The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-28
MOTORMAN GAME.
Attempt to Rob a Trolley Car a
Failure.

KANSAS CITY, Nov. 27.-Midnight
last night. four men led by Oscar Bird
ges. said to be a bridge and parachute
Jumper Of more or less notorlety, maze
an unsuccessful attempt to hold up
and rob an electric car filed with pas
sengers, bound for Independence.
The car was the regular theater car
returning to Independence and con-
tanned seventy passengers. When 1t
reached lonely spot midway between
the two cities, Bridges, unmasked
jumped onto the rear platform and
going through the car to the front end,
boldly thrust a revolver to the breast
of the motorman. Another OF the gang
who had quickly followed Bridges and
who wore a mask had just entered the
rear door and was in the act of order
ing the passengers to hold up their
hands when the conductor threw him
from the car, which the motorman IN
some manner had been able to start.
The two remaining robbers, who, 1t
appears, were to have covered the con-
ductor, became frightened at the quick
action displayed by him and when the
second robber alighted on the ground,
the three made off to the woods. In
the meantime, Bridges was tusselling
with the motorman to whose aid some
Of the male passengers had come. Many
of the women became paralyzed with
fright and screamed or cried, refusing
to be quoted by the conductor or their
male escorts. Bridges was finally over
powered without having fired his re-
volver and the car proceeded on It's
return to Independence.
This morning Bridges was brought
here and after several hours In the
sweat box admitted his identity and
gave the names of his pals. In addi-
ton. a saloonkeeper whose name is
Ill in at iOY1 tn the
police which makes it almost positive
that the men are the same who robbed
the Chicago & Alton train, and who
have committed other depredationS in
and around Kansas City within the
past two months.
This afternoon the police gave out the
names Of the robbers as follows: Oscar
Bridges, Eugene Ridgeway, Ernest
Ridgeway and James Repine. All are
under twenty-five years Of age. The
R;dgeway boys live at Sheffield, a small
suburb near the scene Of the hoid-up.
Eugene is a barber and Ernest is a
professional high diver. Repine, who
is tWenty-one years old, comes of re-
spectacle parents and lives at Centrop-
oils a suburb of Kansas City.
The GOODNESS and courage Of Motor
man A. T. Rollins and Conductor Lloyd
jackson doubtless saved the passengers
from being robbed. Motorman Rollins
said today that he thought at first
that Bridges was joking. but when his
saw the polished barrel of a forty five
calibre revolver pushed against his
breast and heard the order to "hold up
your hands" repeated, his hands went
up. At this moment the robber glanced
back into the car evidently to see
whether his confederates were doing
their part Quick as a flash Rollins
swung his left fist, landing a blow in
the robbers face that knocked him
against the controller. Rollins then
caught the robber by the throat and
choked him until he gave up the strug-
gle.
Four months ago Bridges gained con-
siderable notoriety by leaping from the
top girder of the Hannibal bridge here
into the Missouri river and swimming
out safely.
Leavenworth, Kan, Nov. 27.-Alex.
Repine and Ernest Ridgeway, wanted
in Kansas City for holding up an indie
pendence electric car, were arrested
here tonight.