The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-25
WAS WELL PLANNED
ADDITIONAL DETAILS OF THE BLUE
CUT HOLD-UP.

the October job Was the Work of Green
horns, Trainmen Identify Some o
Them With Members of the Presen
Gang-OId and Seasoned Hands-E1
press Messenger Was Caught Runnini
Wide Open-Robbers Probably Made
Good HauI-stories of Trainmsn.
Kansas City, Dec. 24.-It was SIS thu
morning before the Chicago and Altor
train, held up and robbed at Blue Cut
near Independence last night, was finally
got together after having been cut II
two by the robbers, and the trip to st
Louis resumed This made it fully six
hours off schedule time Up to 10 O'Clock
this morning local officials both of the
United States Express company and the
railway had received nothing more def
mite regarding their respective losses and
nothing positive could be known until
the train arrived from st. Louis. The
express officials felt satisfied that the
through safe was not opened, and even
II it had been, they said. but little of
value would have been obtained by the
robbers as the bulk of value was made
up of Christmas packages. The value
of these, many Of which were carried OF
or desnoiled by the robbers, cannot be
estimated.
Marshal Keshlear, who started in pur-
suit Of the robbers, with a number of
deputies last night, had not at that time
returned. The probabilities of the i'm
mediate capture of the robbers, how
not hrio
opportunity TO escape.
When the excitement among the pas
sengers and crew who had been cut off
from the engine and express car, had
abated, a number of the trainmen who
had been left with the train, started on
foot TO find the balance of the train. 1t
was fully two hours after the robbery oc-
CURED that the crew came up with the
engine and the express car, fully three
miles from where the train had been
stopped When the door of the baggage
car was opened by one of the crew. Ex-
press Messenger J. A. Fryer, who had
been left by the robbers with the COM
mand not to move under the pain Of
death, quickly emerged from his cramp-
ed position and aided the others in patch
ing I'D the train. There was evidence of
money packages having been opened,
and ii was the general opinion that sew
eral thousand dollars had been taken.
Messenger Fryer could give no estimate
of the loss, however. He had a good
view of the robbers and described two Of
them as being quite tall, and, he thought
smoothly shaver. They were about %
years of age. The third man, the one
who attempted to blow open the safe.
was about So years old and had a small
rnoustache. The robbers had all evil
IDENTIFY left the scene Immediately, con-
Guiding that it would be useless 10 break
into the through safe. although Fryer
remained in the car alone two hours af-
ter they left.
II seems positive that the through safe,
which ordinarily carries thousands of
dollars. was not opened. Had the rob-
hers succeeded in opening it, they would,
more than likely, have made rich haul,
notwithstanding the express company
officials statement that it contained but
little.
George P. Griffin, depot agent of the
company. who knew the contents of the
safe. refused to make a statement. 1t
Will be remembered that George E. Ross.
the company's local cashier. now under
arrest charged with embezzlement. han
died over 100000 on the day before ne
left and it was Sunday. The belief is
that just at this time even that amount
was exceeded and that this plum is
wha. the robbers were after.
s neon word was received from Clark
e. *. a small place near Blue Cut,
that man believed TO be one Of the rob-
Sers had been held there. A special train
bearing officers was soon started from
Independence to make the arrest. No |
description of the man was given.
ON HISTORIC GROUND.
II was at Blue Cut in 1881 that the /
Iav Hold md /
ton traiu and made one of the biggest /
hsu;s in the history of train robbing A /
few years later another big train robbery |
was committed AT the same place. and /
two months ago last night, October %, |
the hold up az Blue Cut occurred.
The men who planned the robbery in |
October were local novices and got moth !
ing Two members of the gang have 1
since been arrested and are in Jail Their |
aocomplices are known and are fugitives /
Though Blue Cut is less than fifteen |
miles distant from Kansas City, il is in /
a Wild and unsettled section and an ideal |
spot for such outlawry. II is a deep cut |
through solid rock and. except in broad |
daylight, is almost as dark as a tunnel.
For a long time ii was patrolled day |
and night, bu; a few years ago. after the [
bandit gangs about here were supposed
to have been effectually broken up, the
II.
ed thai two train robberies within as
many months will result in return TO
the old precautions.
ENGINEERS STORY.
Engineer Witten, who had charge OF
the train, was also engineer of the train
that was held up at the same place two
months ago. He says he recognizes the
men as those who committed the previ-
Gus robbery and tells the following story
Of last nights hold-up:
Il saw a red light CLEAN across the
track and / stopped the train because i,
was my duty, TO do SO. l looked out of
the cab into the barrels of two revolvers
and a shotgun. The leader was a short
medium man. who / quickly recognized
as the man who had held me up the last
time.
lyon again. he said, as he ordered
me and the fireman TO come down. You
know how il is when a mans on the |
hog train. We're out for the stuff
Conductor Nichols came up from the
rear of the train to see why we had
stopped. He was ordered 10 throw 10
his hands and ne obeyed I don't know
whether the leader is an engineer or not
but ne is certainly railroad man ard
an engine While his pals
kept us covered he cut the baggage cars
and engine loose and was soon tearing
down the track. The conductor went
back to Independence to report the rob
berry and the fireman and l followed the
cars and engine. When we reached the
cars in Blue Cut the robbers had gone
and we trudged on 10 past Glendale
where we found the train. Ii is my opin-
lor that the robbers left the train before
Glendale and then turned il
loose II stopped at the top of an in
cline because there was no water left
n the boiler"
MESSENGERS STORY