Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-11-06

he became involved IN row IN one or the
how resorts Of the town. He was engaged
In game Of cards, and in O dispute that
arose he shot and killed the two cowboys
who were playing against him He was
arrested and tried for murder, but was &C.
quilted on the ground Of self defense.
Jennings then went to Oklahoma. He
and his brothers, Frank and Ed, all of
whom had studied law, subsequently be-
came United States deputy marshals un-
der Marshal Bill Grimes. They were very
active in the pursuit and capture of crimi-
nails and it was undoubtedly the knowl-
edge thus gained as to the most approved
methods of conducting successful train
hold ups that enabled the Jennings gang
to do such q neat job Of holding up the
RocE Island express train in broad day
light.
The Jennings boys, while acting as
United States deputy marshals, were brave
and efficient officers and engaged in some
of the most desperate man hunts that
have occurred within the borders of the
two territories. Their worst fault was
that they drank too much, and when I'M
der the influence Of liquor were hot tenn
pered and dangerous men to meet. 1t is
n curious fact that a number of the BRAY
est men that have ever served Uncle Sam
as deputy marshals have, after having
themselves been the terror of outlaws,
Joined the ranks of these border ruffians
and become leaders of desperate bands.
There seems to be fatal fascination for
them in the life of outlawry with which
they have become familiar in the prosecu-
ton of their dangerous work and almost
before they are aware they have crossed
the Rubicon and are henceforth numbered
among the Ishmaelites of the border.
The Jennings gang is believed to be
composed of the following: Albert and
Frank Jennings, Morris and Pat O'Malle,
and fifth man whose identity is in
doubt. 1t is believed that this is the same
gang that held up the Santa Fe trains at
Edmond, o. T., twice.
WaSland Wood of Winfield, Kan, who
was in the hold up near Chickasha, gives
an interesting description of the way the
outlaws made the passengers get out of the
car and line up alongside Of the train. He
says that when the train was stopped a
man appeared at each end of the car he
was in and commanded that the people all
march out through the front door. While
the man near the front door stood up on a
seat and covered the people with revolver
in each hand the man behind drove them
out into the aisle. He would rush them
along by here and there poking o man in
the ribs with his gun. Outside they were
all lined up. There were three coaches to
the train and perhaps lis persons. Twenty
Of these were women. This made the line
quite long one.
In marching the people out of the car
the outlaws commanded that everybody
keep his hands straight down by his side
and that no one dare place them in his
pockets on his life. When they were lined
up, they wero commanded to turn all their
pockets inside out. While the remainder
of the outlaws held the crowd covered with
their guns one of them took leather feed
bag, the kind that is tied to q horses
nose, and made the people dump theiI
valuables into it. Mr.. Wood says that
! when his turn came he brought his money
out and the outlaw knocked it with his
gun into the bag.
Ho says that while the report Is out that
the outlaws did not enter the big money
safe the general belief of the passengers is
that they did. No one was allowed to &c
into that car, but the safe was seen to be
blown to pieces and twisted In a fearful
| shape. The outlaws used the small safe rs
a break for the explosion. While the out.
laws were breaking open the safe the pas
sengers were all marshaled safely back on
the train and guarded by two men with
winchesters. The robbers got probably
$500 from the passengers, but the amount
they got from the safe, II any, 10 moi
known