The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-09-19
ROBBERS FOOLED.

"uuhuNts
GoRIs, Mo-, Sept. ls-The Colorado
and Utah express on the Santa Fe was
held up by robbers at $3.50 a. m. to-day.
Owing to the fact tbat.the railroad and
express officials had a spy on the trail
Of the bandits when they stopped tho
train, they mot hail Of buckshot and
bullets, aud, 1t Is said, two lie dead in
tho woods, while two others rode for
their rendezvous, twenty.one milos
away, filled with leaden pellets. They
were novices in tho art OF train robbery,
and brutal ones at that, for they shot
dad" Prescott, the engineer, before
thcy even gave him chance to hold up
his hands. His wound. it is believed,
will not prove fatal.
Tho raid was planned weeks ago.
When the train left Chicago at 5 o'clock
last evening railroad and express dotec-
tives, all walking arsenals, climbed on
at every station. Chief Detective j. J.
Kenney, of tho Santa Fe. with G. o.
Montgomery, his right band man,
boarded 1t at Joliet. At streator they
were Joined by two more men who haye
been patroling the line for twenty days.
]. A. Matthews, who has been acting
tho spy for the last two weeks aud get
ting the news OF their plans, put in an
appearance at Galesburg.
lie brought news that the would. be
robbers met early in the day and de-
cided TO leave their hiding place near
Memphis at $3.50 o'clock last night and
make their third attempt to got rich at
tho eapense OF the express company.
They expected 10 make haul Of Mt least
$4,000, the Monday run being always
much heavier than any other day OF the
week.
When the train reached Fort Madi-
son, Iowa, shortly after midnight, d..
vision Superintendent Stockton, OF the
Wells Fargo Express Company, got into
tho treasure car.
The plan adopted was this: Detec.
tives Kinney and Montgomery boarded
tho locomotive. Superintendent Stock
ton and two OF his good shots tarried in
tho express car. Butit WINS in the for
ward end OF tho smoking car tho forces
were massed. A partition and door In.
closes half dozen seats and shuts oil
the rest OF the car from X. There the
men, a dozen OF them, wore planted.
Each had ono Of tho sawed.of VIM
chesters, every cartridge loaded es-
pecially for this event with two dozen
buckshot by Superintendent Stockton.
There was only one passenger III that
compartment, and he was asked by
brakeman to take q seat in tho chair car.
us they were going to, sweep ut 2
o'clock" When Sheriff Matthews, Of
Scotland county, climbed on board all
details Of tho surprise party were ar.
ranged.
There was ono man who had to bo
looked out for and protected. He was
tho soy. According TO the report
brought In by Mathews, the spy would
cndenyor to DO the ono who Tagged the
train. II go, ono torpedo would precedc
the swinging OF the lantern. Tho or.
ders were that no matter II every ono OF
tho guilty ones got away there was to
be no shooting to endanger the life OF
tho man who had taken his life into
his hands In order to Illustrate the at
tempt at robbery.
Out from between two high embank.
ments, just one mile from CORN, sped
tho train. Then came the crack OF the
signal. A moment and a shrill whistle
gave token that the engineer had heard,
and almost before his hand left the
valve, across tho track. not fifty yards
away, swung rcd light. A grinding
OF wheels along the rails told that tho
air had boon applied, and Within twenty
seconds from the explosion Of the tor.
pedo the train was ut standstill. Out
from the underground northot the track
came four forms. Tho face OF each was
hidden by black mask. One more agile
than the rest rushed to eengine almost
before his companions could reach tho
express car. He carried rifle, aud
whom within ten feet OF the tender
brought 1t to his shoulder, pointed 1t at
"Dad' Prescott the white.bearded en-
gineor, and, as he shouted "Hold up
your hands," pulled tho trigger His
aim was true, aud "Dal" fell to tho
floor OF his cab with bullet in his right
breast. With bound Kinney gained
tho top Of the tender, and, bringing his
gun TO his shoulder, sent q shower Of
shot almost into the face Of the masked
| individual. How the fellow ever man.
aCod to move six inches Is a mystery.
| But ho did and made for tho woods.
The shot which laid Engineer Pros
colt low was tho signal for fusiladc,
aud was echoed and re.echoed from
bank to bank and through the woods.
| II was also tho signal for a hasty retreat
to tho shelter OF timber on tho part oil
tho surprised robbers. Not until thcy
reached the timber did they answer;
then they fired only two shots. Their
horses woro hitched not over 100 yards
away. When the posse FROM tho train
reached tho spot they found ono AMI.
NAL, gray, gNlloping north. A shot
brought IL low, but there was no rider
on its back.
Tho place at which tho horses woro
tied was soon found, and cut hitching
straps showed that one man, at least,
had life enough left to mako his escape:
Sheriff Sailing took tho saddle and
blanket from tho dead groy, aud says
By their aid he will have no trouble In
Identifying the owner. Tho search Tor
dead and wounded was postponed until
daylight, but tho chase OF tho ono or
ones who escaped was started within
ten minutes after tho shooting ondod.
Tic sheriff secured horses there, and
with hall dozen mon started north.
Thoy know tho men, and arc confident
thOy will have thom In custody soon,
It is not likely tho passengers In tho
rfar end OF tho smoker, those who were
4 a. hall