The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-09-20

| - No"SAJ hS uACo tuaV tu6y nAu the
tram and It's treasuresin pocket ana
would have all the time necessary not
only to rifle the express car but to re-
lleVe the passengers of their valuables.
lt ls evident that they also made q
study OF the topography of the eoun-
try. For nearly 1000 feet before the
spot at which the red light was
swung across the rails the road winds
on reverse curve through cut with
emoankments from 10 to 40 feet high.
Then comes little fill followed BY a
stretch OF track almost ON level with
the surrounding country. On each
side OF the right of way are dense
clumps of oak and hickory, not to
mention an underground almost as
bad as that Of the northern Michigan
pine woods. But the timber, althous h
apparently thick and impenetrable, is
only so for lees than a quarter of mile
from the track. Beyond that the
country stretches practically clear
aud easily traversed almost to the Iowa
line. It was in the middle of this
timber the horses were hid and it was
the calculation that after the nights
business had been accomplished two
hours hard riding would put every
man safe from pursuit and that, too,
soon after day dawn, There were no
telegraph lines up in the country
where the gang had been in hiding,
and IT. was thought the news of the
hold-up would not penetrate that
religion until alter the participants in
the affair had time to cover their
tracks.
It is nearly three weeks since the
Santa Fe and Wells-Fargo officials re-
ceived the tip that the raid was con.
templated. Sincs then the express
car, whether inhabited by Detective
Kinney's men or not, has been q regu.
lar arsenal. Every night at least half
"a dozen secret service men have
climbed aboard at different points
along the line east OF Fort Madi-
son and scattered themselves in
the day, reclining and smoking
coaches, Soon after that point was
reached they had worked forward
into the smoker, not man exchang.
ing a word with the other, all being
strangers as far as outward appear
ances were concerned, and disappear.
ed into the express car. This was
merely precautionary. Detective
Kinney's spy gave him "a hours
notice OF the premeditated raid spoiled
by rain and then the full force was on
hand. But the railroad and express
eople were taking no chances. When
the danger point had been passed the
men would drop off at different sta
tiOns along the road, working back
east along the road in the daytime,
and repeating their operations the
next night. But one man ever
climbed that train from the same
town, however. The nights The rob
hers failed to keep their appointments
the whole party .alighted and took
their armory from the express car and
returned TO Fort Madison, Galesburg,
Chillicothe aud Streator.
Train No. 5 of the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe railroad is what is
known as the "Colorado and Utah
limited" 1t leaves the Polk street
station in Chicago daily at 6 D. m.
and is due to arrive in Kansas City at
8 o'clock the next morning. The
Santa Fe runs almost due southwest
between Chicago and Kansas City
and crosses the Mississippi river at
Fort Madison. Entering the state of
Missouri $50 miles distant from Chi.
cago, the road runs for some miles
through rough country, the many
small streams which have their head
waters in Southeastern Iowa breaking
it up into hills and valleys. 1t is
fitting place place for the train rob.
bers to do their work.
w. g. Black, resident here, was
one OF the first to the scene of the
COM bat and was mistaken for one of
the robbers and was msrched at the
muzzle of a winchester to the sheriff,
who, knowing him, set him free. 1t
was close call for Black.
Rear Brakeman j. p. Mooney says
he is confident there were seven robe
bers. Just after thu train was stopped
he was sent back to protect the rear
end of the train by setting out lans
terms. About 80 yards from the rear
end of the train road crossed the
track. In this road were two men
holding five horses Later, he de-
clares. after one horse had been killed
and another that had been tied Ia the
timber ran away, he still saw the orig
inal five, One of the men who tied
the horses Immediately thereafter
took after the brakeman. He caught
him and holding G-shooter close to
the brakeman's nose demanded his
money. Mooney gave up all he had,
S18 when the robber made him 90
back to the train. Mooney described
the man as tall, strappiDg fellow,
who wore white handkerchief, COW
ering the lower part of his face.
HOW THEY WORKED 1T.
MEMPHIS. Mo-, Sept. 18.-W. E. Nc
Daniel, the man who had advised the
officers of the plot. time and place Of
the Santa Fe train robbery, went last
night with g. E. Abrams, Link Over>
field and two others to CORN. Sheriff
H. H. Sailing and City Marshal L. L.
Byrne went to town east of Gorin
and joined Detective J. j. Kinney and
two assistants OF the Santa Fe, @. w.
Stockton, detective of the Wells
Fargo express, and two assistants, and
all took passage OF train No. 5. AS
they reached Gorin the engineer no.
ticed the switch signal light had been
reversed, he heard the torpedo explode
and saw signal flag being waved. He
answered the signal and stopped the
train. Abrams, the leader of the gang,