The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-24
HELD UP.
Train Robbed in
Missouri.
The Gang Was Very De-
liberate in Its Work.
Made the Express Messenger
Their Prisoner.
Compelled Him TO Give Up the Keys
TO One Of the Safes.
Compelled Him TO Give Up the Keys
TO One Of the Safes.
Started to Blow Other Open With Dy-
Mantle, But Were Dissuaded.

KANSAS jITY, Mo-, Dec. "a. The first
definite information from the held-up
passenger train on The Chicago & Alton
road, wss received here from Indepen-
dence sfier the arrival there OF Marshal
Kishier's relief train. sent out from Kan
sss City. Beyond Independence this
train picked up the passenger and bag
gage coaches that had been left by the
robbers, and pulled them back to the
siding at Independence.
Conductor Nichols, in an interview at
Independence stated that when tue train
was brought To a standstill at the cot,
he stepped out on the rear platform,
only to have pistol thrust under mis-
nose.
"Just keep your mouth shut, don't
want to hurt anybody" was what the
man said to him. A moment later the
bandit said: "Look here, young fellow,
have you got any OF the company's
money!
The conductor held up "a and displayed
them In front OF the robber. The robo er
took the dollars with the remark:
swell. Pll just divide it with you"
None OF the passengers were molested
but the greatest confusion prevailed
aboard the train when IL became known
that they were i'm the hands of robbers.
There was a wild scramble to hide valu-
ables. Alter taking the stranded train
into Independence, Marshal Kishier's
relief tain went on to Glendale 10 pick
h. iva nd biob
were left some distance of that
station.
At 2:30 o'clock this morning the ex-
press car. was brought back to lndepen-
dence and Express Messenger j. A. Frier
told the story OF the robbery. About five
mintes after bis car was detached from
the train, ne said. he heard a rap at the
side door and thinking 1t was the brake
man, opened II. man with a shot gun
compelled him to retreat into the car
while two Others followed with revolvers
and ordered him 10 throw up his hands.
1he men then pulled him from the car
and asked him In he had any money.
He was too excited to answer. They then
picked him up and threw him bodily
back into the car and one OF the men.
who wore q mask, as aid the others,
climbed in. The man in the car proceed
ed to the large safe and threw down a
Kit of tools in front Of 1t. The otner two
held guns at Frier's head. " hile the third
one proceeded coolly to break open the
ssfe. Frier told the man who was at
work on the safe 1t was useless for him
to blow II open as there was no money in
it. One of the men stood at the door
covering Frier all the time with q revol-
YER, then he said. "well damn you. give
us the keys OF the samll safe. Frier re-
fused to do this and the two men VINO
had remsined on the outsides lesped into
the car. They jumped on krier, pinned
him ON the floor and took tho keys Of the
small safe away from him. lie was then
| cpucsed up into a corner with two guns
held to mis- Eead and told to stay there.
The third man then took the keys, opened
| the small safe and took from ii n num Der
OF packages OF money and after therob-
bers lad secured the contents of the
small safe they again ATTEMPTED to open
| the large one.
A smell hole ono eighth OF an inch Nss
made In the large safe and two sticks
| of dynamite put In. Frier again talked TO
| the men, telling them that they were
wasting time, a. there was not penny
| In tho large safe. This time tney desisted
from their attempt to open it and pre-
pared to leave. Before they went away
ono OF the men walked over to Frier, and
taking two bills from his pocket said
"Here, help yourself to Christmas
present. weimads good haul" II Is
now known that a large amount was Sc
cured. The robbers started TO leave the
car, hut before doing so turned TO Frier,
who by that time was grestly excited.
| and told him thst they had used him faii
| and that he ought to give them some
| thing cut Of his salary. Frisr said be did
not have any mpney ON -persnn--Eni
| they did not believe MIN ana made z
search OF his clio. ming. As soon as the ex
press messenger had b,en driven into tho
| car the robbers boarded the engine and
went at a high rsts Of speed about two
| miles, where tic cagiDe WAS shandoned
| II was impos.ih 10 estimate the amount
| OF money taken from the small .is, a.
the express messenger refused to ststs a.
lie al mits. however, that there 80.
| great deal cf money which was beint
sbippcd for gbrist mas. rs fair &c STATE
I at several thousand dollars. however.