The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-22
jim WILSON TO
SOON BE FREE
The Lone Train Robber Who Holds
the Record Of His State.
HIS PERFORMANCE WAS UNIQUE
Different From Anything OF the Kind
That Ever Occurred Befofe-LN
Governor Stone Was Pas
senger on the Train.

less than one month the lone train rODDef
viii leave the State penitentiary here
free man. lie is only twenty-seven years
ola. and will have served sixty-hve months
I'm prison for one Of the most unique
crimes i'm a State whose recent history
abounds in train robberies. His name ls
Jim Wilson. lie was convicted Of robbin6
a Missouri Pacific express train and SEN
fenced o. seven years in state prison.
lie did 10 singlc-handed ana alone, ANA
almost within the shadow Of 81. Louis.
lie has been q model prisoner. and by the
.three-fourths rue has cut his term down
from eiehty-four so siXty-hve months by
good behavior
When Wilson breathes free air again
and is once more invested with all the
rights and immunites of citizenship by
/ executive clemency he will be one Of the
most DISTINGUISHED citizens OF Missouri,
/ taking rank even with the famous Colonel
Frank James who abandoned the eNcii-
ing but profitable industry of train roD-
berry several years ago, after helping DIS
bro her jesse 10 found that industry ln
Missouri. and is now d0orkeoper ut
Colonel Jim Buffers vaudeville theatre in
50 Louis
Wilson is entitled 90 peculiar distinction
FOR more than The vulgar reason that DE
robbed "a train Many a man has helped
10 do that, and never succeeded in getting
his name iu the papers after the judge
uae-cI sentence upon him. But young
/ Wilson's performance was so different n
many details from anything like it that
his fame viii occupy a place IN history
al ifs own I'm the preparations FOR the
feat be had neither confederate nor conii-
dant ana iu its Preparation he had
neither aid nor opposition.
Among the passengers on the crowded
] fr.f ft.l fah
William Joel stone, then the Governor of
/ Missouri. and now the most VOciierou5
opponent in these parts of the myriad
legged octopus and the Hon. Lon Vest
stephens. al that time state Treasurer NJ
| Missouri and now Governor OF the state.
STONES HISTORIC TELEGRAM
The hold-up occurred near the village of
Washington. about thirty miles west of
ST. Louis The time was $3.50 no night
The passengers including the Governor
and the state Treasurer. knew what vas
going ON but none of them stirred ont ~
bis scat. When the train drew into Wash
incton thirty-nve minutes late Governor
stone sprang from his car, rushed into
the telegraph Office and sent 10 Chief of
police uarrigan at St. Louis this his
l-tor.c telegram
Missouri Pacific west-bound express
held up near Washington tonight by give
masked men. ] saw them. Have the city
patrOlled. Relieve the robbers are head
Cd for S. Louis.
wv. ]. STONE. Governor"
Governor stephens Chen treasurer also
told "a terror-struck crowd on the station
platform at Washington tnt De was GER
ain no had seen five masked men move
of n the brush after the train was al
lowed % start. land maybe there was
lot more" he added.
Lynx-eyed and keen scented slcuths
| from ST. Louis police department and
troops of country constaDlcs and deputy
shcrins we're out in the woods near the
scene of the hold-up betimes the next
morning They accepted the positive as
sortons of the Governor and State Treas
uror as truth. and therefore were looking
anxiousy Tor Che tracks OF at least Use
robbers. But for the life of them they
could find the tracks Of only one man.
These led off through O little thickot
across cornGcld. Soon after entering
| tine c)ndeld the officer struck trail Of
silver dollars. bright and new. and SHIN
mering in the soft light OF the early
dawn.
The silver coin was scattered O. distance
of 800 yards in the C0rnheld. Following
this trail. the officers soon ran plump on
TO two big bags OF silver lying uncovered
in the open field one of the bags had
! sprung a leak while the r0Dbcr was
making of with the booty. and this ac-
counted for the scattered coin But not
until several days afterward. when VIII
son had been imprisoned and had con-
fessed could the officers account for thc
two bags of silver coin, amounting 10
nearly 5000 being left with obviously DO
attempt having been made 10 bury or
Otherwise hide Il.
Wilson then gave them the information
that no had dropped the bags where they
were found because they were too heavy
for him 60 carry out his desire 90 make
good his escape. Besides. he explained
20 his captors he had secured by his dar-
Ing more money I'm gTeenbacks than he
needed for his purpose. and he had DO
froubio in either carrying or concealing
this.
HOW He ESCAPED.
After rowing down the river ten or
/ twelve miles tOwerd 81. Louis, The lone
train robbcr deserted his boat and struck
ont across the country 70 the nearest sta
don on the st. Louis and San Francisco
railroad. Here. without any disguise. he
boarded the first south-hound passenger
train, met number Of acqualniances on
the train and chatted with them pleasant
ly upon the exciting topics of the day.
the chief of which was the express rob
berry of the night before, until The train
reached Lebanon. the home OF the late
! silver Dick" Bland and also the home of
Williams aged and destitute parents.
At this town the lone train robher got
Off the train and went 20 his father
house which Is just outside the corporate
limits OF Lebanon. lie kept his great Sc
crct 10 himself not even intimating 10
! his father that he had slowed away IN
his clothes 5000 At the close Of the
fourth day Wilson's decrepit parents were
astonished when three detectives quietly
invaded their premises and bore down,
with cooked revolyers. upon their son
Sammy"
Wilson made no show OF resistance. and
went peacefully with his captors back 70
ST. Louis Before leaving home be told
the detectives in the presence Of his as.
tonished father and mother. the minutest
details OF the robbery. He had committed
q. he said in order 10 lift the mortgage
on his fathers farm. which fell due one
week from the day Of the hOld-up. He
had intended 10 hold the money intact M
iii the time was up on the mortgage APP
pretending the possibility Of just such I'D
luck as had bcfallcr him, and If tho
crime had not been traced TO him ne IN
tended 70 pay OF the mortgage and with
the surplus fee the country.
The county records bore him ont as 20
The object for which he committed the
robbery. A few days after he was taken
10 iail AZ St Louis his aged parents were
dispossessed. and they are renters" to-
day
This train robbery was Wilson'S first
and only crime. He was scarcely more
,boc q hearilees hoy when he committed