The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-07
WILDWORK KONATRAIN
Mob of Drunken Colored People Ter
ror1ze Santa Fe Train.

Santa Fe westbound train No z.
which arrives in this city at IL :35 D. m.
was taken possession of by gang of
Negro toughs at Eudora Saturday night
and the occupants of the cars COM
pletely terrorized. The gang numbered
about 90 half of whom were women.
and all were thoroughly intoxicated
Several were armed with revoIvers and
knives, and shots were fired through
the car floors to intimidate the passen-
gers. A number of the passengers were
surrounded and robbed of all the mon
ey in their possession. The affair was
a most high handed outrage, and has
never been equaIed since the frontier
days of the state.
A number of Topeka people were on
the train, among the number three en-
ployes of the accounting department of
the Santa F'e. One of these young men
was robbed of about s6, and the other
two are supposed to have been robbed
of smaller amounts They refused, how
ever, to say anything about the matter
today, for the reason, probably that eff
forts are being made by the company
to capture and punish the offenders.
Ihe secret service department of the
road prOfessed entire ignorance of the
matter when inquiry was made today
and said that no report had been re
c6lNeO Inc department stated, how
ever, that a thorough investigation
would be made and the Negroes prose
cuted if found.
c. NJ. Benjamin, a travelling man of
New York city, who is now stopping at
the Copeland, was also on the train and
told the story of the affair to a Journal
reporter:
When the train stopped at the Eu-
dora station one of the coaches was
boarded by a gang of Negroes number
ing about 20, half of whom were wo-
men. All were intoxicated and COM
menced to shout and curse as soon as
they entered the car. All the seats in
the car were occupied, and the Negroes
Immediately demanded that the passen-
gers Vacate the seats for them. Several
pulled reVOlVerS and fired shots through
the car floor. This had the desired eff
feet and the majority of the passengers
left their seats and went into the other
coaches.
The gang first turned their attention
to the news agent or train butcher
He at first showed some resistance but
was surrounded and his entire stock of
fruits, candy, gum, etc, cleaned out.
While disposing of his wares they set
tied themselves in the seats and con-
tented themselves with doing nothing
worse than cursing and shouting
Just at this juncture Conductor Har-
ry Campbell who was in charge of the
train, came into the car to collect the
fares. He stepped up to one of the
ring leaders of the gang who was sit
ting in one of the forward seats and
demanded the fare, The fellow pulled
a revolver from his pocket and pushed
the barrel against the breast of the
conductor.
What do you want?' he demanded.
you - - You don't want
anything, do you?"
Under such circumstances standing
as he was in the face of death, Con-
ductOr Campbell could do or say moth
ing but to ask to be left unmolested
The Negro laughed derisiVely and with
drew the revolver, and Campbell made
his exit from the car. None of the train
men or passengers were armed, and
could do nothing against the party of
tOughs. Those who were in the coach
eS to the rear of the car the Negroes
boarded, removed to the Pullman cars
and locked the doors. The passengers
in the forward car were absolutely at
the mercy of the intoxicated ScOundrels
and it is almost a miracle that one
or more murders was not committed.
After dispOsing of the news agents
stock the Negroes went from one car to
another yelling and firing shots through
gers were surrounded and their pock-
cts rified of money, but none dared to
show the slightest resistance.
AT the water tank a short distance
east of Lawrence, the train stopped for
water, and the Negroes took advan-
tage of the secluded place to leave the
train. When it was known that they
had left the train order was restored
among the passengers and those who
had taken refuge in the Pullman cars
returned to their seats in the coaches" ."
The Santa Fe company should leave
nothing undOne to thoroughly inveSti-
gate the affair and bring the guilty
parties to justice Such an outrage
should not go unpunished-
This particular train coming up
from Kansas City at the time it does is
particularly subject to drunken out
breaks some times by whites and
some times by blacks