Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-22
EXPECTED OCCURS.
Cooks Gang Holds Up a Train
and Gets Away,
CARRYING BUT A SMALL BOOTY,
But Giving Another illustration Of How
Traffic Is at the Mercy of the Thug
Four Officers on the Train Who Don't
Seem to Have Been of Any Use-Two
Men Wounded, One Perhaps Fatally, by
the Bandits Reckless Shooting

Men Wounded, One Perhaps Fatally, by
the Bandits Reckless Shooting.
WAGNER I. T., Oct 22.-The Kansas
City and Memphis express was wrecked
and robbed by the Cook gang of despera-
does at Correta, 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 for the sidetrack, running the
train into string of empty box cars.
Engineer James Harris applied the air
brakes and reversed the engine. The rob
bcrs commenced firing at the engine and
coaches. As soon as the train stopped
two of the robbers commanded the en-
gineer and fireman TO come down and
marched them in front of them to the
baggage and express cars.
Did Their Work Like ESperts
Here they forced Express Messenger
Ford to open the doors by pcrforating the
side of the car with bullets. Meanwhile
two more of the robbers had taken up a
position at the rear end of the sleeper TO
prevent any one escaping, two Others
mounted the platform between the
smoker and baggage car. and two
more on the platform between first
and second coaches, all keeping up n con-
tinuai firing. The two robbers In the ex-
press car Were meanwhile ransacking the
express car. securing ali the money in the
local safe. They commanded Messenger
FORD to open the through safe but when
he explained that the safe was locked ut
the main office and not opened until it
reached its destination they left the car.
Robbed the Passengers Next.
The two on tbs front platform then
started through the first coach. demanding
money and valuables As soon as they
reached the rear end of the coach the two
men on that platform started through
the second coach. When they We're about
half WHY through freight train following
close behind whistled and Bill Cook, the
leader, who had all the time remained
outside issuing commands swearing at
the passengcrs and shooting, called for all
hands to come out. The men on the cars
jumped out and when all We're on the
ground fired n volley at the train and
disappeared in the darkness There were
eight or ten men in the party. Two OF
them Were white and the others were half.
breeds.
The Officials Were Too Slow.
Jack Mahara, an advance agent for
Mahara's minstrels, was hit in the fore.
head by q aaaA2ab-<Had dnnrcroua2E-if-n
fatally wounded. Walter Barnes, of Van
Suren, Ark, was also slightly injured by
= bullet striking him in the cheek. Spe-
cial Officers Helmick and Dickson, of the
Missouri Pacific, were on the train, also
United States Deputy Marshals Drummer
and Casavcr. but they were covered by
Winchesters in the hands of the bandits
before they had time to make move. The
train was backed up to this place for as
sistance and TO give the injured medical
attendance. The entire train was COM
pletely riddled with bullets, every window
being broken