Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-09-28
TOO MUCH DYNAMITE.
Robbers Make a Botch Of a Train
Hold.Up.
THEY BLOW TWO SAFES TO ATOMS.

THEY BLOW TWO SAFES TO ATOMS.
sas City, Seven Miles from, the Scene Of
the Hold-Up-Contents of the Safes De-
stroyed-Express Messenger Has Mar
row Escape from Death-Telegraph
Wires Carried Down by Flying Debris.
Kansas City. Sept 26.-Seven masked
men held UP the west-bound Missouri
Pacificq passenger train known as the
Little Rock and Wichita express, at a
point In the woods between Leeds and
Dawson, seven miles from Kansas City.
To prevent interference they first
smashed telegraph instruments at the
Belt Line station. the junction of the
Belt line and the Frisco, near the scene
of the hold-up and marched the oper-
ator, d. M. Hisey before them to
point half a mile east. While two men
covered his eyes. the others tagged the
train as 1t approached. quickly COW
cred Engineer Slocum and Fireman
Weston and compelled them to dis
mount and detaching the engine and
the Pacific express car, ran them down
the track a mile and a half toward
Dawson. The passengers were unmo-
Tested but the porter who attempted to
interfere was quickly sent to cover by
a shot directed by one Of the roadmen.
At a desolate spot up the road the bag
gage car was quickly broken into, great
quantities of dynamite placed upon the
o. ~ nnf 20 v,lo
on top Of it,
Used Too Much Dynamite.
So much explosive was used that the
car was literally blown to splinters and
the safes thrown way to one side Of the
track. Nothing but fragments Of the
local safe could be found, and the
through box was a wreck, the top hav-
| ing been blown off and the door
| wrenched and otherwise damaged. The
| explosion which was of such force as
to have been heard distinctly in Kan
sas City. undoubtedly destroyed any
valuables that the safe may have con-
| tanned. That the robbers themselves
| We're not blown to atoms seems strange
| so terrific was the blast The express
| officials examined their one remaining
! strong box In the morning. They alb
| sulutely refused TO make statement
| Of their loss, saying simply that 1t was
Small" Superintendent Moore of the
/ express company insists that the train
| carried but little treasure. A small
army of detectives was at the scene
early in the morning, but up to 10 a. m.
no tangible clew to the robbers had
been secured. The belief that they were
| old hands at the business and are by
this time safe from capture is general.
| Stopped Telegraphic Communication.
| Flying debris from the shattered ex-
press car carried down the telegraph
| wires along the Frisco track which
| parallels the Missouri Pacific at the
point Of the robbery and completed the
stoppage OF Geographic communication
| begun at the Belt line station. It was
| therefore some time before the news
| Of the robbery became known and still
longer before wrecking crew could be
| gotten. A new engine had to be Sc
| cured as that the roadsmen had used
| had been KILLED" It was $3.50 in the
| morning before the wrecked baggage
and express matter strewn in all d.
rections, was gathered together, the
train made UP and the trip south con-
instances totally destroyed, was taken
to Osawatomie, Kan. Much excite
ment prevailed among the passengers
during their long wait In the detached
cars. though but little firing was in
dulged in by tho robbers. The robbery
was undoubtedly one of the boldest that
has evr been committed In the local.
ity SO noted for hold-ups
The Messengers Story.
Express Messenger Hills told an In
teresting story of his experience with
the robbers.
IT was working away" said he. when
/ felt that my car was starting without
i the rest of the train. looked out and
saw some figures of men. ] realized II
was a hold-up and ducked in. They
then came to the side door and beat on
/ 1t with their guns. Let US in or well
blow you up they demanded. opened
the door and three men got in. They
were masked and carried sacks over
their arms. One man got the drop on
me. They cursed me and asked how
1 much money there was in the safes.
lied to them good and plenty. The
mask of one Of the men slipped and ]
tried to get good look at him. Quick
as a flash he hit me on the head with
the butt Of his revolver. They put sew
en- sticks of dynamite on the big COM
obination safe and set the portable safe
on top of the dynamite.
Fell to the Ground Stunned.
The car finally stopped and they sci
fuse. / saw a match struck. They
jumped out leaving me in the car.
pleaded with them and they finally lei
me jump down. We all moved upon the
other side of the road. 1t seemed ar
age as we waited. The fuse had ap-
parently refused to work and they sent
me to uncouple the engine from the
baggage car. Just as I was doing II
there was a flash and q roar. l fell
to the ground stunned. When / recov-
cred sufficiently to gain my feet some
one said: Git git I started on the
run down the track toward the rest
Of the train, while the robbers who had
come up by this time made for the
wrecked express car"