The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-10-25
TRAIN ROBBED.
Express Messenger Refused to
Open the Car Door at First,
But Fusilade of Bullets Through the
Car Changed His Mind lone Safe was
Relieved of About 81 ,OOO-Pas-
sengers Also Robbed.

FIT. SMITH, Ark, Oct 22.-At10 o'clock
Saturday night the south-bound Kan
sas City and Memphis express, on the
Missouri Pacific, was held up and rob-
bed by the Cook gang of outlaws at
Correta, small station between Wag-
oner and Ft. Gibson. When the train
was within few feet of the switch.
man darted out from behind the em-
bankment and threw the switch. rum
ming the train into the siding. 1t col.
lided with string of empty cars which
was standing on the siding, and was
brought to sudden stop. The mo.
ment the train stopped the bandits be-
gan firing into the forward cars.
There were eight or ten men in the
gang, who distributed themselves
along the side of the train. Two of
them mounted the engine and forced
the engineer and fireman to alight.
They were marched to the express car,
and threatened with instant death un-
less they compelled the express mes
senger to open the door of his car. The
messenger refused to open at first, but
as the robbers kept firing fusilade of
bullets through the side of the car he
finally complied with the commands of
the robbers and the entreaties of the
engineer and fireman, and threw open
the car door.
Two robbers Immediately entered
and secured all the money in the local
safe. They commanded Messenger
Ford to open the through safe, but
when he explained that the combina-
tion was only known at the main office,
at the end of the line, they Left the car.
Meanwhile the other robbers had
been going through the train de-
manding the money and valuables
of the passengers. Before they
had completed their work .
freight train which had followed the
passenger closely out Of Wagner drew
in sight, and Cook ordered his follow.
ers out of the train. The gang in.
stantly remounted their horses, and,
firing parting volley at the train,
rode off in a northerly direction. While
the robbers were at work inside the
car their confederates on the outside
kept up a continuous firing, which had
the desired effect in soaring the pas
sengers and train men and preventing
resistance
Two men were wounded, one of whom
John Mahara, advance agent of a min.
strel company, may die. He was
wounded in the forehead and taken
back to Wagner on the freight train
for medical attendance. VIM. Brown,
of Van Buren,. Ark, was grazed in the
cheek by rifle ball. Detectives Dick.
inson and Helmick, of the Missouri Pa
cifc special force, were among those
who were robbed. The entire train
was riddled with bullets, every win
| dow being broken.
Twenty deputy marshals from Littls
Rock passed through here Sunday
morning on their way to the scene OF
the robbery. Express officials here say
their loss will not be over 81, 900.
WAGNER, l. T., Oct. 22.-The Cook
gang, which held up the Missouri Pa.
cific train at Correta Saturday night,
passed through this city Sunday, go
| ing in a westerly direction. They
were heavily armed, and no effort was
made to capture them. Indian police
have been ordered to this place, and
| will begin pursuit at once.