Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-21
MISSOURI PACIFIC ROLD.UP
Three Robbers Go Through the Pullman
Passengers on Omaha Train.
GUS STEPHAN or OMAHA IS A VICTIM
Gives Graphic Description of the AZ
fair-SRVes observation-disclosures
Diamond Ring by Concenling
IL in His Mouth.

The Missouri Baciic passenger train that
arrived in Omaha at a. m. yesterday was
held UP by three hghwaymen a few minutes
after 1t left Kansas city Tuesday even
ing. The robbers stood up" the passengers
in the Pullman car. securing about Sl25,
some watches and jewelry. They confined
their operations TO the Pullman car and
after searching the ten or twelve passen-
gers, ordered the train to be stopped which
was done after some little delay, owing to
the mistake of the porter in pulling the air
cord in way that gave the wrong signal.
The robbers jumped from the train when
1t had slowed up, and easily escaped
Among the passengers robbed was Gus
stephan of this city, who gives graphic
description of the holdup. The train
pulled out from Kansas City at 915 in
charge of Conductor Cap Wilson, who i'm
modiately collected the fares" said Mr.
stephan. when the train had been run
ming about ten minutes | went into the
smoking room at the forward end of the
car and lighting a cigar when l saw a
big revolver pass the crack of the smoking
room door, which was partly open. The re-
volver was pointed at the porter, who was
backing away from it.. Next | saw the
who was holding the gun. | sup
posed he was having some trouble with the
porter, and as | not looking for trou-
BILE / concluded not to investigate an affair
in which / was not interested. The man
with the gun kept punching the porter with
the weapon, and soon stepped into the
smoking room, which contained five passen-
gers including myself.
Three Highwnymen.
"'You fellows get up and get out of here
said the robber, for such he proved to be.
He wore no mask. Every id one of you
get out of here in hurry was his second
order Just then he was Joined by two
masked men, each holding a revolver Up to
this time we had not been told to throw up
our hands. Go down to the other end Of
the car, said the leader. We promptly
obcyed the order. / began thinking of what
| had on me- l didn't have much money,
but had a diamond ring which, with the
recent increase in the value of diamonds, is
worth over $500. | was now holding up
both hands, having been ordered to do so.
AS | was walking down the aisle, with my
back to the robbers | stuck my finger in
my mouth and pulled off the ring with my
teeth and kept it in my mouth.
~ then felt little easier and watched the
operations of the hodups with intense in
terest. We don't want anything from YOU
said on. of them to the Pullman conductor.
We don't want anything from you railroad
men, They then searched him to see if he
had revolver, but they found none on him
or on any of the passengers. They crowded
the conductor, the porter and another
colored tranman into a corner and then
systematically went through the pockets of
the passengers.
How stephan Fared.
81 was their second victim. The unmasked
pocketbook, containing about SIS in money
and two certificates of deposit on the
Omaha National bank for $50 each. He also
appropriated my pocketknife and my bunch
OF keys, and then rudely snatched my gold
watch and chain and pulled small diamond
stud from my shirt. ! didn't say word
though as it would have been difficult to
talk with the ring in my mouth. did want
to ask him to give back my keys, but didn't
dare to-
"Is that all you have got? asked the rob-
ber.
Il simply nodded my head affirmatively.
He felt my hands, evidently having seen
the flash of the ring when he entered the
smoking room. When he found no ring on
my hand he seemed satisfied. He had prob
ably forgotten on whose hand he had seen
the flash. saved the ring, and feel salts
fed with my experience.
'All the other passengers were treated in
about the same way. Two or three sue
ceeded in hiding their money and Yaluables
One passenger dropped his money, amount
ing to $3.50, inside his little boys shirt neck
band. Another man dropped a roll of bills
containing $25 on the floor, but strange to
say, the money could not be found after
the trouble was over. although no one had
been seen to stOop to pick it up.
II was looking intentry at the robber
with the big mask, and when he noticed it
he told me to turn around and look the
other way. / obeyed him. When they had
finished up their job one of them said:
You are the damnedest poorest lot OF men
/ ever saw riding around the country in a
Pullman car
Travelling Auditor Loses n Keepsake.
zone of the passengers was E. w. Stewart
of Sedalia, Mo-, travelling auditor of the Mis-
souri, Pacific. Il am a railroad man. said
he, expecting that the robbers would let
him off easy One of the robbers had just
grabbed his gold watch. 1t was a keepsake
and the auditor pleaded hard for it. No
railroad man travels around in Pullman
car was the reply. The auditor later was
sent back from Leavenworth a special
train to assist in hunting up and identifying
the robbers
Having concluded their business the rob-
bers prepared to leave the train. The por-
ter was ordered to pull the cord. He got