Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-09-29
A TRAIN EELD Up.
A Daring Robbery Takes Place
Near Kansas City.
The EXPRESS CAR is BLOWN Up.
The Bandits UncOuple the Engine and Send
It wild and Then Lnot the Express
Csr-The Police aid to he on
the Trail Of the Robbers.

Kansas City, Mo-, Sept. 24.-Train
robbers held up a Missouri Pacific train
last night at Belt junction. Just east
of Leeds, perhaps seven miles from the
Kansas City union depot. At three
o'clock this morning the police were
on the trail OF party of five men, who
were seen by several people driving
rapidly into town in buggy. These
may prove to be the guilty parties.
How much the robbers got, or whether,
in fact, they got anything at all, the
railroads officials in Kansas City could
not, or would not, say at midnight.
The Pacific express is the company in
terested. All that was known was
that the little Rock and Wichita ex.
press, which left the union depot at
300 p. m. for Coffeyvil|e, Kan, was
stopped just outside Of Leeds and that
the end Of the express car was blown
of with dynamite. The debris OF the
car was blown clear across the Frisco
track, tearing down the wires. The
robbers took charge Of the telegraph
operator, D. N. Hisey, in the Frisco
office at the Belt junction, and after
smashing his instruments, took him
away with them.
The train consisted OF q combination
baggage and express car, three day
coaches and two sleepers heavily
loaded. Conductor Carr and Engineer
Slocum were in charge. The baggage.
man, who acted also as messenger for
the Pacific express, was heavily armed
In accordance with the rules of the
company.
There was report current at the
union depot at midnight that week
or so ago there was heavy sale Of
cattle, 1000 head at SlS, in the cattle
country south Of here, through which
the road runs, and that the money In
settlement Of this deal was on the
train. The story could not be verified.
Directly the news reached the city,
forces OF marshals and detectives
were hurried TO the scene on special
train and In hack.
The train left the union depot on
time. As it slowed up at Belt junction
at $3.50 o'clock seven men, wearing
black masks and black rags tied over
their faces, sprang up beside the track.
All were heavily armed. Two sprang
aboard the engine, covering the two
occupants OF the cab with revolvers.
Engineer Slocum was forced to leave
his post and 70 to the baggage and ex.
press car. Here he was kept prisoner
with Telegraph Operator Hisey, who
had been taken from his office in the
Frisco lines Belt junction office be.
fore the train hove in sight, and the
express messenger.
The bandits uncoupled the engine and
baggage car from the rest of the train,
and, one of their own number running
the engine, pulled out down the track
mile Then they stopped, cut off
the engine and sent it south wild"
and set about looting the express car.
In this they forced Hisey, the Frisco
telegraph operator, to help them. by.
Mantle was used so generously that
not only was the whole end of the car
blown off, but big ditch was cut in
the track. The noise was heard at No.
Is fire station, Twenty-third and Pros
pect. several miles away. 1t took
wrecking crew till nearly two o'clock
to repair the damage done. After get
ting what cash they could, presumably
what there was to be had, the robbers
hurried off into the night, leaving the
captured railroad men behind.