The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-12-31
\ The FAMOUS BLUE CUT.
MOTHER BOLD TRAIN ROBBERY
OCCURRED AT THAT POINT
LAST NIGHT.
kPRESS MESSENGER IS MISSING
Robbers Took the Engine and Express
Oar, With the Messenger Locked In,
Several Miles-Details of the
Robbery Are Meager.

Kansas City, Dec. 23.-Blue cut, made
historic through the operations there of
thel James and Younger bands when they
we're pioneers in the train robbing indus
|ry, was the scene tonight of it's fourth
2SNd-up by road agents.
fyAt $50 tonight the st. Louis and Chi
),ago express, which left Kansas City at
8:45, was tagged at Blue cut and came
10 a standstill. Masked men Immediately
covered the engineer and fireman and
compelled them to get down from their
cab. At the sametime another member
Of the bandits uncoupled the express car
from the rest of the train. The robbers
1uuickly climbed aboard the engine and
express car, and before the surprised
ktrainmen had time to collect their wits
the bandits were speeding down the
steep grade beyond Blue cut with the en-
CINE and express car, and Express Mes
senger A. ]. Fryer of st. Louis n pris-
oner in the car.
4 At midnight no word had been received
there of the train or robbers. From In
n dependence to Glendale, the next station
beyond, it is six miles, and the supposition
N is that the robbers have looted the car
and left the train somewhere in the
4 woods between the two stations. The
y fate Of Express Messenger Fryer causes
: considerable anxiety.
Express officials state that the train
carried very little cash, but the car was
allied with an enormous amount of goods
!. NIgreat value. OF the express messen-
ASthe officials say he is heavily
II led and a Sdead game" man, but they
6lmit the chances are against him.
When the robbery became known at In
dependence large posse went out for
the scene
The first definite information from the
passenger train was received here from
Independence after the arrival there of
Marshal Kessler's relief train from Kan
sas City. Beyond Independence this
train picked up the passenger and bag
gage coach that had been left by the rob
bers ut the cut and pulled them back to
the siding at Independence.
Conductor Nichols stated that when the
train was brought to a standstill at the
cut he stepped out on the rear platform,
only to have a pistol thrust under his
nose.
Just keep your mouth shut don't |
want to hurt anybody" was what the
road agent said to him. He had nothing |
to say. A moment later the bandit said:
"Look here, young fellow, have you got |
any Of the company's money"
The conductor dug up 81 and displayed
them in front of the robber. The rob
Der took 50 with the remark, "Welr I'll
iust divide it with you"
None of the passengers were molested,
but the greatest confusion prevailed
aboard the train when it became known
they were in the hands of robbers.
fter taking the stranded train into
Independence, Marshal Kesscr's relief
train was sent out to Glendale to pick
up the locomotive and the express car,
which was left some distance east of
that station.
At O'Clock this Thursday morning
4 telephone message was received from
Glendale stating that Engineer q. ID.
Meade and his fireman had arrived there.
after the robbery they set
out towards Glendale in search Of their
engine. They found their locomotive
dead" Iin cut mile east of Glendale
with the express car, but the reports say
nothing about the fate of the express
messenger.
Engineer Meade is reported to have
said that there were three robbers and
that he identified them as three of the
gSR who held up the train two months
ineer Meade was in charge of that
2:30 no word can be had of Ex-
Messenger Fryer, though further
rmation is momentariiy expected from
when Marshal Kessler and !
lis men shall have returned from the w.