Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-07
TRAIN ROBBERS AT WORK
Eight Bandits Hold Up Chicago & Alton
Express.
ACT is COMMITTED NEAR KANSAS CITY
Attempt to Blow Open the Express
Messengers safe Proves Jnsuc-
cessful and the Robbers
Take to Their Heels.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Oct. 6.-Bandhs held
up Chicago & Alton express train tonight
at point less than six miles from Kansas
City. The robbery is the third occurring ON
that railroad witain a year. all within fifteen
miles of this city.
The Chicago and st. Louis express, which
pulled out OF the Union depot at $3.50 this
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 and which was the scene of two
previous robberies on the Chicago & Alton
within year, one on December % last and
one on October % last.
The train was stopped at the Evanston cid
ins by the explosion of torpedCes which had
been placed on the track. When the con-
ductor and brakeman went out to ascertain
the cause of the trouble they were covered
with revolvers in the hands of four of the
eight road agents. The other four quickly
covered the engineer and fireman. The
brakeman was compelled to uncouple the
baggage and express cars from the passenger
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 Vollette
and his fireman to climb down out of their
cab. Engineer Vollette hesitated until a
pistol bail was sent whistlng by his ears. He
ana 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 In
dependence, Mo-, about quarter of a mile.
There they compelled the frightened express
messenger to open the door of his car. The
door once opened they dragged the messen-
ger 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.
THEY TRY DYNAMITE.
After securing complete possession of the
engine and the baggage and express cars,
the bandits placed twenty-four sticks OF
| dynamite upon the big through safe and
then lifted the smaller way safe upon top
of it. They applied the fuse and the match,
and then, evidently, waited for the ex-
| posion. 1t is clear that they were afraid
to return to the express car, for, after wait
| ing a few minutes for the expected eX-
| plosion, they hurriedly left the place, run
ming into the underbrush which skirts the
railway in that section.
|
with the passenger coaches, politely waited
reasonable length of time for the robbers
| to complete their work, and then ran ahead
| to the engine and the two cars After some
| delay, they succeeded in lifting down the
small safe and throwing out the dynamite.
| The engine was then run back to the rest
| OF the train and coupled on, and after full
two hours delay, the express resumed the
| journey toward st. Louis.
The Chicago & Alton detectives were on
| the train. Both were badly scared, and
| neither of them put in an appearance out
side of their coach until 1t was all over but
| the telling of how 1t was done. The ex-
press messenger was not only roughly
handled by the road agents, but was robbed
of S31 from his private purse. The passen-
gers made up purse of $25 and gave it to
| him.
| County Marshal Chiles and several depu-
| ties. as well as a squad of city police, left
| for the scene of the robbery about midnight
on a special train.