The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-05
Arr.a. Robbed 4. n. Day TIN.

e Reno. Okla, October IA later ac-
cout OF the Rock Island train robbery
says: Bandits robbed the southbound
its passengers at IL o'clock this after
noon at Siding No. 1. about five miles
south OF Minco. in the Indian territory.
The railroad n express officials hav
feared q hold up in that section for sew
eral weeks. n armed guards have
been put aboard all night trains at FL
Reno and carried through to Chick
asha- II had not been thought, that
h outlaws were bold enough to at
tack a train in mid day. This morning
the trainmen were completely surprised
and they were not prepared to offer any
resistance when five masked men came
up on them at the lonely siding. The
place is uninhabited and the only per-
sons in the vicinity at the time were
four section men. These men fiaEged
the train. the robbers having COM
PEELED them to do SO. The bandits were
hide at the time in a brush pile and
jumped out as soon a the passenger
train had taken the siding.
Under the pressure of W~inchesters
and ugly looking si~x-shooters the rain
AAaSAs "A SAPIcSS lHtSStHktE anu al OF
the score or more of passengers were
made to climb down from the train and
stand in a line, hands up. on the prairie
along the railroad. While three OF the
robbers covered the badly frightened
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 other VAL
n a alag IN fhn N-n
jewelry as We're in sight.
The passengers and trainmen having
been thoroughly plucked. three OF the
bandits turned their attention to the *
press and mail coaches. the others
standing guard over the helpless crowd
in the prairie. The registered mail
pouches We're quickly rified, but the
through safe in the express car resisted
all the force and ingenuity OF the road
gents.
When the messenger had convinced
the bandits that he could not open the
strong box they resorted to dynamite.
Several heavy charges We're exploded.
but the safe proved bandit proof and
though it was badly battered, it's con-
tents were saved to the express COM
pany.
Having taken forcibly possession of
everything they could carry away the
DdIult mounted tnelr horses and rode
off to the west.
AS soon as the train men could collect
their wits they got their scared pas
sengers aboard and hurried on to the
next station south. Chickasha, from
which point the railroad officials were
notified of the holdup. AT Chickasha
a posse Of citizens was hurriedly form
ed. These citizens set out in pursuit of
the gang and officers have been dis
patched from Ell Rem and other points
in this section. 1t is hardly possibly
that the bandits can be overtaken in
the prairie country and they will pro-
badly be liable to reach the Wichita
mountains, to the west of the scene of
the holdup. Officers here believe the
gang to be the same one that held
Santa Fe trains up at Edmunds twice
during last month.
The few women passengers were not
compelled to give up their valuables and
Rev. Mr.. Roe, one Of the passengers
who was sick, was not compelled to
leave the coach.
Jim Wright, Of Minco, showed a dis
position to resist when the bandits Or
dered his hands up. They shot one of
his ears off to prove to his satisfaction
that his bravery was ill advised.
Wright hands then went up. No one
else was injured.