The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-28
PLUMBER
A TOWN.
Continued from First Page,

N(OnllnueQ 1IOIn E1TSL l'ake.t
Immediately after the departure of
the robbers news of the robbery was
wired to the Rock Island division
headquarters at Topeka, and all trains
from both directions were ordered
stopped On the first train to arrive
after the robbery was Chief Custy of
the detective service of the Rock Is
land With him was Assistant Brain
ard. They reached Mcfarland at 1855
a. m and waited until the arrival OF
Sheriff Frey with Deputies Schmidt and
johnson from Alma. Another deputy
was sworn in at Mcfarland. and at
quarter past o'clock the posse started
after the highwaymen, taking with
them a boy who had been locked up in
the refrigerator freshrdyan Nc
the freight refrigerator car. When the
officers reached Paxico they were told
thu . the five men had gone past the
sta ON there about an hour before and
were walking east. The agent, not
having heard of the robbery, had sup
posed them to be tramps.
Neither of the men who were assault
ed is seriously hurt, although six
stitches were required in dressing
young Toler's scalp wound. His
plucky escape from the party of armed
robbers probably made possible the
alarm of the officers considerably
sooner than would otherwise have oc-
CURED. Conductor Monahan's wound in
the scalp was less severe than that sus-
to Herington. The six men who were
imprisoned in the refrigerator car ap-
pear to be none the worse for their ex-
perience, although all of them were
frightened at the prospect of suffoca-
ton in the air-tight car in which they
spent two hours.
The trains held at Mcfarland were
the east bound Texas train, the east
bound Ell Paso train. Several freiehts
were also stopped in the yard, the pur-
pose being to prevent the escape of the
robbers by train in either direction
Considering the number. of persons
robbed the highwaymenn did not secure
a great amount of valuable property
Several valuable watches were secured
and about thirty dollars each from the
station house and from the eating
house. From the eight men robbed
they are believed to have secured
about 500. although this is uncertain.
The men who remained concealed in
the sleeping apartments of the eating
house were Station Agent Widener,
Yardmaster Jacobs, Manager Crane of
! the eating house and John Cashier,
waiter. Cashier was on duty in the
waiting room when Widener arrived
out of breath from running away from
the robbers. The restaurant building
is 100 yards from the railroad station.
While searching their victims the rob
bers said very little, evidently not de-
sirous of exposing themselves to identi-
hcatOn by talking. Aside from using
their guns in pounding up the two rail-
road men their arms were not put into
service at all and as much care as pos
sible was taken not to awake the town
by making a noise. The whole robbery
was conducted quietly. the robbers
warning everyone to observe silence.
Mcfarland is a small town with not
more than 200 population, it being only
important as a railroad junction All
Rock Island trains from the west
and south pass through the town and
roundhouse and repair shop is located
here The houses of the town are to
the north of the tracks some distance
The station house is a small structure
of the ordinary type and is connected
with the Rock Island eating house,
which also serves is hotel.
Notification of the robbery was sent to
the police officers and sheriff at Topeka
and a close watch is being kept upon
the railroad yards and the roads enter
ing town The men are believed here
to be tramps 1t is, however, not con-
sidered likely that they will come tow
ard Topeka. The officers here hold them
selves in readiness to go to the assist
ance of the Wabaunsee county officers
If called nDOn.