Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-12-08
TRAIN ROBBERS TRAPPED.
Detectives, We're, On the Engine
"a \ agd Baggage Car N
WERE GINEN AWAY BY A PAL
rwo Raiiroad Mon stopped Missouri
Pacific TrAia Near sodalin, bnt tho
Company had BeeD warned-One
Shot and 10th Captured.

SEDALIA, Mo, Dec. 1.-The Missouri
Pacific passenger train which left Kan
sas City at 5i45 o'clock Tuesday after
noon was held up four miles west Of
here n few minutes before 10 o'clock
Tuesday night, The attempt was to
have been made by three men Friday
night, but Robert II. Cunningham, q
butcher here weakened IL was
planned again for last night, but Cum
bingham stayed away and warned the
railroad company. Six of the com
pany's detectives were on board as the
train left Kansas City, Before 1t left
Georgetown, six miles west of here,
two detectives were hidden on the en-
gine Two others were in the baggage
car.
A red lantern was swung across the
track to stop the train one-half mile
east OF Georgetown, AS the engine
slowed down the robbers began firing.
As the detectives returned the fro the
robbers RON for the woods and were
pursued by tho detectives, who con-
tinued firing. Ono OF tho fugltives
was captured and identified MS James
West, n locomotive engineer. Fully
thirty shots were fred.
When West signalcd the engineer TO
stop the train both OF the robbers
opened fire, the trainmen and detec-
tives returning 1t with their Win
chester rifles, StubbleAcld and West
saw they were trapped and began q re-
treat, firing us they ran. The detec-
tives closed in on West, but Stubble-
field managed to escape.
Stubbleheld was arrested at his
home in North Sedalia, He was COW
ercd with revolvers and rifles and com
inanded to throw up his hands. lie
did 80 and wanted TO know "who In
Che hell gave me away"
SEDAIIA, Mo-, Dec. 2.-Engineer
james |. West and Conductor Stubble-
field, who held up tho Missouri Pacific
train near here Tuesday night, will
have n preliminary hearing December
9. The confession Of II. r. Cunning
ham, who weakened at tho last mo-
ment, was made public to-day.
"The first time / was ever spoken to
about the affair was by man named
Stubblefeld last May" said Cunning
ham. "Stubbleheld was Mt that time
brakeman for the Missouri, Kansas g.
Texas. He met my brother, Charlie
Cunningham Of Kansas City, and my
self in Hailer's saloon one night last
May and asked US If we would assist
him and another man TO hold up
train At that time | thought Stubble-
field was drunk, and told him l
would do anything for a little fun, and
thought no more about the matter.
Then Stubbledeld came to me again
and stated that Engineer West was go
ing to help him about the job, and
that had better come and get my
share of the 'spoils.'
about two months later West came
to me and asked me to take hand in
the hold-up, but refused. Later
both came to me and told me they
would kill me If gave them away.
talked to West four times about the
hold-up. Last Monday evening West
came into my shop and said Bob,
we are going to rob that train Tuesday
night. II you won't come we'll do the
job ourselves. l refused to have any
thing to do with the job. At 1890
that night, while in Pehts restaurant
with Mr. Stevens, n Kansas City meat
salesman, I heard that the train had
been held up. That's all know. 7
intended to inform the chief of police
about the robbery, but could not find
him"
The foolhardiness of two old rail-
road men attempting to hold up q
train on n bright moonlight night still |
puzzles the acquaintance Of the men.
Friends of Stubblefied claim that he
Is insane and has been FOR years, and
ought to have been confined iu an asy-
lun long ago, but the ex-conductor's
record shows that he worked almost |
daily for the Missouri Pacific for pe-
riod of ten years and performed his
duties intelligently and faithfully. |
The friends of West are dumfouuded,
and can offer no excuse for him unless
he also was crazy with liquor.
1t is intimatci that the defense will
be that the attempted robbery was
Matched by railway detectives in order
that they might get notoriety.
West has always stood high in this
community and had the confidence Of |
the railway officials. lie was mem
Der of the Broadway Christian church,
was popular with railway men and
his arrest caused sensation. He told
his pastor that he was drunk and en-
tered into the scheme at the last mo-
ment, not knowing what he was really
doing,
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