The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-05
ROB GULF TRAIN.
Two Men Enter the Express
Car at the Depot
And Loot the Safe While Yet
Inside Kansas City.
TIE THE MESSENGER.
Fail to Get the Big Through
Safe Open
And Get Small Reward For
Their Trouble.
TIE THE MESSENGER.

Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf railway,
pulled out of the Grand Central depot at
$40 o'clock last night two young men en-
tered the express car, covered Messenger
E. NJ. Hyden of Wells. Fargo & Co.'S
express with revolvers, bound his arms
and, after throwing him into a corner of
the car, proceeded leisurely to rob the
local safe. They secured all the money in
the local safe and then escaped from the
train at the Chicago & Alton crossing,
while the train was yet within the limits
Of Kansas City. Neither of the men was
over % years of age, both were smooth
shaver and neither wore a mask.
The express left the Grand Central de-
pot at Second and Wyandotte streets on
time. 1t consisted of an engine and seven
cars-three passenger coaches, a sleeper,
one baggage car, one mail car and one
express car. The train was in charge of
Coductor w. H. Hollis and was driven by
Engineer McCabe
Hyden was alone in the express car.
While the train was getting under way
and before Hyden had locked the doors,
which were in the end of the car, the
two men approached him, one of them
carrying a small package.
Can you take this bundle for Pitts
burg?" he asked the messenger. Hyden
answered that he could and reached his
manu- out 10 receive II W men the pack
age was handed to him two revolvers were
flashed in his face and he was told to
throw up his hands. He obeyed and the
men grasped his arms, threw them back
and tied them, after which they threw
him to the floor and one of them kicked
him on the face and head, while the other
locked the doors of the car.
During the tW enty minutes run along
the banks of the Missouri river before the
express reached the point where the Chi
cagO & Alton tracks cross the Suburban
Belt line, Messenger Hyden lay in & half
conscious condition as result of the beat
ing to which he had been subjected by
the robbers. The assault was the result
of his refusal to open the big iron safe
after they had demanded that he do so
with a threat to kill him unless he obey
ed. Hyden told the men that the safe
through one and that he did not
know the combination As the train
neared the Chicago & Alton tracks some
of the trainmen suspected that all was
not right in the express car, and when
the train stopped at the junction they
went forward just in time to see the men
escaping across the country in the direc-
ton of Kansas City.
Hyden's arms were united. The train
was run half mile down the track to
the switch tower on the Suburban Belt
line, where Hyden sent the following tele
gram to Superintendent Pickering Of the
road:
Have been held up coming out of Kan
sas City by two men, unmasked; loss I'M
known Men about Is, 5 feet Z inches,
smooth-shaved; one had black eye; both
wore caps and brown Overcoats; carried
guns, about 80; one had gold tip on tooth"
Superintendent Pickering at once notified
Superintendent D. T. Mervine of the
Wells-Fargo company. Ten minutes after
lin
special train, in charge of Conductor Pea
body, with Detectives Bryan, O'Flaherty
and Sparks and Officer Greeley on board,
left for the point at which the men were
last seen. Through an oversight on the
part of the railroad and express officials,
County Marshal Chiles was not notified
until an hour later, when several deputies
were started out in search of the robbers.
Although the robbers were plainly seen
by members of the train crew as they
were making their escape, no shots were
fired and no attempt was made to over
haul them The point at which they
made their escape is about a mile and
half north of Sheffield. There are no
houses for a distance of half a mile in
any direction. To the west, and about
100 yards from the Suburban Belt line
tracks there is a small clump of trees,
and it is supposed that the bandits had
confederates awaiting them in the dark
ness with a conveyance.
General Agent c. R. Teas of the Wells,
Fargo & Co.'S Express company FASTENED
TO the depot as soon as he learned of the
robbery and lent his assistance to the Of
hcers in the effort to locate the perpetra-
tors of the robbery. After acquainting
himself fully with the details of the at
fafr. he said: The robbers secured moth
sne Of value. There was small amount
Of money in the local safe, which they
took. / cannot say how much it was
but IL was but a few dollars. The men
made no attempt to get into the through
safe. If they had opened it they would
nave made a rich haul. as it contained
several thousand dollars in cash. 1 think
they were novices, either tramps or Kan
sas CITY boys, who knew little or nothing
about train rObbing-
s.F4ad the express messenger been man
Of nerve he could easily have killed one
or both of them. He was fully armed,
but as understand it. made no resist
ance. None of the passengers was mo
Tested. In fact they knew nothing about
the robbery until the train reached Shef-
field. We shall put forth just as much
effort to capture the robbers as II they
had secured SO Co.,.
A Waterman at the Grand Central de-
not arrested two men at 1880 O'clock. who.
in some respects, answer the descriptions
of the robbers They gave the names OF
Pearl syp and Dan Hutchinson Both
wore caps. One wore brown overcoat.
and the other dark one They viii De
held pending further investigation
This is the baptismal train robbery of
the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf rail-
way.