The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-12
'TWASBRUTAL WORK
Most Depraved Cruelty Exhibited by
Murderous Train Robbers at
Maple Plain.
Frank Keller Tells How Cotton Cor
don Was Beaten and Hurled
to Death.

Excitement among the residents of
Maple Plain is at its highest tension
over the brutal work of the holdup
men operating on the Great Northern
IN yesterdays o. rnal. The MUIR
dered man has been identified as
Cotton G. Gordon of Vail, Iowa. His
companions, who were seriously in
1ured,s We're Frank Keller Of .Philadel-
phla, f. M. Williams and John
SAFER. Inc two last named are
at Maple Plain but are expected to
st. Mary's hospital while the body of
Gord q, IS at the county morgue await
ing the inquest.
Story Of the Holdup.
Keller is the only man VINO has been
and he told his story as follows:
7 had been working on the Great
Northern steel gang: near Willmar, and
was paid off Tuesday morning. That
afternoon there was a freight train
leaving for Minneapolis and a num-
Der Of us decided to come to the city
as stowaways. I started in a cattle
car, but 1T was not long until I found
the car too cold for me- and with an
other fellow. whom I now believe to
be Gordon, went ahead to box car OF
lumber. When we crawled in, there
were three men in the car and one
more came in later.
We were getting we'll on toward
Minneapolis when three men climbed
down into the carr They struck {
match to light cigarette, and I go,
a good look at their faces. Pretty
soon one of them said something about
a fourth man who was said to be ly-
Ing drunk on the roof of the car
They left to get him, but minute
or two later climbed down into the
car: One Of them struck a match ane
fired bundle of oily waste, which
flared up and made good light.
When the waste burned SO bright.
ly I could see that the men wore mask.
and each of them had a revolver. They
told us to hold up our hands, ane
we lost no time in obeying. While
two of them kept us covered with thei1
guns the other began to 'frisk' us.
Gordon Begged and Was Beaten.
"a cross-eyed fellow that 1 think
must be Gordon was the first one
frisked. They got about $6 from hin
and then ordered him to jump from
the car. He begged them to let hin
stayson until the train slowed up, bu
one Of them hit him in the face with :
revolver and with an oath told him tt
jump or he would blow his head off
He jumped, and + never saw hin
again.
| II was next and when jumped
struck trestle and broke my leg il
two places. I'll was unconscious, an,
when I came to they were putting m
on a handcar to take me to the hos
pital. Two other fellows jumped later
| but escaped without serious injuries
saw them at Maple Plain before
was put on the train.t The other tW
fellows I have never seen since" s
| Coroner Williams will hold an in
lquest over the remains Of Cord on, zant
an effort will be made to apprehent
the murderers.. They Aare supposed t.
be mem bers Of the same gang tina
killed Leonard c. Dare. on the nigh
Of Oct 12.ta2testM sE{ts5Sa 9 ftsA,aE @a1,z
i Gordon wasa aboutG35 and from al
appearances a hard working fellow
He had been employed; on'sthe stee
gang near Wfllmar, but quit worl
i Tuesday and was supposed to be on hi
/ way to This;l1ome. He is thought t,
!. have lived at VAIL, Iowa, as letter
4 from relatives there were found on hi
! person. e@Att- 32g-ts& A7