The morning call., 1894-09-19

least two OF the robbers were dead in the
surrounding woods, although this turned
out afterward TO be an error, while the
others rode for the rendezvous, twenty
one miles away, riddled with bullets. They
shot Dad" Prescott, the engineer, before
they even gave him a chance to hold up
his hands. His wound, it is believed, will
not prove fatal.
When the train left Chicago at ) o'clock
last evening the railroad and express de-
tectives, all walking arsenals. climbed on
at every station. Among them were Chief
Detective j. j. Kinney of the Santa Fe
and j. a. Ma thews, who has been acting
spy 1or two weeks and getting news of the
robbers plans. The latter brought news
that the robbers early in the day had de-
clded TO leave their hiding place near Mem
pbis at 80 O'Clock last night and make
their third attempt to get rich at the ex-
pense OF the express company. They ex-
pected to make haul of at least $4,000.
AT Fort Madison, Iowa. Division Super
intendent Stockton of Wells, Fargo 81 Co.
got into tho treasure-car. He carried a
sawed-Of Winchester that once belonged
TO BIZ Dalton. With him were four men.
Detectives Kinney and Montgomery
boarded the engine. Superintendent Stock
ton and two good shots tarIi ed in the ex-
press-car. In the forward end OF the
sm mOking-car, shut off by partition from
the rest Of the car, dozen men were
placed. Each had gun, every cartridge
loaded for the event with two dozen buck
shot.
At 2 o'clock, when Sheriff Sailing of
Scotland County climbed on board, all the
details OF the surprise party were arranged.
According to the report brought by
Mathews, the spy would endeavor to be
the one who tagged the train. If so. one
torpedo would precede the swinging Of
;he lantern. Orders were given that. no
matter II every one of the robbers got
away, there was to be no shooting to en-
danger the life of the spy, who had, in
fact, taken his life in his hands in order to
frustrate the attempted robbery.
In the little compartment filled with
armed men the lights were out and the
windows up. In each seat were two men.
sitting sideways, the muzzle of their guns
prOtruding Just trfie over the sills. Be-
side them stood the others, with Winches-
ters at half-cock resting across their arms
as the train came out from between two
embankments, just one mile from Gorin
theTe'came the lOoked-f0r signal-a man
not nifty yards away was swinging a red
light. Within twenty seconds the train
was at standstill, and out from the dense
underground north of the track came four
forms, the face of each hidden by a black
mask. One rushed TO the engine almost
before his companions could reach the ex-
press-car. Within ten feet of the tender
he pointed his rife at dad" PRESCOTT, the
white-beaIded engineer, and as he shouted
Hold up your hands," pulled the trigger.
dad" fell to the floor with a bullet in his
right breast. With one bound Kinney
gained the top of the tender. and bringing
his gun to his shoulder, sent a shower of
shot almost into the face of the masked
man. How the fellow managed to move
six inches is mystery. But be did, and
made for the woods.
The shot which laid Engineer Prescott
low was the signal for a fusillade. also the
signal for the hasty retreat of the robbers
to the shelter of the timber. They fired
two shots. But although the men were
leaning from the car windows and pulIing
triggers as fast as possible, willie Others
were after the robbers on foot, they failed
10 hit man.
The place where the horses were tied
was soon found, and cut hitcbipg-stran
showed that one man at least had life
enough to escape. The search for tbs
dead and wounded was postponed until
daylight, but chase after one or more