The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-02
Bandits Rob a Rock Island
Train in Daylight.
Make the Passengers Get Out
and Line Up.
TAKE ALL VALUABLES
They Then Rifle the Registered
Mail Pouches.
Try to Open the Express Com
pany's Safe, But Fail.

Ell Reno, I. T, Oct. 2.-Bandits rob-
bed the southbOund Rock Island pas
senger train and all it's passengers yes
terday at Siding No. 1. about five miles
south of Minco, in the Indian Terrific
ry.
The railroad and express officials
have feared hold up in that section
for several weeks, and armed guards
have been put aboard all night trains
at Ell Reno and carried through to
Chickasha.
1t had not been thought that the out
laws would be bold enough to attack
a train in midday The trainmen were
completely surprised, and they We're not
prepared to offer any resistance when
dVe masked men came upon them at
the lonely siding.
The place is uninhabfted. and the on
~ persons in the vicinity at the time
were four section men. These section
men tagged the train, the robbers hav-
ing compelled them to do so. The ban
dts were hidden at the time in brush
pile, and jumped out as soon as the
passenger train had taken the siding
Under the pressure of wholesalers and
ugly looking six shooters the trainmen
the express messenger. and all of the
score or more of passengers We're made
to climb down from the train and stand
in line. hands up, on the prairie along
the railway.
While three of the robbers covered the
badly frightened crowd with their guns,
the other two cOOlly and carefully rob
bed them, passing from one passenger
to another down the line. The bandits
secured about $500 in cash and suchval-
uables, in the way of watches, pins and
jeweIry, as were in sight.
The passengers and trainmen having
been thoroughly plucked, three of the
bandits turned their attention to the
express and mail coaches, the others
standing guard over the helpless crowd
on the prairie
quickly rihed. but the through safe in
the express car resisted all the force
and ingenuity of the road agents. When
the passengers had convinced the ban
dts that they 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 was
saved to the express company.
Having taken fOrcible possession of
everything that 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 pas
sengers aboard and hurried on to the
next station south, Chickasha. from
which point the railroad officials were
notified of the hold up. At ChickaSha
a posse of citizens was hurriedly form
ed. These citizens set out in pursuit of
the gang and officers have been dis
patched from FL Reno and other points
in this section. 1t is hardly possible
that the bandits can be OVertaken in
the prairie and they Will probably be
able to reach the Wichita mountains, to
the west of the scene of the hold up Of
ficers here believe the gang to be the
same one that held up Santa Fe trains
at Edmunds twice during last month.
A sensat fonaI feature of the hold up
IS a statement made by the conductor
of the looted train. During the robbery
one of the bandits touched his mask,
his features for moment being wholly
exposed
The conductor of the train states that
this man was Al Jennings, ex-county
attorney of Canadian county, OklahO-
ma. whose father is now probate judge
of Pottawatomie county. Oklahoma. The
family is from Kentucky, and Al Jen-
nings was educated at the University
of West Virginia
His brother. Edward Jennings. was
killed by Temple Houston in a shooting
scrape at Woodward, Oklahoma some
two years ago
AL Jennings was shot in the arm dur
ing the same ARRAY. The family is
known throughout Oklahoma, Kansas
and Colorado