The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-10-24
NOT A RICH SUCCESS
BLUE CUT is THE PLACE
The Bandits Board the Engine and
AXE the Train Near to q City.
Then Deoamp-Littls
Money taken.

Kansas City. Oct IA passenger
and express train on the Chicago q
Alton railroad. due here from Chicago
and st. Louis at Z o'clock. was held up
and robbed by four masked men this
evening In Blue cut. bewteen
Independence and Glendale. Mo- The
scene of the robbery Is less than 20
miles distant from Kansas City. The
train was tagged at the entrance to
the cut While two Of the robbers
stood guard over the passenger
coaches. the other two covered the con-
ductor and engineer and firemen with
their pistols and compelled them to 20
to the express car. Here the robbeu
commanded the messenger TO open the
door Of the car. threatening to break
In the door should he refuse. After
some delay the robbers were admitted
10 the express car. They compelled
the messenger to open the safe, and
extracted from IL several packages.
How much booty was secured cannot
be ascertained at this hour.
The express messenger. however.
had surmised what the trouble was.
While the bandits had been demand
ing admission he had quickly opened
the safe, taken out the money pack
ages and tossed them into q chicken
coop. When he finally admitted the
robbers to the car and opened the safe
for them the strong box contained but
two or three packages Of Jewelry. Even
at the point OF the robbers pistols and
Winchesters. the messenger insisted
that he had carried no currency. TAX
ing up the very little booty at hand.
the outlaws uncoupled the express car
from the coach following II and then
marched their prisoners forward to
the locomotive, where they compelled
them to sit down on the bank along
side the track. The leader climbed
into the cab, tried the air and steam,
and then called to the men who were
back In the passenger coaches to come
forward. AT this juncture the engineer
cautioned the bandit TO be careful
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 II would crash back into
the train. or else. II left on the oppo-
| site grade. crash down Into the train
supposed to be waiting at indepen-
dence. The bandit said he would take
care Of the locomotive. With this the
outlaws pulled out. having held up the
train without firing shot. They ran
the locomotive several miles to within
q mile of Independence. where they
abandoned II. 1t was two hours be-
fore the robbery became known.
The passengers on the train did not
know what had caused the delay Tor
nearly ,wo hours afterward. and
amused themselves during the long
stop by a straw presidential ballot. AZ
soon as a party OF the trainnen could
walk to Independence the alarm was
sent out. A deputy sheriff and posse
left Independence at about . O'Clock to
night, anu at about the same time q
squad OF policemen was detailed to the
scene Of the robbery on q special
train. II Is thought. however. that
the outlaws are now safely out OF the
robbers secured only the packets %
jewelry and SIS In currency which ths
fireman had left in his vest. hanging
in the cab. How much money the
messenger saved by throwing u Into
the chic~en coop the express omciatz
will not say.
There have been three holdups In
Blue Cut. The James gang held up
train here In 1881.
A. J. Fell Of Roodhouse. H.. was the
conductor on the train. James Wet
ton and A. Il. Post Of Slater. Mo-. wers
on the locomotive as engineer and fire'
man respectively. The United states
Express company's messenger wa
Andrew Shields OF ST. Louis.
Chicago. Oct. ga. Wygant, zen
eral agent of the United States Ex
press company. said tonight that tn
train that was held up never carries
much money. None was shipped frcu
Chicago by II. and what there was n
the express car must have been small
sums from way stations. The amoun
In the express car would not excees
81, 1000, In his opinion.