Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-10-31
HELD UP A MISSOURI TnAIN
The Deed Done within Twenty Miles
of ausas City.

Kansas City, Mo-, Oct. 24.-The pas
senger and express train on the Chicago
and Alton railroad due here from Chi
cago and st. Louis at Z Z o'clock vas held
ny and robbed by our masked men last
evening at Blue cut, between Independ-
tnce and Glendale, Mo. The scene Of the
robbery is less than twenty miles dis.
tant from Kansas City. The train was
Tagged at the entrance to the cur.
While two of the robbers stood guard
over the passenger coaches the other
two covered the conductor, engineer
and fireman with their pistols and COM
PEELED them to go to the express car.
There the robbers commanded the mes
jenger TO open the door of the car, threat
ening to break the door should he re-
fuse. After some delay the robbers
We're admitted 10 the express car. They
compelled the messengers to open the
safe and extracted from il several pack
ages.
The express messenger, however, had
surmised what the trouble was. While
the bandits had been demanding adj
mission he had quickly opened the safe,
taken out the money packages and
tossed them into a chicken coop. When
he finally admitted the robbers to the
ear n opened the safe for them the
strong o contained but two or three
packages Of jewelry. Even at the point
Of the robbers pistols and Winches-
tiers the messenger insisted that he had
carried no currency.
Taking up the very little booty at
hand the outlaws ~uncoupled the ex-
press car from the coach following 1t
and then marched their prisoners for
ward to the locomotive, where they
compelled them TO sit down on the bank
alongside the track. TIL leader climbed
into the cab, tried the air and the steam
and then called to the men who were
back guarding the passenger coach to
come forward. At this juncture the en-
glneer cautioned the bandit to be care
full with the locomotive, warning him
that they were on a hill and that II he
left the engine improperly guarded at
the top of the hill 1t would crash back
into the train or else. IL left on the OPP
pcsite grade, crash down int the train
supposed TO be In waiting at ~Independ-
ence. The bandit said he would take
care Of the locomotive. With his the
outlaws pulled out. having held up the
train without having fired a shot. They
ran the locomotive to within a mile of
Independence, where they abandoned
Il. 1t was two hours before the robbery
became known. The passengers on the
train did not know what had caused the
delay until nearly two hours afterwards
and amused themselves during the long
stop by taking a straw presidential bal
lot.
AZ o as a party of trainmen could
walk to Independence the alarm was
e n out. \ deputy sheriff and posse
left independence about 8 O'Clock last
night and about the same time a squad
Of policemen were detailed from here
and left for the scene OF the robbery on
4 special train. 1t Is thought, however,
that the outlaws are now safely out
Of the way. So far as can be learned
the robbers secured only the package
Of jewelry and s25 I'm currency which
the fireman had left i'm his vest hanging
in the cab. How much money the mes
niger saved by throwing ii into the
chicken coop the express company's
officials will not say. There have been
.hrce holdups in Blue cut. The James
gang held up a train there in 1881.