The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-02-17
DESPERATE, GUT FUTILE.
A Well Laid scheme For Libcr~ting I've
Conviets on Their Way 80 Prison.

Conviets on Their Way 80 Prison.
II never understood" remarked q gen
eral passenger agent while discussing y
recent train robbery. how it was that II
whole trainful of people would allow
themselves to be held mp by one or two
bandits till some years ago, when ! was
making a trip over the Michigan Central
road. Then the mystery was explained
TO me. | was on my way from Detroit
to Chicago and had taken a seat in tbs
smoking car to enjoy my cigar.
AT the time the smoking cars Of the
Michigan Central were equipped with
comfortable revolving chairs. Shortly
after taking my seat | noticed that there
were two convicts aboard. They were
in charge of two deputies and were be-
ing conveyed from Detroit to the state
prison at Jackson. They sat there talk
ing to their guards c~omplacently as if
they had been going to some more agree
able entertainment. All went well un-
til Ipsilanti was reached. Half way be-
tween that place and Ann Arbor is a
small road crossing named Geddes. AS
we approached it an ordinary looking
passenger went through the car in care
less manner rolling his eyes from side to
side, casually inspecting the occupants
of the car. When he reached the pris-
oners, he pulled a whisky flask from his
pocket and in an offhand way remarked:
Here. you fellows, have a drink. 1t
will be a long time before you have an
other
The convicts accepted the invitation,
took u good long pull from the bottle
and handed it back to their apparently
chance acquaintance, who pocketed 1t
and passed into the next car. Hardly
had he disappeared when the %convicts,
with a motion quick IS flash, pulled two
revolvers from somewhere on the seats
beside them and presented them at their
guards. Before any one in the car had
! time to realize what vas taking place
those revolvers We're going bang! bang
just as fast as the triggers could be
pulled. The only men who appeared to
have any presence Of mind were the two
deputies. They had seen the two re-
volvers coming. and by some dextercus
A1oNc utdlIi%ttA W lhc dp AK WI Nto
arms so that the balls. instead Of strik,
ing the victims for whom they were in
tended, passed through the roof Of the
car. While the scufle was at its height
tho bellrope was pulled in some mysteri.
, IL name and the train came to q
; dead stop at the crossroads near Geddes
station. whore u fast team Of horses
hitchel to n light wagon was standing
By the time the train stopped, though
the COnyiCts had been overpowered by
their guards. but not until IL shots hac
been fired.
The whole thing was evidently a con
9 certed scheme to liberate the ]convicts
The man with the whisky flask was al
ally, and his tender of the whisky was
signal that everything was ready ant
the time for action had come. The at
tempt at escape fortunately failed, Blu
t if you had seen that car while the shot
were being fired you could readily hav'
understood how easily a few armed rob
bers OverpOwer a train. Every chair il
the car was vacant, and the former Oc
cupants were crouching in corners o
wherever they could hide themselves he
hind some object that might stop a bu'
let. When everything vas quiet ag;ul
and the cOnvlCtS were IN lrOns, no le>
than H. men We're counted coming from
the dressing room of that smoking car.
Chicago Post.