The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-07
Failed TO Secure Booty,

KANSAS CITY, Oct 6.-Bandits held
up a Chicago e Alton express train
tonight at a point less than six miles
from Kansas City. The robbery IS
the third occurring on the railroad with
in year, all within fifteen miles of
this CITY, The Chicago & st. Louis ex-
press, which pulled out of the Union
depot at 7:3O this evening, was stopped
by three masked men at Evanston, a
suburban stopping place just beyond
Washington Park. Evanston is about
eight miles nearer to Kansas City than
Blue cut, made celebrated by the no.
torious James gang and which was
the scene of two previous robberies on
the Chicago & Alton this year, one on
Dec. 23 last, and one on Oct. % last.
The train was stopped at Evanston
Sld1ng by the explosion of torpedoes
which had been placed on the track.
when the conductor and brakemen
went out to ascertain the cause of the
trouble they were covered with re
volvers in the hands of four of the road
agents. The others quickly covered the
engineer and fireman. The brakemen
were compelled to uncouple the bag
gage and express cars from the pas
senger coaches. While this was being
dOACy Ollc VI Tie TODD6TS QuSleQ nlnl-
self by going through the pockets of
Conductor Graves, who was robbed of
$22 In coin. In the meantime the ban
dts at the head of the train had or
dered Engineer Wollette and his fire.
man to climb down out of the cab
Engineer Vollett hesitated and ball
was sent Whistling by his ears. He
and the fireman. after this persuasion,
climbed down quickly, and two of the
robbers Immediately took their places
Two others of the bandit crowd jumped
aboard the baggage and express cars
This part of the train they ran up the
track towards independence, Mo-.
about a quarter of a mile. There they
compelled the frightened express mes
senger to open the door of his car. The
door once opened, they dragged the
messenger out by the legs and throw
ing him to the ground they took his
gun away from him. The messenger
was then compelled to walk back to-.
ward the other portion ofthe train.
After securing complete possession Of
the engine and the baggage and ex-
press cars, the bandits placed a stick
of dynamite on the big through safe
and then lifted the smaller way safe
| upon top of it. They applied the fuse
and the match and then evidently
waited for the explosion to reveal the
| treasure for which so much had been
| risked. But for some reason the ex-
plosiive did not go off, and from the
subsequent developments 1t is evident
that dynamite had great terrors for
| the men who were not afraid to run the
ordinary risks OF train robbery. 1t Is
clear they were afraid to return to the
express car after waiting a few
minutes for the expected explosion,
they hurriedly left the place, running
into the underbrush, which skirts the
railway in that section.
The train men who had been left be-
hind with the passenger coaches po-
litely waited reasonable length Of
time for the robbers to complete their
work, and then ran ahead to the en-
CINE and two cars After some delay,
for they, too, were afraid of the dyna-
mite, they succeeded in lifting down
the small safe and throwing out the
dynamite. The engine was then run
back to the rest of the train and cou-
pied on, and after full two hours de-
Law the express resumed the journey
towards st. Louis.
The passengers, especially the ladies,
were very much frightened, and when
the robbers began shooting at Eng1n-
eer Valotte there was a wild scramble
in all the coaches Diamonds. jewelry
and other valuables were hidden Ill
every place conceivable in a passenger
coach.
Two Chicago & Alton detectives were
on the train. Both were badly scared,
and neither of them put in an appear
apce outside of their coach until IL was
all over but the telling of how it was
| done.
General Superintendent w. e. Gray
| was also on the train. The express
messenger was not only roughly
handled by the road agents but was
robbed Of s31 from his private purse.
The passengers made up purse of S25
and gave it to him.
County Marshal Chiles and several
deputies, as well as a squad or city
noIice. left for the scene of the robbery
at midnight on special train. There
seems to be little chance Of their over
taking any of the robbers, as it is be-
lieved the gang by scattering and COM
ing in one at a time, will have little
trouble in getting back into Kansas
City or Independence.