they failed to hit man. Their horses
were hitched not over 100 yards away.
When the posse from the train reached
tuc SpOt Ibey saw WIG auluhui, gray,
galloping north. A we'll directed shot
brought it low, but there was no rider
OH its back.
The place where the horses were tied
was soon found, and cut hitching straps
showed the haste in which the robbers
retreated.
1t is not likely the passengers in the
rear end of the smoker, those who were
doing in the chair car and half-dozen
sleepless ones In the sleepers. will ever
forget the experience. With the first
shot every man near window opened
it and looked out With the second he
drew his head in. And when the vol
leying commenced he had not time to
close the window, but just dropped fiat
down on the floor of the car.
Then the cry "Train robbers !" went
through the train. and women went
down on their knees, lifted their hands
and screamed vigorously and persist
emily. 1t was absolutely impossible to
walk through the cars without climbing
over the seats. While the excitement
was at its height the brakeman put his
head In at the door and shouted; keep
your heads down, ladies and gents.
There are train robbers outside"
In the sleeper Selma two women ran
shrleking from their berths. aud were
headed for the danger spot, when Con-
ductor Blue captured them and forcibly
prevailed OH them to 60 back to bed.
And there were Ut least one dozen indi-