The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-09-27
THAT TRAIN HOLD.UP.


ridiculous and at the same time more
serious. To think that officers OF the
law would be party to such a trandac-
ton seems almost incredible. that they
would listen and connive with McDan-
lei, the tin horn bad man." and thus
work up case against two ignorant.
yet willing tools. Just for the sake OF
getting little nOtoricty and few dot
lars. For this they took the chances OF
sacrificing lives aud two men were
wounded. We are glad to know that
the home officers We're not actively in
the plot. Marshall Byrns only know
ing of the affair a few hours before it
occurred, and Sheriff Sailing not being
fully posted. 1t is a good thing for
their repu ':itiOns that such is the facts.
1t was thin conspiracy ali the way
through and if the real perpetrators a. Z
not given the same sentence as the
dupes, the Santa Fee detectives should
at least be given IA good coat of tar and
u.
Louis Post-Dispatch was here last week
when Chas. Abrams made his ante
III 1rtem statement. and sent it to his
paper, which is here reproduced. Pre-
iaciny his remark: with the statement
that he knew he was likely to die, anu
IN case he did not, his confession would
be used as testimony at the trial, be
said:
Il will give YOU true and complete
statement III "a mighty short time. To
begin with, would never have gone in
TO this train robbing business if | had
lOt been persuaded to do SO by McDan
iel. | fought him Off for a long time,
ABOUT June /, as near as [ can fix the
date. Mr.. Watkins came out to see me
about insuring my life, and Mcdaniel
came with him. While Mr.. Watkins
was talking to me Mcdaniel acted very
familiar like, and when | told him
didn't know him he laughed and said,
y
my crops about this time, but not lOLs
| after .IcDaniel again came to my house
| and after talking awhile to me asked me
70 join him in rObbing train. He was
| ,he first man who ever mentioned such
| II ching TO me. He said that he was the
| slickest man in Memphis, and without
/ l.. r IL, 4
at many crimes in which he had bee Il
| concerned. He came out several t!Les
70 talk % HE about the mater, eve, y
time telling how easy it would be It
stop train, get into the express car ant.
| get away with enough money 20 make
All o: us rich. He Told me he could &c.
some mighty good men to join him. but
he never mentioned any OF their names
except Lincoln Oyerield. George Over .
field ,old me tina, he tried to to get him
and understand he also tried to get
Charley Conner.
well, one day ht came to me and
said he had stolen some drills from
Townser DIS wagon shop: this was some
time in July. and he asked me to help
INN OBJ the Scotland County bank. He
said he had it in TO-. Mr.. Barnes, the
president of The bank. and that all we
haG to do was 10 break in. drill holes in
The sal ana blow il open with powder.
| | wouldn't do it, but every time he saw
me he would Talk to me about rohbing a
Crain. He said he and Era Dag.s had
been Going to rob a train, but Da2as
had backed Gui. or something Of that
kind. He kept at me SO long and made
1t look SO easy like that finally agreed
1t was fixed for F.'iday night, but it rain
cd SO hard we didn't go. MCDANIEL staid
al. night with Overiield and on Satur-
day morning came over to see me. Mon
day night he and Overtield rode up t.
my house about 9O'clock. was wait
| ing for them and we started at once. !
didn't know the place We were going to-
but Mcdaniel said he had it all picked
out. When we got 10 it We rode into a
sheep pasture, left the gates open anG
| hitched our horses about 80 yards froul
where We were going to stop the train.
1t was about - O'Clock when we go,
there. Mcdaniel had some railroad tor
pedoes. He took one and gave me one
and we went down and placed them on
the rails. McDansel said he was an cd
railroad man and knew all about stop
ping train.
Then be told us what to do and eau
toned us not to shoot anybody. I had
two thirtytwo caliber reyolvers. HI
said kat As soon as he signaled the train
the engineer would stop her. Me anc
Overteld were 20 hold up the engineer
and fireman and make them 60 back tt
the express car and break it open with
picks. In the meantime Mcdaniel wa.
to shoot through the car windows anl
scare the train men anb PASSENGERS