Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-10-15
EIGHT ROAD AGENTS.
THEY HELD UP AN EXPRESS TRAIN.
Failed to Dynamite the Treasure
Safe-The Train Crew Lost Their
Money-ARair Took Place in the
Suburbs of Kansas City.

Kansas City, Mo-, Oct bandits held
up the Chicago & Alton express train last
night at point less than six miles from
Kansas City. The robbery is the third
occurrence of the kind on that road with
IN year, all within Is miles of this city.
Ihe Chicago and st. Louis express, which
pulled out of the union depot at $3.50 last
evening was stopped by eight 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
notorious James gang, which was the
scene OF two previous robberies on the
Chicago & Alton. The train was stopped
at the Evanston siding by the explosion
OF torpedoes which had been placed on
the track. When the conductor and
brakeman went out to ascertain the cause
OF the trouble they were covered with re-
volvers in the hands of four of the eight
road agents. The other four quickly COW
cred 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 60
ing through the pockets of Conductor
Graves, who was robbed of $22 in coin.
In the meantime the bandits at the
head of the train had ordered Engineer
Vollette and his fireman to climb down
out of their cab. Engineer Vollette hest
tated until a pistol ball was sent whist
ling by his ears. He and the fireman, af-
ter this persuasion, climbed down quick
ly and two of the robbers took their
places.
The Others of the bandit gang jumped
aboard the baggage and express cars.
This part of the train they ran up the
track toward Independence, Mo-, about
quarter of mile. There they compelled
the frightened express messenger to open
the door of his car. The door once open,
they dragged the messenger out by the
legs, throwing 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 the baggage and express
cars, the bandits placed "a sticks of dy-
Mantle upon the big through safe and
lifted the small way safe on top of the
big one. They applied the fuse and evil
IDENTIFY waited for the explosive to reveal
to them the treasure for which so much |
had hon,, ,,,1l-a d. E
explosive did not go off, and from the sub
sequent developments it is evident that
dynamite had great terrors for the men
who were not afraid to run the ordinary
risk of train robbery. 1t is clear that |
they were afraid to return to the express
car, for, after waiting a few minutes for
the expected explosion, they hurriedly left
the place, running into the underbrush
which skirts the railway in that Sec
ton.
The trainmen, who had been left behind |
with the passenger coaches, politely wait
ed a reasonable length of time for the rob- |
bers to complete their work and then ran
ahead to the engine and the two cars
After some delay, for they, too, were
afraid of the dynamite, they succeeded |
in lifting down the small safe and throw
ing out the dynamite. The engine was
then run back to the rest of the train and |
coupled on, and after full two hours de-
lay the express resumed the journey to-
ward st. Louis.
Passengers Had Valuab1es.
The passengers, especially the ladies,
were much frightened, and when the rob-
bers began shooting at Engineer Vollette
there was a wild scramble in all the |
coaches. Diamonds, jewelry and other
valuables were hidden in every place con-
ceivable in a passenger coach.
Two Chicago & Alton detectives were