The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-09-22
Train Robbers on the Santa Fe
Have a Lead Reception.
TWO MEN SERIOUSLY SHOT.
The Ohcials Were Apprised of the At
tempted Robbery and Plan Warm
Reception for the Bandits.

Otah express on the Santa he was held up
by robbers at $3.50 a. m. today. As the rail-
road and express officials had a spy on the
trail of the bandits when they stopped the
train, they were met by hail of buckshot
| and bullets, and it is said at least two are
dead in the surrounding woods, while as
many others rode for their rendezvous, 81
miles away, riddied with bullets. They shot
dad" Prescott the engineer, before they
even gave him a chance TO hold up his
hands. His wounds, it is believed, will not
prove fatal.
When the train LETT Chicago at o'clock
last evening railroad and express detect
ives, all walking arsenals, climbed on at
every station. Among them were Chlef
Detective j. j. Kinney of the Santa Fe
and J. A. Matthews, who has been acting
as spy tor two weeks and getting news of
the robbers plans. The latter brought
news that the robbers early in the day mad
decided to leave their hiding place near
Memphis at $3.50 O'clock last night, and
make their third attempt to get rich at the
expense OF the express company. They
expected TO make haul of at least $50 00O.
AT Fort Madison. on the Iowa division, Su-
perintendent Stockton OF Wells. Fargo ex.
press got into the treasure car. lie carried
a sawed off Winchester that once belonged
to Bill Dalton. With him were four men.
Detectives Kinney and Montgomery
boarded the engine, while Superintendent
Stockton and two good shots tarried in the
express car. In the forward end of the
smoking car, shut off by a partition from
the rest of the car. dozen men were
placed. Each had gun. Every cartridge
was loaded especially for the event with
dozen buckshot.
The Surprise Party Complete.
At o'clock, when Sheriff SAILING of Scot
land county climbed on board all the de-
tuf of
According to the report brought by Mat
thews the spy would endeavor to be the
one who tagged the train. 1t so a torpedo
would precede the swinging of the lantern.
Orders were given that no matter it every
one of the robbers got away there was to be
no shooting to endanger the Life of the spy,
who had, in fact, taken his life in his hands
in order to Illustrate the attempted robbery
In the little compartment filled with the
armed men the lights were out and the
windows up. In each seat were two men
sitting sideways, the muzZes of their guns
protruding just trtie over the seats Be
side them stood others with Winchesiers
ut half-cock resting across their arms.
The Attack.
AS out from between two high embank-
ments. just one mile from CORN, sped the
train, there came the looked for signal, and
not so yards away was a swinging red
light. Within 20 seconds the train was at
a standstill. Out from the dense under
growth 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 express car.
When within 10 feet of the tender he
pointed his rifle at dad" Prescott, the
white bearded engineer. and as he shouted
Hold up your handsW pulled the trigger
Dad" fell to the 1oor with 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 a mystery but he did. ard
made for the woods. The shot which laid
Engineer Prescott low was the signal for a
tusilade, ana also the signal for hasty re-
treat OF the robbers to the shelter Of the
timber They fired two shots, but although
men were Leaning from the car windows
and pulling triggers as fast as possible,
while Others were after the robbers on foot,
they failed to hit man, The place where
the horses were tied was soon found. The
cut hitching straps showed that one man at
least had life enough to escape.
The search for the dead and wounded
was postponed until daylight, but the chase
after the one or more who escaped was
started within 10 minutes.
Passengers Badly Frightened.
1t is not likely that the passengers in the
rear end of the smoker, those who were
doing in the chair car and the half dozln
wakeful ones in the sleepers will ever for
get heir experience. With the first shot
every man near a window opened it and
looked out. Within a second he drew his
head in and dropped on the floor. The cry
,'srair robbers" went through the train, and
women vent down on their knees and
screamed,
Twice before last nights attempt the
bandits started for the spot selected Tor the
robbery. Each time cOptous fall OF rain
baffled them.
The Santa Fe and Wells Fargo officials
received a tip of the contemplated RAID
nearly three weeks ago. and every night
since then not less than half dozen secret
service men have been on the train until
the danger point was passed.
Further Particulars.
W T. Daniel, who advised The officers of
tine plot. time and place of the Santa Fe
train robbery, went last night with G. e.
Abrams, Link Oyerfeld and two others to
CORN. AS the train neared CORN the
engineer noticed that the switch signal
light had been removed. He heard the
torpedo explode. saw the signal flag
waved and stopped the train. Abrams, the
leader OF the gang. ran to the engineer and
called out We've got you; hold up your
hands" The engineer was little slow in
responding and Abrams shot him. Detec-
tive Kinney, who was concealed in the
tender rose and shot Abrams in the
shoulders with a double barrelled shot
gun loaded with buckshot. Abrams and
the other robbers started for the brush.
Abrams horse was killed. The officers
secured the brush. but did not find the
robbers.