The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-02
MADE A WATER HAUL
COTTON BELT TRAIN HELD UP BY
BANDITS FOR NAUGHT.
MistOOk the baggage Car for the Ex-
press, and Discovered the Error
Too Late for Their Purpose.

CAMDEN, Ark, Jan. six masked men
made an effort this evening to rob the
north bound Cotton Belt train, due here at
10 o'clock, at a tank ten miles south of
Camden. Their object was to secure the
express money. The train stopped as usual
to take water and the negro porter got off
the train to go around to the tank to let
the water in. He was stopped, however, by
a Winchester poked into his face and or
dered to uncouple the cars. This order was
obeyed and the engineer, who was under
guard, was made to run the car away
from the train a distance of half mile
The bandits discovered too late that they
had made water haul, taking the baggage
instead of the express They had
to grin, take their medicine and go to the
woods. The leader told the engineer that
he had the laugh them, but the gang
would see him again. The work was so
quickly done that the passengers did not
know what was going on until the would
be robbers had found refuge in the dense
forest.
The scene of the robbery is more than
a mile from any residence, the small
station, Buena Vista, being about a mile
south. There is no better place than this
for bandits to ply their calling. On the ar
rival of the train at Camden the sheriff
was notified and a posse was soon on the
ground but no clue to the whereabouts of
the bandits could be obtained. special
train was run from Texarkana with men.
guns and horses to continue the search.
The were masked with red bandana
handkerchiefs 1t is supposed they started
from Camden and it is even minated that
they live there. A dispatch from the Cot
ton Belt officers states that a reward of
5000 will be paid for the arrest and con-
ion, Of Of hn hoy
Governor is expeced to offer reward.
Desperate Prisoners Escape.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, Jan. Five desperate
prisoners sawed their way out of Jail here
during the night. The fact was not known
until o'clock this morning. BY that time
the men, who, it was later learned, are
all armed, had made good their escape
The escaped prisoners Patrick Grove
Ira Curtner, Joe Dusty, william Fulmer
and James Owens. Grove is one Of the
men who headed the train robbing gang
that operated so boldly and successfully
in this city last winter. He is a desperate
man, wanted in half dozen States for
serious crimes. Dusty was under sentence
OF death for rape, stay Of execution hav-
ing been granted to allow the Supreme
Court to pass on the case. Owens was an
Atchlson county prisoner, also sentenced to
hang and his case is also before the SUI
preme Court. The other men were in Jail
for larceny. The prisoners escaped by saw
ing ing iron bars of the corridor window and
lowering themselves to the ground with
ropes. Four saws were found in the jail
this morning. Thomas Hickman, a trusty
was found lying bound and gagged in the
corridor but the authorities assert he furn-
ished the tools and that he released the
prisoners from the cells into the corridor
Celebrated Out of Jail.
PITTSBURG, Kan, JAM The six in
mates of the city Jail escaped last night
by digging through the outside wall of the
corridor, went to Litchfield, about four
miles away, and spent the night in drink
ing and celebrating the advent OF the new
year. Five of them hired a carriage and
returned this morning and demanded adj
mttance to the jail to complete their SEN
fences. They We're all pretty drunk and
apparently enjoyed the joke they had
played upon the officers. Will Nickens, who
was awaiting preliminary examination on
a charge of obtaining money under false
pretenses. failed to return with the others,
h,xu o,,a; TO- low