Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1897-10-09
EIGHT ROAD AGENTS.
THEY HELD UP AN EXPRESS TRAIN.
Failed to Dynamite the Treasure
safe-T,be Train Crew Lost Their
Nonex-snnir Took Place In the
Suburbs of Kansas City.

Kansas CITY Mo-, Oct. bandits held
up the Chicago & Alton express train last
night at a point less than six miles from
Kansas City. The robbery is the third
occurrence of the kind on that road with
in a wear all within 10 miles of this city
The Chicago and st. Louis express, which
pulled out of the union depot at $3.50 last
evening was stopped by eight masked men
at Evanston, suburban stopping place
just beyand Washington park Evanston
is about eight miles nearer to Kansas City
than Blue Cut, made celebrated by the
notorious James gang, which was the
scene of two previous robberies ON the
Chicago & Alton. The train was stopped
at the Evanston siding by the explosion
of torpedoes which had been placed on
the track. When the conductor and
brakeman went out to ascertain the cause
of the trouble they were covered with re-
volvers in the hands of four of the eight
road agents The other four quickly coy
cred the engineer and fireman. The
brakemen were compelled to uncouple the
baggage and express cars from the pas
senger coaches. While this was being done
one of the robbers busted himself by 60
ing through the pockets of Conductor
Graves who was robbed of $22 in coin.
In the meantime the bandits at the
head of~the train had ordered Engineer
Nollette and his fireman to climb down
out of their cab Engineer VOllette hest
tated until pistol ball was sent whist
ling by his ears. He and the fireman, aft
ter this persuasion, climbed down quick
ly and two of the robbers took their
places
The others of the bandit gang jumped
aboard the baggage and express cars.
This part of the train they ran up the
track toward independence. Mo. about
quarter of a mile. There they compelled
the frightened express messenger to open
the door of his car. The door once open
they dragged the messenger out by the
legs, throwing him to the ground. and
then took his gun away from him. The
messenger was then compelled to walk
back toward the other portion of the
train.
Dynamite Failed.
After securing complete possession of
thef engine and the baggage and express
1tfs, thssbandits placed "A sticks of dy-
Mantle upon the big through safe and
lifted the small way safe on top of the
big one. They applied the fuse and evil
IDENTIFY waited for the explosive to reveal
to them the treasure for which so much
had been risked But for some reason the
explosive did not 90 off, and from the sub
sequent developments it is evident that
dynamite had great terrors for the men
who were not afraid to run the ordinary
risk of train robbery. 1t is clear that
they were afraid to return to the express
car, for, after waiting a few minutes for
the expected explosion, they hurriedly left
the place, running into the underbrush
which skirts the railway in that sec
ton.
The trainmen. who had been left behind
with the passenger coaches, politely wait
ed a reasonable length of time for the rob
bers to complete their work and then ran
ahead to the engine and the two cars.
After some delay, for they, too, were
afraid of the dynamite, they succeeded
in lifting down the small safe and throw
ing out the dynamite. The engine was
then run back to the rest of the train and
ON, and after full two hours de-
lay the express resumed the journey to-
ward st. Louis.
Passengers Had VnIuabIes.
The passengers, especially the ladies,
were much frightened, and when the rob
bers began shooting at Engineer NolIette
there was wild scramble i'll all the
coaches Diamonds, jewelry and other
yaluables were hidden in every place con
oeivable in passenger coach
Two Chicago & Alton detectives were
in the train Both were badly scared and
neither of them put in an appearance out
side of their coach until it was all over
but the telling of how it was done. Gen
aral Superintendent Gray was also on the
train.
The express messenger was not only
roughly handled by the road agents, but
was robbed of $3l from his private purse.
The passengers made up purse OF S23
and gave it to him.
County Marshal Chiles and several dep
uties, as well as a squad of city police, left
for the scene of the robbery about mid
night on special train. There seems to
be little chance of their overtaking any
robbers, as it is believed the gang, by scat
tering and coming in one at time Will
have little trouble in getting back into
Kansas City or Independence.
Robbed of $4,000 and Beaten.
Washington, Iowa, Oct I. - Harvey