Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-07-19
bandit ESCAPES IN FIGHT.
Wounds Officer in Pistol Battle
on Roof in St. Louis.
ADMITS HAND IN HOLD-UP.
Decoy Telegram Results In His Capture
by observation-disclosures Confesses to
Details of Crime Near wicklire, KY
Outlaws Not All Caught.

St. Louis, 10. July 16.-After a
running fght with revolvers over
lhousetops in Finney avenue in the
Iaristocratic west end residence district
between Charles NJ. Murray, chief Of
the Illinois Central railway detectives,
and two men, supposed to have robbed
the train near Wickliffe, KY, George
w. Barnes was arrested here. John
Nelson, the other man wanted, es-
capped. Forty shots were exchanged
before the fugitive escaped. Blood
spots along the sidewalk indicate that
he was wounded. Murray was hit in
the arm and thumb. He was removed to
the Mullanphy hospital. where his
wounds are pronounced serious but not
necessarily fatal. Throughout the en-
counter Nelson displayed wonderful
nerve. When trapped in his house he
refused to surrender and jumped from
"a third-story window into his back
yard, not knowing that detectives were
concealed there He aIighted uninjured
and got to his feet in time to draw his
revolver on an approaching detective.
Both fired at the same time Nelson
then turned and fed, firing and re-
ceiying the fire of the other detectives,
who pressed close upon him. He ran
through an alley and then to the rail-
way tracks, where he disappeared.
Barnes was taken in. his home by
means of decoy telegram. He went
quietly with the officers and this after
noon confessed that he was one of the
men who participated in the robbery
OF the train. He implicated Nelson,
who escaped, and one Dyer, who came
mere from San Francisco. The robbers
secured about $4,000. Barnes made
no statement as to what became of the
money He says the plot was Matched
I'm st. Louis. Barnes admitted he went
to the scene of the robbery on an ILL
Inois Central train and was Joined
there by Nelson and Dyer. When the
train which they had decided to rob
approached they tagged 1t. He COW
cred the fireman with revolver, while
Nelson and Dyer went through the ex-
press car. Mrs. Barnes and Mrs. Nell
/ son will be subjected to a further in
ivestigation by Chief Desmond. 1t
developed that Nelson and Barnes are
cousins.
Robber Saved Messengers Life
G. F. Hickox, an express messenger.
who was in the car that was robbed,
called at the Four Courts at noon and
partially identified Barnes. He told a
story about his life having been saved
by one of the robbers and stated that
/ he felt under obligations to the ban
dit. Hickox said Barnes resembled the
man who interfered and saved his life,
but he could not identify him positive
ly. Mrs. Barnes called on Chief Des-
mond She told him her husband had
left the city Tuesday, July 8, and re-
turned Thursday night. She did not
know where he had been, she said.
Mike Conley, alias Doyle, who con-
Ifessed to Chief of Police Mahoney at
Cairo, ILL.,, that he was one of the three
men who held up the train at Wick
life, said he met the others at st.
Louis, where the robbery was planned.
He had known the men about one
year. A couple of weeks ago they
wrote him to meet them in st. Louis,
where they arranged the details of the
plot. Since then he has been in Car
!bondale, ILL.,, and other places. His de-
.scription of one of his partners fits
that of Barnes, who is tall and thin.
Fugitives on a River Boat.
Right after the robbery Special
Agent Murray and his men went to
work on the case. At Cairo, when
Conley was arrested, the detectives as
certained that Barnes and Nelson had
taken caIDoat on the river near Cairo
and were making their way up the
stream. The deserted the boat at st.
Genevieve and boarded the Iron Noun
tain train for st. Louis, arriving in the
city Thursday night
Memphis, Tenn, July IA report
from Fulton, KY, states that two more
alleged Illinois Central train robbers
have been captured.