The San Francisco call., 1897-10-02
An Ear Shot Off a Victim for
Showing Signs of Com
batiVeneSS.
EXPRESS SAFE RESISTS
DYNAMITE.
The Outlaws Take to the Prairie,
With Posse in Hopeless
Pursuit.

Ell RENO; o. T., Oct. !. - Bandits
robbed the south bound Rock Island train
and all lis passengers at IL O'Clock this
forenoon at siding No, l. about five miles
south OF Minco, in the Indian Territory.
The railroad and express officials have
feared holdup in that section for several
weeks, and armed guards have been put
aboard all night trains at Ell Reno and
carried through TO Chickasaw, but it had
not been thought that the outlaws would
be bold enough to attack a train in mid
day.
This morning the trainmen were COM
pletely surprised and they were not pre-
pared to offer any resistance when five
masked men came upon them at the
lonely siding. The place is uninhabited
and the only persons il the vicinity at the
time were four section men.
These section men tagged the train, the
70 obbers having compelled them to do So
The bandits were hidden at the time in
a brushpile, and jumped out as soon as
the passenger train had taken the siding
Under the pressure OF Wine hesters and
ugly looking sixshooters the trainmen,
express messenger and all of the score or
more of passengers were made to cim b
down from the train and stand in line,
hands up, on the prairie along the rail-
way.
While three of the robbers covered the
badly frightened crowd with their guns,
The other two coolly and carefully robbie B
them, passing from one passenger to an
other down the line. The bandits secured
about $500 In cash and such other valu-
ables in the way of watches, pins and
iewe ry as were in sight.
The few women passengers were not
compelled TO give up their valuables, and
Rev. Mr.. Roe, one of the passengers, who
was sick, was not compelled to leave the
coach.
Jim Wright of Minco showed disposi-
tion to resist when the bandits ordered
"hands up,' and they shot one OF his ears
of to prove to his satisfaction that his
bravery was i'll advised. Wrights hands
then went up. No one else VAS injured.
The passengers and trainmen having
been thoroughly plucked, three OF the
bandits turned their attention to the ex-
press and nail coaches, the others stand
ing guard over the hapiess crowd on the
prairie. The registered mail pouches were
quickly rified, but the through safe IN the
t4p 4pTeSS Cat TeSlSteu dli Tic loECS anu IN
genuity of the road agents.
When the m essenger had convinced the
bandits shat he could not open the strong
box, they resorted to dynamite. Several
heavy charges were exploded, but the
safe proved bandit-proof, and though it
was badly battered, its contents were
saved 10 the express company.
Having taken fercIble possession OF
everything they could carry away, the
bandits mounted their horses and rode
off toward the west.
AS soon as the trainmen could collect
their wits: they got their scared passen-
gers aboard and hurried on to the next
station south-Chickasaw- which
point the railroad officials were notified of
the holdup.
At Chickasa a posse of citizens was hur-
riedly formed. These citizens set out in
pursuit of the gang and officers have been
dispatched from El Reno and other points
in this section, but il is hardly possible
that the bandits can be overtaken in the
prairie country, and they will probably be
able 10 reach the Wichita Mountains to
the west of the scene OF the hold up.
Officers here believe the gang 10 be the
same one that held up Santa Fe trains at
Edmunds twice during the last month.