The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-07
BANDITS HOLD Up A TRAIN.
The Chicago and Alton Express Falls
Into Their Hands


Kansas City, Mo, Oct. 6.-Bandits held
up Chicago and Alton express train to-
night at point less than six miles from
Kansas City. The robbery is the third oc-
curing on that railroad in a year. all
within fifteen miles of the. city.
The Chicago and St Louis express,
which pulled out of the union depot at $50
this evening, was stopped by three mask
ca men at evanston. suburban stopping
place just beyond Washington park.
Evanston is about eight miles nearer to
Kansas City than Blue Cut, made celebra-
ted by the notorious James gang, and
which was the scene of two previous rob-
berries on the Chicago and Alton this year,
one on Dec. %, last, and one on Oct. %,
last.
How much booty, if any, was secured by
the robbers tonight is NOT known here at
midnight The train was sent on from the
scene of the hold-up and had passed In
dependence, the next telegraph station be-
fore the news of the hold-up had become
public.
The police of Kansas City and the coun-
ty marshal have sent men to the scene of
the robbery
At late hour the agents of the Pacific
and United States Express Companies
were denying that there had been a rob
berry on the Chicago and Alton.
Inc train was stopped at Evanston sid
ing by the explosion of torpedoes which
had been placed on the track. When the
conductor and brakemen went out TO as
certain the cause of the trouble they were
covered with revolvers in the hands of the
eight road agents. The other four quickly
covered the engineer and fireman The
brakemen were compelled to uncouple the
baggage and express cars from the pas
senger coaches. While this was being
done one of the robbers busted himself by
going through the pockets of Conductor
Graves, who was robbed of S22 in coin.
In the meantime the bandits at the head
of the train had ordered Engineer Nollette
and his fireman to climb down out of their
cab. Engineer Vollette hesitated until a
pistol ball was sent whistling by his ears.
He and the fireman, after this persuasion,
climbed down quickly and two of the rob-
bers Immediately took their places. The
others of the bandit crowd jumped aboard
the baggage and express cars. This part
of the train they ran up the track toward
Independence, Mo, about quarter of a
mile. There they compelled the frighten-
ed express messenger to open the door
of his~car. The door opened, and they
dragged the messenger by the legs, throw
ing him to the ground and then took his
gun away from him. The messenger was
then compelled to walk back toward the
other portion of the train.
After securing complete possession of the
engine and baggage and express cars, the
bandits placed twenty-fcur sticks of dy-
Mantle upon the big through safe and then
lifted the smaller way safe upon the top
OF it. They applied the fuse and the match,
but for some reason the explosive did not
go off
The robbers were afraid to return to the
express car for after waiting few min
utes for the expected explosion they hur-
redly left the place running into the I'M
derbrush which skirts the railway in that
section.
The trainmen who had bene left behind
with the passenger coaches waited a rea-
sonable length of time for the robbers to
complete their work, and then ran ahead
to the engine and two cars. After some
delay, for they, too, were afraid of the dy-
Mantle, they succeeded in lifting down
the small safe and throwing out the ex-
plosive. The engine was then run back
TO the rest of the train and coupled on,
and after a full two hours delay the
express resumed the journey toward st.
Louis