The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-13

Kansas City, Mo-, Nov. 12-The Mis-
souri, Pacific passenger train, known
as the ST. Louis Fast Mail, which
leaves Kansas City at p. M, was
held up by five masked robbers at 9:30
O'Clock tonight at the Chicago & Alton
crossing, just east of independence,
Mo, and less than a mile from the
famous Blue Cut, in which three train
robberies have occurred within the past
year.
DISGUISED AS WOMEN.
Two of the robbers were disguised
as women, and when the engineer saw
them swinging a lantern across the
tracks, an apparent signal of danger,
he did not hesitate to stop. The en-
gine'S crew were Immediately covered
with revolvers. Conductor Dennis
O'Brian and Brakeman Michael step
ped out to see what was the matter and
were greeted by a volley of bullets.
The conductor and brakeman were
compelled TO cut the express and bag
gage cars from the rest of the train
and the engineer and fireman were
made to get down from their cab. The
took the engine and express car about
two miles further east, where they
stopped and compelled Express Mes
Senger Williams to open his car. He
offered no resistance, as he carried no
treasure.
THEIR GRAVE ERROR.
The robbers had evidently intended
to stop the st. Louis Limited night ex-
press, which leaves Kansas City at a
late hour, and We're greatly surprised
upon discovering that the cars which
they had captured contained nothing
OF value. In their rage they pounced
upon the express messenger and went
through his pockets, but $3.50 was all
that they secured. After this they
quickly left the train and disappeared
in the darkness. After a delay of over
an hour the train was got together
again and was started on it's journey.
The county marshal and his men were
at the scene of the robbery very soon
after, but there is every probability
that the robbers We're safely in hide
pendence or Kansas City before any
organized effort was made to capture
them.
CONSERVATION OF PASSEN-
GERS.
With the first intimatiOn that the
train was in the hands of road agents,
CONSERVATION seized the passengers in
the rear coaches. When the shooting
began there was the widest conster-
nation among the passengers. There
was not a man or woman on the train
who had not heard of Missouri train
robberies, it seemed, and as soon as the
first shot was fired half q dozen people
in every car yelled train robbers
Some of the women began to scream.
and watches and pocketbooks were
tucked under seats. thrown into water
coolers and hidden in every conceivable
place.
After the engine and express car had
been taken away, the passengers did
not dare to leave the coaches for some
time. When they did conclude that
there was no danger Of being shot, they
got off the train and some of them
came back to Independence. Most of
them waited. however. until the engine
had been hunted up, and went on with
the train.
OLD HANDS AT BUSINESS.
All reports agree that the robbers
were deliberate in their movements.
and that they were no new hands at
the business. Several of them We're
armd with WincheSters. Three other
train robberies have occurred in that
vicinity within the last Is months The
first robbery occurred on the Chicago &
Alton at Blue Cut in October. 1896. The
robbers that time got but little. just
two months later another train was
held up at the same point, the bandits
securing about $4,000. About six weeks
ago the Chicago & Alton was again a
sufferer. one of the express trains fall
ing into the hands of robbers. The
outlaws, however, secured nothing, ow-
ing to the failure of their dynamite 10
explode, after which they were afraid
to return to the express car. The gen
eral opinion is that all these latter rob-
berries have been committed by parties
closely connected, but the county au-
thorities have so far been unable tC
bring any of the outlaws to justice.
THE GANGS HEADQUARTERS.
The theory of the county officers is
that the gang has it's headquarters in
! the Cracker Neck district. Just east
of Independence. John F. Kennedy, a
! locomotive engineer, whose parents
live in that district was arrested as
/ the leader in the robbery which cost
( the Chicago & Alton $4,000, but upor
his first trial the jury failed to agree
( though James Flynn, who claimed tC
| have been a member of the gang
turned states evidence and told a. de-
tailed story of the crime. The case
against Kennedy is still pending, he
| being out on bail. The Blue Cut dis
trict was first made famous by the
notorious James gang. who committed
the first robbery in that vicinity al
Glendale in 1870 securing $35, 900. The
James gang committed another rob
berry at Blue Cut in 1881. but secured
nothing. In 1889 another hold-up oc-
cured there on the Chicago & Alton
| The hold-up tonight is the seventh
committed within a radius of four OF
| five miles.