The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-19
The Santa Fe Flyer Was a Yerllable
Arsenal.
BULLETS Rain ON The ROBBERS
Desperados Hold Up Train on the
Santa Fe Railroad and Receive a
Warm Welcome from a Sn i Army
in the Express Car-The Engineer
Seriously Wounded-Two of the
Bandits Already in Jail.
CORN, No, Sept. 1S,

a. Train on tue OAula re TOHu WIS
held up by robbers at 80 o'clock
u this morning The railroad and
express officials had warning OF the
plan to attack the train. and the train
was met by vollsy of buckshot and
bullets. 1t is believed that at least
two of the bandits lie dead in the
woods near whore the train was
stopped. Two others who role for
their rendezvous, twenty.one miles
away were wounded. Before the
guard on the cars fred upon the
thieves, the latter shot Prescott. the
engineer Of the train, without any
warning, His wound. it is believed,
will no! prove fatal
The raid was planned three weeks
ago, but was not put into execution till
this morning. When the train left
Chicago at o'clock last evening. sew
eral railroad and express detectives, all
armed, were taken on board. Chief
Detective j. J. Kenny. of the Santa Fe,
with d. c. Montgomery. his assistant.
boarded the train at Joliet. AT Strea-
tor they were joined by two more men
VINO have been patrolling the line
for twenty days. A A. Matthews,
who has been acting as detec
tive for the last two weeks, was taken
on at Galesburg. He brought news
that the robbers met early in the day
and decided to leave their hiding place
near Memphis at 8 80 o'clock last night
to be ready for the Colorado and Utah
express, They expected to make haul
of at least $50, 900, the Monday run be-
ing always much heavier than any
other d ay of The week. ...t
AN ARSENAL ABOARD.
When the train reached Fort Madi-
son, Ia, soon after midnight. Division
Superintendent Stockton. of the Wells
Fargo Express company. got into the
| treRsure-ear He carried a rifiA that
had formerly belonged to "Bill" Dali
ton. With him were four men. TheiI
firearms we're in the car. where they
had been placed several days ago.
AS the train drew near the place
where the attack was expected, the
Pullman car conductors and porters
sought places of safety. and even the
trainmen did not expose themselves un
necessarily. In the little compartment
filled with armed men the lights were
out and the windows were up. In each
seat there were two men sitting side
ways. the muzzles of their guns pro.
truding over the sills. Behind then
stood others, with guns at half cocl
resting on their arms.
A mile beyond CORN the expected
signal was sounded in the explosion o.
one torpedo A sharp whistle froa
the locomotive gave notice that the
engineer had heard it and Immediately
afterwards across the tracks, not fifty
yards away, he saw red light swing
ing. The air brakes were applied. anC
within twenty seconds the train was al
u standstill
AN ENGINEER SHOT.
From the dense underground nortl
Of she track four men advanced TOWARD
the train. The face of each was hid
den by a black mask, One of the mel
ran to the engine. lie carried a riff
and when within ten feet of til,
tender, brought it TO his shoul
der, pointed it at Prescott. tn
engineer, and as he shouted, "Hol
up your hands," pulled the trigger
Prescott fell to the fl Dor of his cab will
bullet in his right breast Kinne,
jumped to the top Of the tender AM
fired almost into the face of the maske,
robber, who, though injured. managed
to move back into the shade OF th
woods The firing about the engin,
was followed almost Immediately by 6
volley from the smoking car
The robbers did not return the fir
until they had fallen back idto tn
woods. Then they fred only two shots
An incessant firing was kept up fror
the ear windows, and some Of the d,
tectives left the train, and attempt
ed to discover the course take
by the fleeing bandits. Thei
horses were hidden not NOR
than 100 yards away, and when til
posse from the train reached the spo
they saw one horse galloping north
A we'll directed shot brought il low
but there was no rider on its bach
The place where the horses were tie
was soon found, and cut hitchin
. straps showed that one man at leas
had life enough left to make his es
: cape.
PASSENGERS IN A PANIC
The shooting, which was the first il
timation the passengers on the trai
had of the expected attack by the rot
bers. caused a panic in the chair an
sleeping cars. The cry "Train-robberl
went through the train, and when tt
I. excitement was at its height the brak
man put his head in the door an
n shouted, keep your heads down. ladi
!, and gentlemen. Train robbers ou
side" Many of the passengers sougl
Q safety by lying fiat on the floor of IL
s cars.
1t is nearly three weeks since IL
!. Santa Fe and the Wells Fargo officia
Q received an intimation that raid Q
Q one of their trains was contemplate
Since then their express cars have bee
I we'll guarded. Detective Kinney
. watcher gave him twenty.fol
o hours notice Of two preme1
tated raids that were despoile
? by rain. Great secrecy was preserve
|. In placing the guards on the train
, only one or two being taken on at al
:, one station. When the danger poll
7 had been passed the ,msn would dr.,
n off at different stations, working ba,
east along the road in the day tim