The herald., 1894-09-19
TOOK TO TALL TIMBER
Train Robbers Given a Hot
Reception.
A Santa Fe Flyer Held Ur in
Missouri.
The Engineer Shot by the Leader Of
the Desperadoes.
Detectives Aboard the Train Poured
Lead Into tho Bandits-Two Of
Them Captured, Ono More
tally Wounded.

CORN, Mo. Sept. S.-The Colorado and
Utah express on the Santa Fe road was
held up by robbers at $3.50 q. m. today.
As the railroad and express officials hsd
guards on the train. the bandits met
hail OF buckshot and bullets. and it 10
said at least two are dead in the woods.
while ss many others rode for their REM
devious 21 miles away, riddlei with
bullets. They shot dad" PRESCOTT, tho
engineer, before they even gave him
chance to hold mp his hands. His
wound, it is believed, will not prove
fatal. ..
The train left Chicago At O'Clock last
evening; railroad and ex press detectives,
all walking arsenals, climbed on at the
various stations. Among them were
Chief Detective J. j. Kinney OF the
Santa Fe, and J. A. Mathews who had
been acting "a spy for two weeks and
getting news OF the robbers plans. Ho
brought news that the robbers early in
the day decided to leave their hiding
place near Memphis, Mo-, at $50
o'clock last night, and make their third
attempt to get rich at the expense OF the
express company. They expscted to
make haul Of at least $5O.0O0. AZ
Fort Madison, Iowa, Division Superin-
tendeni Stockton OF Wells-Farg sx-
press, got into the treasure car. He car
ried a sawed-of Winchester that once
belonged to Bill Dalton. With him
were four men. Detectives Kinney and
Montgomery boarded the engine. Super
intendent Stockton and two good shots
tarried in the express car. In the for
ward end of the smoking car, shut of
by partition from the rest OF the car.
. dozen men were placed. Each had .
loaded especially for the event with two
dozen buckshot. At 2 O'clock, when
SnsrlT SsfinE of Scotland county
climbed on board, all this details OF the
surprise party were arranged.
According to the report brought bv
Matthews, the spy, he would endeavor
to be the one who tagged the train. If
so, one torpedo would precede the
swinging of . lantern. Orders were
given that, no matter il every one of the
robbers got away, there was to bs no
shooting to endanger the life of the spy.
who had In fact taken his life in his
hand in order to frustrate the attempt-
ed robbery.
In the little compartment filed with
armed men the lights we're out aud the
windows up. In each seat were two
men sitting sideways, the muzzles OF
their guns protruding a trifie over the
sils. Beside them stood others with
Winchesters at half-cock, resting acrosa
their arms. s
As out from between the embank-
ments, just one mile from CORN, sped
the train, there oame the look -for
rocket signal, and not 80 yards away
was swinging red light. Within 20
seconds the train was at Q standstili.
Out from the dense undergrowth
north of the train came four forme, the
face of each hidden by black mask.
One rushed to the engine almost before
his companions could reach tho express
car. When within 10 feet of the tender
he pointed rifle at dad" Prescott, the
white bearded engineer. and a. he
shouted Hold up your hands ~ pulled
the trigger. dad" iell to the foor Of
the cab with bullet in his right
breast.
With one bound Kinney gained the
top of the tender, and. bringing his gun
to his shoulder, sent q shower OF shot
almost into the face OF tine mas ked man.
How the fellow managed to move six
inches is mystery, but he did, and
made for the woods. The shot which
Tor fusillads and also the signal for the
hasty retreat of the robbers to the shell
ter OF the timber. They fred two shots.
but though men were leaning from the
Jar windows and pulling triggers as fast
ss possible, while others were after the
'obbers on foot, they failed to hit man.
The place where the horses were tied
vas soon found. A cut hitching strap
howed tnat one man at least had life
'nough to escape.
The search for the dead and wounded
vas postponed until daylight, but .
hase after one or more who escaped was
tarted within 10 minutes.
1t is not likely the passengers in the
ear end of the smoker and those who
we're doing in the chair car and the
lalf-dozen wakeful ones in the eleepers
will ever forget the experience. At the
lrst shot, every man near q window
pened it and looked out. With the
econd he withdrew his head and
ropped on the floor. The cry OF Train
obbere ~ went through the train, and
'omen went down on their knees and
~
Eleven nights ago the bandits, shortly
fter 10 O'Clock started to ride slowly
cross the country. 1t was cloudy, and
hey had not gone over third OF the
lstance when rain began To fall. Some
ere In favor OF turning back st once.
eclarlng they were not going TO run the
aance OF being tracked by a mud trail.
heir objections were overruled for the
me being, but by the time the caval-
sde was within seven miles OF the rail-
'sdVrack, it was apparent to even the
Ioat foolhardy that discretion was the
sitter part of vslor.
The command TO retreat was given
ad the procession returned. The next
sy tmo of kinney's men followed the
all for Eve miles. From the iniica-
ons they cay eight men were in the
,rty that night
Last Saturday morning was the
cond time the affair was billed to come
|. II it had not been for the rain the