The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-29
Mcfarland Bandits Are Not
Troubled by Officers.
Sheriff Frey and Rock Island
Detective Quit.
= THEY TELL THE STORY
Two Men in Refrigerator Car
Relate Experience.
Think That Two of Robbers
Were in Topeka.

The five men who terrorized the little
town of Mcfarland early Friday morn
ing by robbing both the Rock Island
depot and eating house close by. shut
ting six men in refrigerator car after
relieving them Of their valuables and
beating two men over the head until
they were almost insensible, are still at
large. The authorities in that vicinity
have given up the search and 1t is not
likely that it will be resumed as the
sheriff OF Wabaunsee county and his
assistants think tht the robbers are
now outside of the county.
Sheriff Frey. Rock Island Detective
Custy and their assistants arrived in
Paxico at about 2 o'clock Friday after
noon after securing the country lying
northeast of that place in their search
for the robbers. Mr.. Frey and Mr..
Custy stated that during the early part
of the search they were able to track
the holdups by the footprints in the
dew on the road but when the sun came
up and dried the ground the trail was
lost.
This was about five miles northeast
of here" said Sheriff Frey to State
Journal reporter at PaxicO while he was
him back to his headquarters in Alma
According to their tracks all five of |
the men were together at the point /
where we lost the trail and it looks TO
me as if they were heading towards the
river. The only place. however, where !
they can cross without swimming is at
Maple Hill nd l have notified the au- /
thorities there to keep a sharp lookout /
in that vicinity. 1t is of no use for me
to search farther in this Vicinity The |
timber around here is very thick MAX
ing a search Of this kind almost /
fruitless undertaking. Consequently /
we finally decided to give up the |
search. It would take not less than /
hundred men to find the robbers if they /
were still in this vicinity, which do /
not think is the case. They are heading !
east and If the authorities at points /
along the river east of here keep their |
eyes open 1 think that the robbers will |
be captured"
Sheriff Frey returned to Alma in the |
afternoon and Detective Custy. OF the /
Rock Island who happened to be pass
ing through Mcfarland on his way I
west at the time Of the robbery, resum-
ed his journey.
The local authorities are keeping a |
sharp watch in hopes Of discovering the /
Whereab bouts of the men. Last night the /
police thought that they had clue and 4
they probably did but 1t did not pan out I
very well under their management Two (
tramps were arrested on suspicion but /
instead of holding them until they could I
be seen by some of the victims OF the /
Mcfarland robbery, the police turned I
them lose Later in the evening W. @. /
Ernerton and A. J. Johnson. two of the
men who were locked into the refriger;l-
tor car by the robbers at Mcfarland af
ter being robbed of what money they
had, arrived in Topeka on their way TO
their respective homes. johnson lives in
Rochester. n. Y. and Enerton's home is
in Arkansas City. They are both young
men and carry |. a. of Nj. cards. show
ing that they are machinists by trade.
Until lately Johnson has been employed
IN Las Vegas. When they arrived IN
town they were taken Immediately 70
the police station where they were ask
ed many questions in regard to the rob
berry and the part which they took in X.
When told of the two trampS which
the police had liberated short time bee
fore they arrived they said that the
tramp were no doubt two of the five
men who created such CONSERVATION IN
Mcfarland Friday morning
1T was dark when we saw the ROB-
bers." said Johnson today, and conse-
quently neither Of US can give a detailed
description OF the men who held us up
but as far as ! can tell the two tramps
who were arrested last night answer the
description of two of the men we saw
under such trying conditions FRIDAY
morning. OF course they may have diff
fered in some respects and they may
have put up a good talk but their ap-
pearance as described by the local police
was sufficient to warrant their I tention
until an investigation could be made.
L saw two of the robbers distinctly
and 1 think that l could Identify them.
One was a short farmer looking boy
with a smooth face and the other was OF
about the same stature with a three
weeks growth of beard on his face The
description of the two tramps who were
arrested last night by your police an
swers TO the appearance of the two men
/ have referred to. ! think that they
4Iaxr ,,
the other three men are now in the VI
cinity of Topeka"
Emerton was of the same opinion as
johnson. Emerton said that he did not
think that the authorities were very
anxious to catch the men.
"AIl through the entire affair."" said
Emerton. THE police have exhibited
disposition to hold back and let the
men get away. At no time have they
exerted themselves in their effort to
capture the robbers. The marshal at
Mcfarland refused to follow the men
when he was requested to do 50, and
now the sheriff of the county in which
the crime was committed has given up
the sob.
Il was never so scared in all my life"
said Emerton later, when he was dis
cussiug the details of the affair. Il
honestly believe that If either of US
had resisted the men we would have
received a. bullet from one of the five
big revolvers with which the men were
armed. They meant business, and
would not have stood any fooling After
they had captured us on the porch of
the eating house and had told us to
trow up our hands, which we prompt
did, they marched us down the track
khe refrigerator car and demanded
we line up. It was at this time
we were scared the worst and 1
Eght that we were going to be shot.
lead Of shooting us, however, the
hers put us in the refrigerator
'ich was nearly rs bad. Our expert
ce in the car was something awful
4lere was positively no way in which
we could have escaped. The air in the
car was very foul, and there was so
little Of it that we could hardly get our
breath. I happened to have a knife,
however, which the holdups had over
looked. and with this we cut a small