The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-07
ALTON HELD UP.
Eight Masked Men Stop the
EastbOund Express
Six Miles Out of Kansas City
With a Torpedo.
GOT LITTLE MONEY.
Placed "a Sticks of Dynamite
on Express Safe.
1t Failed to Explode and BecOm-
ing Scared They Ran OFF.

Kansas City, No, Oct. 7.-Bandits
held up a Chicago & Alton express
train last night at point less than six
miles from Kansas City. The robbery
is the third occurring on that railway
within a year all within Is miles of this
city.
The Chicago & st. Louis express
which pulled out of the union depot at
$50 was stopped by eight masked men
at Evanston, a suburban stopping place
just beyond Washington park. Evans
ton is about eight miles nearer to Kan
sas City than Blue Cut. made celebrat-
ed by the notorious James gang, and
which was the scene of the two pre-
viOus robberies on the Chicago & Alton,
one on December % last, and one on
October % last.
The train was stopped at Evanston
siding by the explosion of torpedo
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 reVol-
Vers 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
being done one of the robbers busted
himself by going through the pockets
of Conductor Graves, who was robbed
of $22 in coin.
head of the train had ordered Engineer
VOllette and his fireman to climb down
out of their cab. Engineer NoIlette
heSitated, until a pistol ball was sent
whistling by his ear He and the fire
man, after this persuasion, climbed
down quickly, and two of the robbers
Immediately took their places. The 9TH
ers of the bandit crowd jumped aboard
the baggage and express cars. This
part of the train they ran up the track
toward independence, about a quarter
of q T90ilR
frightened express messenger to open
the door of his car. The door once
open, they dragged the messenger out
by his legs throwing him to the ground
and took his gun away from him. The
messenger was then compelled to walk
back toward the other portion of the
train. After securing complete pos
session of the engine and baggage and
express cars, the bandits placed sticks
of dynamite upon the big through safe
and then lifted the smaller way safe
up on TOD of it. They applied the
fuse and the match and then evidently
waited for the explosion to reveal to
them the treasure for which SO much
had been risked. But for some reason
the explosive did not go Off, and from
the subsequent developments it is evil
dent that dynamite had great terrors
for the men who were not afraid to
run the ordinary risks 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 section.
The train men, who had been left be-
hind with the passenger coaches, pO-
litely waited a reasonable length of
time for the robbers to complete their
work, and then ran ahead to the en-
gine and the two cars. After some de-
lay, for they, too were afraid of the dy-
Mantle, 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 cou-
lay the express resumed the journey
toward St. Louis. The passengers. and
especially the ladies were very much
frightened and when the robbers began
shooting at Engineer VOllette there was
a wild scramble in all the coaches. /
were hidden in every place conceivable
in a passenger coach.
Two Chicago & Alton detectives were
on the train. Both We're badly scared
and neither of them put in an appear
ance outside of their coach until it was
all over.
General Superintendent w. E. Grey
was also on the train. The express
messenger was not only roughly han
died by the road agents, but was
robbed of $31 from his private purse
The passengers made up purse of $25
and gave it to him.
County Marshal ChiIes and several
police, left for the scene of the robbery
about midnight on a special train. |
There seems to be little chance of their |
OVertaking any of the robbers. as it is
believed the gang, by scattering and
coming in one at time, will have little
trouble in getting back into Kansas
City or Independence.