Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-01-06
A TRAIN ROBBERY.
Two Bandits Loot an Express Oar
Safe on the P. q g. Railroad
The MESSENGER TIED AyD KICKED
The Robbery Made While the Train Was n
the Limits Of Kansas City-Descrip-
tion Of the Robbsrs by the
Messenger.

KANSAS CITY, Mo, Jan. 6.-Just -
the Port Arthur express, on the Kan.
saa City, Pittsburg & Gulf railway,
pulled out Of the Grand Central depot
ct $40 o'clock last night, two young
men entered the express car, covered
Messenger E. M. 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 safe and
then escaped from the train at the
Chicago e. Alton crossing, while it was
yet within the limits Of Kansas City.
Neither Of the men was over IS years
OF age, both were smooth shayen and
neither wore mask.
The express left the Grand Central
depot 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 Conductor W.
Ii. Hollis and was driven by Engineer
McCabe. Hyden was alone in the ex.
press car While the train was get
ting 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 Pittsburgh he asked the messen-
ger. Hyden answered that he could,
and reached his hand out to receive it.
When the package 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 90 minutes run along the
banks of the Missouri river before the
express reached the point where the
Chicago & Alton tracks cross the Sub
urban Belt line, Messenger Hyden lay
in half conscious condition as a re-
suit Of the beating 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 obeyed. Hyden
told the men that the safe was u
through one and that he did not know
the combination. As the train neared
the Chicago & Alton tracks some OF the
train men 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 es-
Gaping 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 of the Su-
burban Belt line, where Hyden sent
the following telegram to Superin-
tendent Pickering of the road: Have
been held up coming out of Kansas
City by two men, unmasked; loss un-
known. Men about Is, five feet seven
inches, smooth-shaven; one had black
eye; both wore caps and brown over
coats; carried guns, about SS; one had
gold tip on TOOTH Superintendent
Pickering at once notified Superin-
tendent D. T. Mervine of the Wells
Fargo company. Ten minutes after
the men had escaped from the train a
special train, in charge of Conductor
Peabody. with Detectives Bryant,
OFlaherty and Sparks and Officer
Greeley on board, left for the point at
which the men were last seen.
Although the robbers were plainly
seen by members of the train crew as
they were making their escape, no
shots were fred and no attempt was
made to overhaul them, The point at
which they made their escape is about
q mile and a half north of Sheffield.
There are no houses for distance of
half 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 darkness there