The record-union., 1894-09-19

the SeIecLlOn OF IllS spot IOr turning the
little trick, as the robbery was pro-
fessionally designated. For ten miles
there is no night telegraph station, until
La Platte is reached, and there is no stop
there. Once in a while the train takes
water at Gorin, but there is nothing else
there.
Not in the memory of the Oldest man on
the road has halt been made at Barring,
but at Hurdland, which is just ten miles
west of the last named station, IS a
switch into which the train runs every
morning and waits for the eaStbound eX-
press to pass. Both are due there ut the
same time, and almost invariably they
are on time. But if the west bound should
not put in an appearance tue east bound
would have to camp there until it came
along, for there Is no means Of finding
out what the trouble is without running
back to La Platte.
The men who planned the robbery
Inquired that they had the train and its
treasure in pocket, and would have ali
the Time necessary, not only to rifle the
express car, but-to relieve the passengers
OF their Valuables.
1t Is evident that they also made q care
ful study of the topography of the
country. For LOCO feet before the spot
at which the red light was swung across
the rails the road winds on a reverse
curve through cut, with entertainments
rom ten to forty feet high. Then comes
little hill, followed by stretch OF track
almost on level with the surrounding
country. on either side of the right OF
way are dense clumps of oak and hickory
trees, not to mention underground al
most as bad as that of the Northern
Michigan pine woods. But the forest,
though apparently thick and impene-
trable, is only so for quarter of mile
from the track. Beyond that the country
SfrRt1hnC nrqntip1tiU clear and easily
trayerSed almost to the Iowa line.
1t was IN the middle OF the timber that
the horses were hidden, good, strong
limbed animals, and it was the caIcula-
tion that after nights business had been
accomplished two hours hard riding
would put every man safe from pursuit,
and that, too, soon after the day dawned.
There were no telegraph lines up in the
country where the gang has been i'll hid
ing, and 1t was thought news of the hold
up would not penetrate to that region
until after the participants in the affair
had time to cover their tracks.
1t is nearly three weeks since the Santa
te and the W els Fargo officials received
the,tlp that the raid was contemplated.
Since then the express car, whether in
hablted by Detective kinney's men or
not, has been regular arsenal. Every
night at least half dozen secret service
men have climbed aboard at different
points along the line east of Fort Madi-
son, and scattered themselves in the day
time, reclining in chair and smoking
cars. Soon after that point was reached
they worked forward into the smoker,
not man exchanging word with the
other, all total strangers as far as outward
appearances went, and before CORN was
passed half OF them had disappeared into
the express car. This was merely pre-
cautiouary. Detective hinney's spy gave
hi i'm W. hon rO3 Of no
premeditated raids, spoiled by rain, and
then the full force was on hand.
But the railroad and eX press people
were taking no chances. When the dam
ger point had been passed the men would
drop off at different stations, working
back and along the road in the daytime,
and repeating the operation the next
night.
Train No. of the Atchson, Topeka
and Santa Fe Railroad is what is known
as the Colorado and Utah limited. 1t
leaves Chicago daily at P. NJ. and is due
TO arrive IN Kansas City the next morn
ing. The Santa Fe runs almost due
southwest between Chicago and Kansas
City, crosses the Mississippi River at Fort
Madison, and enters the State of Missouri
250 miles distant from Chicago. The road
runs for some miles through rough
country, the many small streams which
have their head dwaters in Southeastern
Iowa breaking 1t up into hills and val
leys, some sections being densely
wooded. The brakes of the Mississippi
River are only a few miles to the east.
This section during the Civil War was
oVerrun with bushwhackers, who fire.
quently carried terror into the little towns
of Van Buren,, Davis and Appannoose
Counties in Iowa by their frequent raids
across the border. 1t is fitting place ior
| bandits to do their work, as hiding
places are easy of access.
The inhabitants of this section, how
ever, are sturdy, honest agricultural
class, who have no sympathy with crime
or criminals.
SCRAMBLE FOR SAFE PLACES.
KANSAS CITY, Sept. IS.-When the
waylaid train reached this city the Kansas
City passengers were not 10th to leave if
after their night of suspense. Several. as
they expressed themselves to an Associ-
ated Press reporter, passed the worst
night of their lives, and for a time thought
| it would be their last. w. H. Wilson.
! Pullman car conductor, had time to talk a
few minutes before proceeding West.
| Such scramble for safe placesv said
! he, Il never witnessed. The women were
! frantic in their endeavors to get out OF
the way, and the men, no less eager,
showing as much fright as they possibly
could display. Some lay flat on the floor.
berths or got underneath, while others
ran frantically up and down the aisle.
apparently bewildered. One man. prob
bly, 80 years of age, when the shooting
began to be fierce knelt down in the
aisle and prayed long and loud for deliv-
| ance.o
| George Blue, conductor of the train. in
| his official report, made after arriving al
! Kansas City, says: Il was in the rear
| part of the train when | heard the eupi-
neer answer the lagman's signal. The
/ train soon came to a StandStill, and in a
| few minutes L heard gunshots. l hur-
ried forward and sent out my fiagmsn to
| protect the rear end of the train. By the
! time this was done, the firing began.
| When | reached the ground, 1 saw three
! men by the side of the express car. One
| man fell 10 the ground. and [ supposed
! he was shot. Whether or not he was
! able TO get up, or was carried away by
! his pals, l do not know. The other men
| went in under the car and escaped to the
south. They did not get away immedl-
ately, however, for they were surrounded
! by the guards, who began shooting rap
/ idly. On either side ot the track there is
/ dense timber, and the robbers had only to
/ run a few feet to get under cover. !
| found that William Prescott was shot in
| the right shoulder, and L only remained
/ a few minutes, when l pulled the train
| into the station, so as to have his wound
| looked after. On board the train was one
/ of the company's surgeons, Dir. G. j.
! Cruick kshank OF New Mexico | called
/ him, and he did what he could for Pres
colt. Engineer Prescott told me be was
tagged by red lantern. and it being SO
near the station. and there being a curve
| just ahead of him, he supposed there was
| a train at the station, and the track was
/ not clear, and that this was one of their
| fiagmen But when he stopped, and the
! bandits were getting upon his engine and
| he realized their business, he called to
them to keep of. Without more ado
! they opened fire on him. Soon after this the