The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-24
ANOTHER TRAIN HELD UP AT THR
SCENE OF PREVIOUS ROB-
BERIES.
EXPRESS CAR TAKEN OFF.
MESSENGER FRIER LEFT TO FIGHT
1T OUT ALONE WITH THE
ROBBERS.
HIS FATE Is STILL UNCERTAIN.
Armed Men Securing the Country
In Search of the Desperadoes-
Christmas Parcels Rifed

KANSAS CITY, Dec. 23.-2:30 a M
At this hour no word has been received
concerning Express Messenger Frier.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Dec. 23.-Blue
Cut, made historic through the opera
tions there of the James and Younger
bands, when they were pioneers in the
train robbing industry, was the scene
tonight of It's fourth hold-up by road
agents
At 9:20 O'clock tonight the st. Louis
& Chicago express, which left Kansas
City at S:45, was tagged at Blue Cut
and came to a standstill. Masked men
Immediately covered the engineer and
fireman, and compelled them to get
down from their cab. At the same
time another member of the bandit
gang uncOupled the express car from
the rest of the train. The robbers
quickly climbed aboard the locomotive
and the express car, and before the
surprised trainmen had time to collect
their wits the bandits We're speeding
down the steep grade beyond the Blue
Cut with the engine and the express
coach, and Express Messenger A. =.
Frier, of ST. Louis, was prisoner In
the express car.
At midnight no word had been re-
ceived here of the train or robbers.
From Independence to Glendale, the
next station beyond, it is six miles, and
the supposition is that the robbers
have looted the car and left the train
somewhere In the woods between the
two stations. The fate of Express
Messenger Frier is causing consider
able anxiety.
Kansas City officials Of the United
States Express company state that tho
train carried very little cash, but that
the car was filled with an enormous
amount Of miscellaneous express Of
great value. Christmas boxes made up
a considerable amount of the treasure
Of Express Messenger Frier all the Of
ficials will say Is that he Is heavily
armed and is dead game,' but they
admit that the chances are all against
him.
When the robbery became known at
Independence posse Of county officials
set out for the scene Of the hold-up,
and at midnight County Marshal Kesh-
lear was arranging to send out a forca
OF officers from Kansas City.
At l O'Clock this CFhursday) morn
ing a. telephone message was received
from Glendale stating that Engineer
f. =. Meade and his fireman had ar
robbery they set out towards Glendale
in search Of their locomotive. They
found their engine dead in a cut mile
east of Glendale with the express car,
but the report says nothing about the
fate OF the express messenger. Engi-
neer Meade Is reported to have said
that there were three robbers, and
that he identified them as three of the
men who held up the train two months
ago. Engineer Meade ram the engine
on that train.
The first details of a definite nature
from the passenger train were received
here from Independence ait 1:3O o'clock,
after the arrival there Of Marshal
Keshlear's relief train, sent out from
Kansas City. Beyond Independence
this train picked up the passengers
and baggage coach that had been left
by the robbers at Blue Cut and pulled
them back to the siding at Independ-
ence.
Conductor Nichols, in an interview at
Independence, stated that when the
train was brought to a standstill at the
cut he stepped out upon the rear plat
form, only to have a pistol thrust un-
his nose.
"Just keep your mouth shut don't
want to hurt anybody" was what the
road agent said to him. He had moth
ing to say.
A moment later the bandit said:
Look here, young fellow, have you got
any Of the company's money!"
The conductor drew out four dollars
and displayed them in front of the
robber. The latter took two dollars
with the remark: ''Well, I'll Just divide
it with YOU
None of the passengers were molest-
ed, but the greatest confusion prevailed
aboard the train when it became known
that they were in the hands Of robbers.
There was a wild scramble to hide
valuables After taking the stranded
train into independence, Marshal Kesh-
lears relief train went on to Glendale
to pick up the locomotive and the ex-
press car, which were left some distance
east Of that station.