The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-09-26
A CONTEMPLATED ROBBERY.
The Train Guarded by d electives and the
Robbers Driven B ack.

The Train Guarded by ID electives and the
Robbers Driven ack.
CORN, Mo-, Sept. 18.-The Colorado
and Utah express. west bound. on the
Santa Fe road, was held up by robbers
at 800 a. NJ. today near Gorin. The
plot to rob was formed three weeks
ago, and for two weeks the railroad
people have had spy in the robbers
camp, who has kept the company In
formed of intended movements Of the
robbers. Two previous dates were
fixed for the event, but heavy rain on
the appointed days postponed 1t be-
cause of the case with which horses
could be tracked In the soft ground.
Another date was set for today, and
the conditions being favorable the at
tempt was made. The railroad, as
usual had twenty-four hours notice
and the train was we'll loaded With
men armed with short Winchester
rifles.
The information Of the spy was ac-
curate and at the appointed place, one
mile west of CORN, railroad torpedo
exploded under the wheels, red light
flashed ahead and the train stopped.
Immediately four masked men came
from the brush. One rushed to the
engine, ordered the engineer to hold up
his hands and fired at him with q
Winchester at the same moment. The
engineer fell wounded and detective
on the tender fired load of buckshot
into tho robbers face before he had
time to change his position. He got
away for the time, but was caught
later and will probably die OF his
wounds.
The firing at the engineer brought a
fusilade from the armed men conceal
ed on the express, baggage and smok-
ing cars, which was returned with 8
few shots from the robbers, Who then
made off as quickly as they could, cut
ting the hitching straps Of their horses
In their haste. One horse was killed
by the detectives, but all OF the robbers
escaped for the time. All OF the par.
ties to the plot are known and will
undoubtedly be captured. A pack OF
blood hounds was In readiness at Gorin
and they took up the trail before day
light.
No better place In the country could
have been selected for the location for
the robbery, and it would undoubtedly
have been successful If the railroad
people had not been advised Of what
was intended. The passengers could
have safely been robbed as well as the
mail and express cars. -Four men made
the attempt on the train, but two or
three others seem to have been with
the horses and stationed behind the
train to prevent anybody reaching
CORN on foot after the train was
halted.
AFLAGMAN Lost HIS CASH.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Sept. 18.-The
Santa Fe train which was held uI
near CORN, Mo-, arrived in Kansas
City at 9 o'clock three minutes late
The engine was in charge Of Fred Muir
lock, who took tho place of Engineer
William Prescott, who was shot by the
bandits. Prescott is not fatally wound
ed. The bullet struck him IN the
breast, glanced from his collar bone
came out and fell on his shirt front
beneath his blouse.
When the train was held up j. L.
Mooney, the rear brakeman, walked up
the track in the rear Of the train tC
flag west bound trains. Fifty yards
from the rear end of the train he saw
two men holding five horses. One OF
them left the horses, walked toWarC
Mooney, covered him with gun, rob
bed him of S19, and ordered him back
to the train. The conductor OF the
train was George Blue. Blue says he
saw seven men In the gang.
TWO OF THE GANG CAPTURED.
Memphis,Sept. 18-Two of the Santa
Fe train robbers were captured neal
here this morning. They were brought
to Memphis and lodged in jail. They
are Charlie Abrams and Link Overfield
They were caught by special agents Of
the Santa Fe road, who have been on
their trail since the robbery was at
tempted and the desperadoes driven OFT
Abrams Is the man who shot Engineer
Prescott. He is badly-wounded and no,
expected to liye.Abrams was the leader
of the gang, and boarded the engine
ia advance of his companions and re
ceiyed the charge Of buckshot full IL
his face. The detectives marvelle1 al
the time that Abrams was able tC
move six feet. much less escape to the
woods, which he did.