The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-28
TRAIN REACHES ST. LOUIS.
Conductor Webb's Graphic Account of
the Daring Robbery.

Conductor Webb's Graphic Account of
the Daring Robbery.
ST. LOUIS, March 28.-The California
express on the Iron Mountain railroad,
which was held up by two masked rob-
bers one mile this side of Williamsville,
Mo-, about midnight last night, reached
here this forenoon, several hours late.
According to the trainmen, the hold
up was one of the most daring that has
occurred since the time OF the Jesse
James gang. The two men took COM
plete possession of the train and held its
crew and passengers at their mercy
Their arms consisted of Winchesters and
Colts revolvers.
|. Conductor Webb, of this city, who was
in charge of the train was seen at his
residence this morning soon after the
train arrived in St Louis, he said:
"At Williamsville, where the Iron
Mountain crosses the Houck road, we
stopped for a crossing, and at a point
about 200 yards from the station the two
men got on the front end of the mail car.
About half-mile further on, when the
train was under good headway, they
pulled the rope. Then they crawled
over the tank and into the cab of the
locomotive, one on the engineers side
and one on the fireman's side. They
covered them with their pistols and COM
manded the engineer to stop the train,
which he did.
las soon of the train stopped l got off
| and walked ahead to see what was the
matter. By the time l reached the for
| ward end of the smoker, one of the rob-
bers had compelled the fireman and por-
ter to uncoupIe the coaches from the ex-
press and baggage car. AS came up
the flash of my lantern attracted the at
| tention of one of the highwaymen. He
covered me with his gun and ordered
me to throw up my hands He
saw my heavy gold watch chain and
| grabbed it from me with my watch.
Then he told me to hand him all
| the money had. ! started to put my
hands into my pockets, and he said: "Oh,
no you don't, I'Il get the cash myself" :"
| Then he ran his hands down my pock-
cts and got about 81 l had collected in
| fares. All the time he held his pistol
close to my head. cursing and swearing
| all the time and threatening to kill every
| one of US.
"At that moment the porter finished
cutting off the cars and the robber yelled
to the engineer to pull out The cars
started and the robber got on, and as he
| did so yelled back at US to stand there
and don't move or I'l kill every one of
you
"They forced the engineer to run up
brought the engine to stop. Mates
was ordered of the locomotive as a pre-
caution, aud then the door of the express
car was opened in response to their com
| mand The messenger was compelled to
l open the small safe at the point of a
| pistol, and when he said he could not
/ open the safe, they threatened to kill
him. They ransacked the local pack
ages, but Messenger Early thinks they
got nothing of value, as all the money
/ was locked in the larger safe at Poplar
/ Bluff The messenger did not know
the com bination, which is only in posses
sion of the agents at the principal sta
/ tions along the road
"Finding they could get no money
| they abused the messenger and left the
car. He was ordered to close the door
and kept it closed until they were out of
sight. Engineer Mates climbed back
into the cab with a pistol pointed at
him. Their work done, the highway