The morning call., 1894-10-22
INTO A SIDING.
Cooks Gang Wreck a
Train.
AND COOLLY ROB 1T.
Fierce FusiIIade of Bullets
Kept Up.
PASSENGERS ARE HELD up.
Daring Work of Six Very Fierce
Desperadoes.
PASSENGERS ARE HELD up.
FOUR OFFICERS ON THE CARS.
They, With the Passengers, Weaken
Under WinChesterS and Give
Up Ali Valuables.

WAGNER /. T., Oct. 21.-The Kansas
City and Memphis express, which left
here at $3.50 o'clock last night, was
wrecked and robbed by the Cook gang of
desperadoes at Corretta, a blind siding,
five miles south of here.
The train was running twenty miles an
hour and when within 100 feet OF the
switch a man came out from behind an
embankment and threw The switch of the
sidetrack, running the train into a string
of empty boxcars. Engineer James Har-
ris applied the airbrakes and reversed the
engine.
The robbers commenced firing at the
engine and coaches. AS soon as the train
stopped two of the robbers commanded
the engineer and fireman TO come down,
and when they had dismounted marched
them to the baggage and express ears.
! Here they forced Express Messenger Ford
to open the doors by perforating the side
of the car with bullets. Meanwhile two
more uf the robbers had taken up a posi-
tion at the rear end of the sleeper to pre-
vent any one escaping; two others
mounted the platform between the smoker
and baggage-cars and TWO more the plat
all keeping up a continual firing.
The two robbers in the express car were
meanwhile ransacking the car, securing all
the money in the local safe. They CON-
manded Ford to open the through safe, but
when he explained that the safe was
locked at the main Office and not opened
until it reached Its destination they left the
car. The two on the front platform then
started through the coach, demanding
money and valuebles. AS soon as they
reached the rear end of the coach the two
men on that platform started through the
second coach. When they were about half
way through freight train following close
| behind whlstled, and Bill Cook, the leader,
| who had all the time remained outside.
issuing commands, swearing ST the passen-
| gers and shooting, called for all hands to
| ccme out. The nen on the cars Jumped
out and when all were on the ground fired
last volley at the train and disappeared
in the darkness.
There were six in the party. Two of
them were white and the Others were half
| breeds.
Jack McHara, an advance agent for
McHara's Ministries, was hit in the fore
head by bullet and dangerously If not
fatally wounded. Walter Barnes of Van
Buren,, Ark, was also slightly injured by
a bullet striking him In the cheek.
Special Officers Helmick aud Dickson of
| the Missouri Pacific were on The train and
also Deputy MarshaIs Bruner and Casa.
mere, but they were covered by Win
chesters in the hands of the bandits before
they had time to make move. CASHMERE
! lost a watch and siX-shoOter.
The train was backed up to this place
for assistance and to give the injured
medical attendance. The entire side of
the train was completely riddled with
| bullets. The engine cab was shot all to
pieces even the steam-gauge and gauge
lamp being shot away and the ground
| around the wreck was covered with empty
cartridges. 1t was a miracle that many
lives were not lost, as fully 200 shots were
fired.
The Missouri Pacific Immediately started
special train from Little Rock. carrying
Superintendent w. ]. Mckee and picking
up deputy marshals. United States Agent
Wisdom OF Muskogee has ordered all the
Indian police to report for duty. and will
take the train early in the morning.
Conductor w. Duncan, in charge of the
!
81 was in the sleeper when we struck
the cars on the sidetrack. l thought it
was head-end collision, and, knowing
that we were closely followed By a freight
train, Igrabbed a red lamp and started back
to flag the train. When / reached the rear
end l was confronted by two men, who
ordered me back in the car. / told them
we were closely followed by a freight and
would be run into, and asked them to let
me go back to flag it. One of the men re-
piled: We'll. go on, and hurry started
back as fast as l could, but, being trout ed
with asthma, l could not go very fast.
The two men began firing at me, and told
/ me TO go faster"
Express Messenger w. e. Ford declined
to say anything further than that the rob-
bers got everything they could lay hands
on outside OF the through safe. The mail
car was not molested. The loss of the ex-
press company will not exceed $500. as
| instructions had been issued to all agents
in the Territory to receive no money or
yaluables for this train, and only the COM
| pany money, RENTED by local agents,
was carried outside the through safe.
Six men did the work. and seemed not
the least bit afraid of being captured.
! Later four armed men called at the sec
tion-house az Ross station, six miles north
of here, about 10 o'clock to-day, and at The
point of Winchesters compelled the seq
tion foreman to prepare their dinner.
They were armed to the teeth, and were
thought to be a part of the band. After
eating dinner. they started west, and the
section foreman followed them to their
hiding-piaces in the brush on the banks of
Bull Creek, where the entire gang was
camped. They were still in camp there at
| suDdown.