Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-10-09
GOT LITTLE CASH.
The Chicago & Alton Held Up Near
Washington Park, Kansas CITY,
70 Occurred In Early Evening and Was the
Work OF Three Masked Men-Fase
Failed to Work and Safe Was
Not Opened.

KANSAS CRY, Mo-, Oct. T. Last
night the St. Louis and Chicago ex-
press on the Chicago & Alton railway
which leaves Kansas City at s:l5 o'clock
each night was held up by three
masked men ut what is known a.
Washington park cut, about quarter
Of q mile northeast Of Washington
park. The same tactics were pursued
as in former robberies. The engine
and express car were detached, taken
about one-half mile from the rest OF
the train and the express car rified.
Engineer Volcott and his fireman
were compelled to stand quietly
by while the engine and express
car were taken away. Later they
ran to where the robbers had left the
engine and express car after they had
completed their work. II Is said the
robbers got very little cash, less than
$50 the express company claims.
1t was little after nine o'clock last
night when the express train was
tagged ut Washington park cut The
scene Is between Kansas City and In
dependence, and several miles this side
of Glendale and Blue cut, where other
robberies took place. Two torpedoes
had been placed on the track and
when these were exploded and red
light swung a short distance in front
of the train it was brought to stop.
When the train had come to full
stop eight men sprang down the bank.
One, reported as being q tall, slim man,
carried the red lantern with which
the train had been signaled to stop
This man carried a revolver. The
other men were all heavily armed with
shotguns and revolvers. They thrust
these weapons into the faces Of the en-
pineer and fireman and forced them to
dismount from the engine. Then,
while one of their number kept the
two trainmen covered the Others un-
coupled the express car, which was
next to the engine and tender, from
the rest Of the train.
The three robbers did their work
quickly and with a preciseness which
showed their familiarity with the OPP
Grafton OF railroad train. The con-
ductor, William Grove, came ahead OF
the coaches to learn what had caused
the train to stop. One OF the men
pointed shotgun at him and he quick
ly understood that his presence was
not desired and went back to the
train. One of the train men, whose
name was not learned, had followed
the conductor to the front OF the train.
He also was told to get back where he
belonged in the shortest possible space
of time. lie was on the north side OF
the train as were the robbers.
Instead OF returning to the coaches
the train man ran around the train.
Then he ran in a southwesterly direc-
ton to Washington park station. Here
he waited for an electric car for lnde-
pendence, and when one came along
boarded It and was taken to that town,
where he notified the deputy marshals.
The conductor, engineer and fireman
were driven back to the passenger
coaches and ordered to remain there.
Several OF the bandits stood guard and
whenever a passenger had the temer-
ity to thrust his head from window
he saw the cleaning barrels OF enough
firearms to cause him to draw his head
in again without an invitation.
Five men remained with the passen-
ger coaches while the three others
boarded the engine and express car.
One OF the five men who remained be-
hind was said to be q negro. but all
the others were white. From all &C
counts obtainable little Of value was
secured by the robbers They began
by making the express messenger, who
was an extra man put on to relieve the
regular messenger, Avery, now In St
Louis, give up $50 Of his own money.
The other train men were also made
to hand over what money they carried.
In little over ten minutes after the
passenger train had been stopped .
freight train came along. This was
lust after the robbers left to guard the
train had started up the track toward
Independence. The freight engine
pushed the passenger train up the
track to where the engine and tender
we're. The coming Of the freight mob
ably frightened the robbers in the ex-
press car. AT any rate, when the
freight train, which had overtaken
Engineer Volcott and his iiremen, who
had started up the track to get the en-
CINE, reached the express car the train
men found Messenger Fritts alone and
unframed. He was too badly fright
ened to give an intelligent description
Of the robbers.
On the floor beside the big safe was
found sack containing eight sticks OF
dynamite. There was also found q
fuse which had failed to work. Near
by were three oilcloth masks. These
articles were taken to the Independ'
ence depot Of the Chicago & Alton
road.
| Head Attorney johnson Indicted.
Fulton, Ill, Oct Among the In
| 4