The herald., 1898-09-25
BOSS THE JOB OF RoBBING A
RAILWAY TRAIN
EXPRESS CAR DYNAMITED
A Note Left Which May Be Blind
or an Exhibition of Criminal
Bravado
Associated Press Special Wire.

WOODS between LEEDS ana DaWSoh, peNoH
miles from Kansas City at $40 o'clock last
night.
To prevent interference they first smash
ed the telegraph Instruments at the Heit
Line station, at the junction Of the Belt Line
and the Frisco and marched the operator
d. NJ. Hisey, before them to a point half
mile east. While two men covered Hisey
the others tagged the train as 1t ap-
preached, quickly covered Engineer Slo-
cum and Fireman Weston and compelled
them to dsmount, and detaching the en-
CINE and the Pacific express car ran them
down the track q mile and O half toward
Dawson.
The passengers were unmolestcd, but the
porter who attempted to interfere was
quickly sent to cover by a shot. At desc
late spot up the road, the baggage car was
quickly broken into, great quantities OF
dynamite placed upon the through safe
and the local safe placed on top of IT. So
much explosive was used that the car was
literally blown to pieces and the safes
thrown way over to one side OF the track
This morning nothing but fragments Of the
local safe could be found and the through
box was a wreck the top having been blown
Off and the door wrenched and otherwise
damaged. The explosion, which was or
such force as to have been distinctly heard
In Kansas City, undoubtedly destroyed any
valuabes that the safes may have con-
tanned. That the robbers themselves were
rot blown to atoms seems strange.
The express officials examined their re-
naming strong box this morning. They
absolutely refused to make any statement
Of their loss, saying simply that 1t was
Small" Superintendent Moore Of the ex-
press company insists that the train car
sled but little treasure.
A small army of detectives was at the
scene early this morning but up to 10
o'clock a. M, no tangible clue to the rob-
bers had been secured. The belief that
they were old hands at the business and
are by this time safe from capture, is gen.
eral.
Flying debris from the shattered express
car carried down the telegraph wires along
the Frisco track, which parallels the Mis-
souri, Pacific at the point OF the robbery and
completed the stoppage Of Geographic
communication begun at the Belt Line s.a-
ton. 1t was some time before the news Of
the robbery became known and, still longer
before a wrecking crew could be got.
new engine had to be secured, as that
the roadmen had used had been killed. 1t was
$3.50 this morning before the wrecked bag
gage and express matter. strewr in all di-
recttons. was gathered together, the train
made up and the trip south continued. The
express matter much Of It ruined. was
taken to Ossowatomie, Kas. Much excite
ment prevailed among the passengers, due
to their long wait in the detached cars,
though but little raidtng was INDUCED In
by the robbers.
The robbery is undoubtedly one OF the
boldest that has ever been committed in
this locality. so noted for Its holdups.
A special train left the city for the scene
of the robbery about o'clock this morn
Ing carrying several railroad and express
officials. Operator Hisey gave his account
OF the robbery.
The Long and Short of It
at was just before Missouri Pacific No.
was due" said Hisey, when Two men, a
tall and a short one, came into the telegraph
office. The short one, wearing a black
mask, showed Winchester 20 my stomach
and ordered me to hold up my hands. The
tall man had cloth tied over the lower
part of his face and displayed 4 big red
nose and a pair OF vicious black eyes. He
carried pair of pliers, with which he cut
a few wires, then tried to smash the
switchboard with his revolver. The dam
age did not amount to much. Just then
the train crossed the trestle near by and
stopped as usual The short man showed
me ahead Of him at the muzzle Of his Win
chester down the track to the train Around
the engine were perhaps five men, wearing
masks. They had the engineer and fire.
man down from the engine The engineer