Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-14
battle | NTH ROBB[R.
Ter Detectives Have a Battle Royal
With Illinois Central Hold
Up Man.
Forty Shots Exchanged and the Rob
Der Wounded, but Makes His
Escape.
One Of the Guilty Men Caught
He Makes Complete
Confession.

John Nelson, one of the gang OF six
who robbed the Illinois Central express
car of $4,000 near Wycklifte, Ky.Rearly
Wednesday morning.
In the battle, which began in the
house at 1868 Finney avenue and ex-
tended to the Nandeventer station. for
ty shots We're exchanged. Nelson was
badly wounded, but escaped. General
Special Agent George Murray. chief of
the Illinois Central railway detective
bureau, vas shot by the fugitive and is
in hospital with his thumb shattered
and a ragged pistol wound ranging
thru his right arm from the elbow to
the shoulder.
Charles w. Barnes, another Of the six
robbers, was quietly overpOwered at
1900 West Belle place at o'clock and is
now in Jail.
"A decoy note. sent by the detectives.
opened the fight with Nelson. At $3.50
O'Clock messenger boy awoke Nell
son and his Wife at 1868 Pinney avenue.
The note told Nelson that Mrs. Barnes.
wife Of mis- partner in crime, had been
taken suddenly i'll, and requested him
to come over to the Barnes residence
y Nelson fell into the trap. The detec-8
tives We're lying In waiting in the front
and rear of the house With ready weap-
apns. Nelson appeared at the front door.
His quick glance took in the situation,
and, darling back, he slammed and
locked the door in the faces of the Of
sfloers.
A moment later Assistant Chief of
Detectives Smith. who was on the
watch in the back yard, beheld Nelson
at the second-story window With a re
yolver. Smith fired and Nelson returned
the shot He disappeared. Again he
came TO the window and sprang thru
the easement, firing at Smith as he
jumped.
Crashing into a lilac bush in the yard
he arose in an instant and fired on
Smith as he dashed thru the back gate.
Running thru another yard he gained
the front Of the housce, facing on Fin
ney avenue. Here he was met by De-
5tective Murray and others OF his force.
The battle was resumed. Murray
closed up on the fleeing man.
Just. as the officer raised his pistol
arm to shoot Nelson wheeled and fired.
Murray dropped to the sidewalk and.
the other officers fired, but none OF the
shots stopped Nelson. Drops OF blood
trailed his speeding feet. He ran west.
along Finney avenue. and turning the
corner at Nandeventer. Increased the.
distance between himself and the de-
tectives as he ran south. At Vande-s
sventer station he was lost in the rail-
Way Yards
Barnes was taken without boodshed,
soscomplete was the surprise. In effect
ing his capture a false telegram was
sent To 1890 West Belle place. The.
messenger boy was instructed to raise
his cap as he stepped out of the house
into view should the telegram be re-
sceived by the occupants of the house.
The cap was raised.
Chief of Detectives Smith and his
operatives. who We're STOPPING behind.
the porch. made rush and had Barnes
before he could make a move. He was
taken to Deer street police station and
was held there during the night. AT s
O'clock Friday morning he was taken
tosthe office of Chief of Detectives Des-
mond. with the property found upon
his person
The property consisted OF a revolver
of heavy eaiber. large pair of field
glasses in a1case. carried over the shout
| der by strap. a small hand reticule,
much worn and containing a photo
graph of himself. his Wife and child.
Eighty-five dollars in currency, which
was damp, as tho 1t had been exposed
to water, and So in silver We're taken
| from small black wallet.
After searching examination by
lchief Desmond, Barnes asked what
lternls would be made with him if he
itold all he knew The chief placed the
suspected robber in the hold-over, after
telling him that he would think 1t over
4 and let him know.
\ In&the afternoon Barnes confessed to
EChief of Detectives Desmond and Chief
sof Police Campbell that he. together
with John Nelson and a man named
Dyer, alias Connolly. committed the
| train robbery. He says that the plot
was concocted in st. Louis. Dyer came
from San Francisco four months ago,
/ and the plot was all arranbed in thic
4 city.
He said he Went to the scene Of the
! robbery on an Illinois Central train and
Twas joined there by Nelson and Dyer.
4 When the train which they had decided
to rob approached they tagged it and
went thru the express car. Then they
cut the engine loose.
The confession Of Barnes does not ac-
1 count for the presence Of two additional
men. Six masked men stopped the train
near Wickliffe. They terrorized the pas
sengerB and forced Agent Hickox tc
open the express safe at the muzzle OF
4 ther reyolvers. An estimate of the
money taken from the safe is $4,000.
The secret service agents Of the rail-
road company went to work on the case
lat once. At Cairo Michael Conley was
arrested and accused Of being in the
i gang. The detectives say that they goI
4 enough out Of him to warrant them in
following two men to st. Louis
4 1t was ascertained that these men hat
taken catboat on the river near Cairo
and were making their way up thu
4 stream. 1t was learned that the mer
4 deserted the boat at st. Geneyieve ant
boarded the Iron Mountain train for st
Il 0ND0 Is 10,
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