The herald., 1897-01-05
The Blue Cut Miscreants All
Located
EVIDENCE ENOUGH TO HANG
Given by One Of the Robbers Under
Arrest
Trainwreckers in Jail at Birmingham
Thought to Be the Fiends Who
Caused the Cahaba Horror
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
KANSAS CITY, Jan. 4.-This morn
ing detectives working on the Blue Cut
train robbery case brought in another
suspect, arrested near Cs2ndale, who
made full confession. His name Is
Jim Flynn. He is farmer and has
lived in the vicinity of Blue Cut for f1f-
teen years. Flynn implicated Engineer
Kennedy, who is under arrest, and an
other man who will doubtless soon be
captured.
Flynn's confession tells in minute de-
! tail how the hold-up Of the Chicago and
Alton trains in Blue Cut were planned,
with Kennedy as the arch plotter. 1t
gives the names of all the men in each of
the affairs tells how the money was di-
vided and where the jewelry was buried
near the scene of the robberies. Be-
sides Kennedy and Flynn The gangs are
said to have included two others, foc
whom the officers are now searching. A
quantity of jewelry as indicated by
Flynn was found buried near Cracker
Neck, together with SIS in gold, two
shotguns, three revolvers and a mask.
A FIENDISH PLOT
- i<O oio, Jdll. IA SPeCidl 10 LHe
Republic from Birmingham, Ala, says:
Four of the five trainwreckers in Jail
here today confessed to the formation
of fiendish plot to wreck and rob the
Southern Railways fast express from
Washington, D. c.. at McComb's trestle,
twelve miles east of the city, on Decem-
Der 10, and this confession leads to the
belief that the same gang removed the
rail which wrecked the Birmingham
mineral train at Cahaba river bridge,
causing the death of twcnty-six people
and injuring eleven others on December
p although those under arrest are, as
yet silent as to this wreck.
Last week five negroes, Andrew Fea-
gan. Tom Ingram, Tom Parker Emanuel
Billings and Rome Scales. were arrested
by deputy sheriffs and railroad detec-
tives, 1t is said, on a confession of one
of the number All were miners at the
Henry Ellen mine, near McCombs tres
tie. Today all but Feagan confessed.
Parker, who did most of the talking,
says Feagan was the leader of the plot,
that he proposed the wrecking of the
train one night at a dance as good
scheme by which to get Christmas
money, and that the five agreed to en-
gage in the work with the understand
ing that those who failed to stand to
the agreement would be killed by the
others.
w neil the time came Tor action all
weakened but Feagan and Parker They
went to McComb's trestle, ninety feet
high, by night, and entered upon the
work of drawing out spikes and remov-
ing bolts from the rails. The plan was
to club to death and shoot those passen-
gers who were not killed by the crash
when the train fell to the ravine ninety
feet below. Not until the second night
was their death trap ready. They waited
by camp fire In the ravine below The
fast express came, but Engineer Halves
saw that a rail was out of place and
managed to stop his train, only, how
ever after every wheel had left the
track. Seeing that their plot had failed,
Parker says he and Feagan fed, mount
ed on a mule. Here the confessions
end, but as the Cahaba wreck was like
McComb's attempted wreck in every
detail, except that it was successful
even to the extent of sacrificing twenty
six lives and the wounded and dead be-
ing robbed by the wreckers, it is regard
ed as we'll nigh certain that the same
gang committed both deeds, and fur
ther developments are expected very
soon.
Late tonight officers came into In
dependence from the Cracker Neck dis
trict with another culprit, who is charged
with completely in the Alton hold-up.
The prisoner is young farmer named
George Bowlin. He is reported to have
made confession in which he corrobo-
rates the confession of Flynn, implicat-
ing John F. Kennedy as the leader il
the band, and others who are still at
large.