The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-13
BAD MEN DOWN IN IOWA
They Robbed a Train and Did Il UD
In Style.
THEN THEY STOLE AWAY
1t Was One of the Most Daring
RobberIes Reported In Many
a Long Day-Two Men
Did the Deed.

OMAHA. Neb., Jan. IA special to the
Bee from Ottumwa, Iowa, says: Highway
| men got in their work tonight. Ii was
one of the most daring train robberies
ever attempted. 1t was executed on the
burlington passenger train near this city.
! No. Is the Burlington through passen-
ger train from Denver to Chicago. and
carries large quantities of mail and
| baggage. Ii seems that two bold robbers
/ knew that the express would make vail
| liable haul and they planned TO bag II.
/ Ihey held up the train, but molested
nothing but the express car, though after
they had finished tho job they stood for 10
minutes and waited for the train to stop
long enough to have robbed tho mail cars
| or the passenger coaches.
The agent at Chillicothc, a small village
several miles west of here, saws he saw
| two men about the depot during the after
noon and when No. arrived at 6:3O
o'clock they were on the platform but dis
appeared while tho train was standing at
the station. When the train began to
move out Of the station, the two
express messengers and baggage man
shut the side doors to keep out the cold
Express Messenger John Page stepped to
the end door at the front of the car to
shut and fasten the door when it opened
and two men sprang aside. They cried:
Hold up your hands"
One ran to the rear of tho car to cover
the assistant baggageman, Ed Wright.
The trainmen were taken by surprise and
threw up their hands. The robbers COM
PEELED them to bunch in a corner of the
car and one kept them covered with two
big pistols while the other bound and
and gagged them.
He then turned his attention TO the safe
which he unlocked with the keys taken
from Pages pockets. stufIing the con-
tents into big sack which they had with
them. At this juncture the mail clerk of
the adjoining apartment came in, at
tracted by the noise, and he was immedi-
ntely bound and gagged and was thrown
in corner with the others. After
filling the sack the robbers quietly waited
until tho train whistled and slackened
speed for the Milwaukee railroad cross
ing, showing by every action perfect
familiarity with the lay of the land and
the habits of the train. When the train
stopped they stepped TO the door, sprang
out, and started on a run.
by this time the baggage man had
worked himself loose from the thongs
which bound HIM and he released his
companions just as the train was pulling
into the Ottumwa depot. The alarm was |
given, and the engine with a posse went
out TO Chillicothe. Another posse |
was led by Burlington detective, Jim |
Harrison, who recently had n desperate |
fight with bandits at Batavia, i'm which |
one was killed. This one started from
Ouumwa, and the search for the robbers |
is hasty one.
1t is believed they escaped TO an island |
in the river from where it is thought they |
crossed to the opposite side and mounted |
horses hidden in the woods and from there |
to the abandoned coal mines near Abba, !
where there is no question gang of moon |
sinners have their headquarters.
1t is the theory of the railroad men that
the two men belong TO this gang. The
Adams express officials in this city dis
claim any knowledge of tho amount
taken, but it is believed to be several
thousand dollars. The local officials at
ate hour estimated the amount at g. 900.