Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1903-12-17
SHERIFF. HELD UP.

Baxter Syringe experienced the
nerviest holdup Saturday night
since the robbing of the Baxter
bank by the Jessie James gang over
q quarter of a century ago. Many
people were In the depot awaiting
the midnight Kansas City train
and when II came the sheriff OF this
county, Charles Rains, walked In
and, showing his gun into the face
of Clarence Cunningham, wanted
for Jail breaking at Columbus, or
dered "hands up."
Cunningham's hands went up,
but had scarcely reached the level
of his head before his partner al
his side showed his gun in the sher.
life face and repeated the "hands
up" command.
Sheriff Rains hands went up as
promptly as had Cunningham's.
Rains was then relieved of his gun
by Cunningham, while his partner
kept his gun lcveled on the officer.
The two bandits then marched
Rains to the train and, after putting
him on, returned his gun TO him
after extracting the loads, saying
that he might keep 1t, 40 1t was too
small for their business.
As soon as the train pulled ont
they again entered the depot, held
up the agent and robbed the till OF
what money il contained. The two
men then coolly walked down town,
entered Hemstreets livery stable,
passed a whisky bottle around and
engaged in conversation In the Of
fee az If nothing had occurred,
while waiting for a man to get a
team ready. They claimed that
they were compelled to see a bunch
of cattle before daylight, at Lowell.
A description that fits the team was
received by phone from Seneca, NO.,
stating that the two men were seen,
but they are supposed to have taken
a westbound train into the Indian
Territory.
Cunningham and his partner are
considered to be bad crooks and
are said to belong to gand of safe
crackers located in Joplin. Only
last month Cunningham was shad-
owed by the officers of Galena and
arrested in the alley in the rear of
Main, between Second and Third
streets. Over a half pint of nitro.
glycerine and a complete safe
cracking outfit were concealed in
Cunningham's clothing.
When the fellows marched Sher-
if Rains out of the depot, one of
them said to him: II guess will
fix you now" Rains told him it
would not do any good to do that,
go the fellow said, "well, get on that
train and go on"
The bandits came in on the same
train Sheriff Rains was on. Gun
ningham was wanted for Jail break
ing, and when he got off the train
and went into the depot, Rains fol-
lowed him in.
Charlie Hixson was one of the
victims of the hold up. He, also,
was on the train, and went into the
depot to get warm. He got into a
warm place, all right, for the fell
lows told him "hands up" and re-
leased him of $40. At least Hixson
said it was $40. Some of his friends,
say the amount was
nearer 20 cents.
Had Hixson came up town at once
and sounded the alarm the fellows
could have been caught, but his
friends say he was too buoy chang
ing his clothing.
The amount of money secured
from the agent was only few cents,
as he had time to secrete the money
on hand, and when ordered to open
the safe, he said he could not do 1t.
Constables Jones and Hemstreet
and Chas. Hixson and Geo. Peter
SON, as soon as possible took the
trail, but were never lucky enough
to keep 1t.
Such fellows as the ones who did
this Job should be shot on sight.
Mr.. Hemstreet found his team at
Seneca, all right.