The advocate., 1897-10-06
A BOLD TRAIN ROBBERY.
Rock Island Passenger Train Robbed in
Broad Daylight in the Indian
Territory.

El Reno, 1. T., October 1.-Bandlts
robbed the south-bound Rock Island
passenger train and all of its passengers
at II o'clock this forenoon at siding No.
/, about five miles south of MincO, in the
Indian Territory.
The railroad and express officials have
feared hold-up in that section for sew
eral weeks, and armed guards have been
put aboard all night trains at El Reno
and carried through to Chickasha. 1t
had not been thought that the outlaws
would be bold enough to attack a train
in midday.
The place is uninhabited, and the only
persons in the vicinity at the time were
four section men. These section men
tagged the train, the robbers having COM
PEELED them to do so. The bandits 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 Winchesters and
ugly-lOoking siX-shoOters the trainmen,
the express messenger and all of the
score or more Of passengers were made
to climb down from the train and stand
prairie along the railway. While three
of the robbers covered the badly-fright-
ened crowd with their guns, the other
two coolly and carefully robbed them,
passing from one passenger to another
down the line. The bandits secured
about $500 in cash and such valuables,
in the way of watches, pins and jewelry
as were in sight.
Jim Wright, of MincO, showed dispo-
sitiOn to resist when the bandits ordered
hands up" They shot one of his ears
off to prove to his satisfaction that his
bravery was ill-advised Wright's hands
then went up. No one else was injured.
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 hapless crowd
on the prairie. The registered mail
pouches were quickly rifed, but the
through safe in the express car resisted
all the force and ingenuity of the road
agents. When the messenger had con-
vinCed the bandits that he 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,
it's contents were saved to the express
company.
Having taken forcible possession of
everything that they could carry away,
the bandits mounted their horses and
rode off towards the west.
AS soon as the trainmen could collect
their wits, they got their scared passen-
gers aboard and hurried on to the next
station south, Chickasha, from which
point the railway officials were notified
Of the hold-up.
officers here believe the gang to be
the same one that held up Santa Fe
trains at Edmond twice during last
month.
A sensational feature of the hold-up
is statement made by the conductor
Of the looted train. During the robbery
one Of the bandits touched his mask,
his features for a moment being wholly
exposed. The conductor Of the train
states that this man was AL jennings,
ex-County Attorney of Canadian county,
Oklahoma, whose father is now Probate
Judge of PottawatOmie county, Okla
homa. The family is from Kentucky
and Al Jennings was educated at the
University of West Virginia. His
brother, Edward Jennings, was killed
by Temple Houston in a shooting scrape
at Woodward, Okla, some two years ago.
Augusta (Ga) Chronicle. The master