The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-10-17
MESSENGER FOILS
GANG OF BANDITS
Single Handed Expressmal
8attles Four Train Robbers
Saves Packages.

Fort Smith, Ark, Oct. 14.=Four
bandits bungled the holdup Of = north
bound Kansas City Southern passen-
ger train between Hatfield and MenAy
Ark, early today. One was woundod
and captured and the other three out
laws escaped after q battle with Elk
press Messenger Merrill Burgett, Of
Kansas City, No.. In which Burgett
exhausted his ammunition and was
badly beaten.
Burgett shot tho robber who was
discovered an hour later after his conn
panions had deserted him. n rob-
Der is being conveyed to Mena. Fifty
or more armed men are pursuing the
bandits. Burgett 10 in a hospital at
Mena. He win recover.
Messenger Hid Valuables.
The train. known as No. 2. left Hat
field. Ark, about 2 o'clock. While
Burgett was working In his ear, he
saw the bandits clamoring at the side
door. They smashed the glass with
their revolver butts. Burgett sprang
to his most valuable packages and hid
despite the hail Of bullets which the
bandits poured into the car. Once, the
messenger says. a bullet pierced his
shirt.
/ Az ~ pdChdSGS III IluOcU, r& DuT89IL
turned his attention to the invaders.
who had abandoned for a time their
firing into the car. AS Burgett fired
at them the robbers reached through
the smashed windows and loosened the
catch which held the door from the
sprang into the car one by one. firing
on Burgett as they advanced. The
messenger leaped behind baggage and
met the robbers fire shot for shot.
The train had attained a speed OF
about 80 miles an hour and apparently
none of the train or locomotive crew
know that a holdup was being attempt
ed. A last shot fired by Burgett before
the robbers gained the inside of the
car, wounded one OF them.
Buraett Fights BraveIy.
The fight continued until Burgett's
cartridges were gone. Then the rob-
bers closed in on him and by force OF
numbers o~verpowdered him. although
he gave battle to three, welding the
butt of his short shotgun effectively
until conquered. The bandits dubbed
the messenger repeatedly, asking:
where's that package Of money!"
Bleeding, Burgett crouched in q
corner of the car while the robbers
brutally beat and kicked him, but the
messenger did not revea the hiding
place.
The bandits searched the car careful
ly, but Burgett had been too willy for
them. So they applied the air brakes
and made another careful search.
Robbers Flee.
By this time the train conductor
feared something was amiss and he be.
u an investigation. AS the conduc.
tor came forward with his lantern the
robbers took fright and fled.
In answer to the conductors repeated
~knockings on the door Of the express
car Burgett struggled to his feet, un,
locked the door hen tainted. He wa,
revived long enough to give q brie
sketch Of the attempted ho1dup. an
the train was rushed into Mena,
A posse was organized to pursue tn,
robbers into the hills near Hatsfielt
and Potter, Ark. Near Potter tn,
wounded robber was found.
So far as is known, the outlaws tool
nothing.
The wounded robber, who is un
identified, received a charge of sho
In the left breast near the heart. Prob
ably he will die.
-
OKLAHOMA BANK ROBBED,
Muskogee, Okla, Oct. 14.-The Stat
Bank of Council Hill, Okla, was robbed
Of about $1,000 during last night an,
a party of mounted bandits escape,
after a running fight with citizens
Nitroglycerin was used. The explosion
awakened three townsmen, who sprea,
the alarm. Bullets were exchange,
without result. lOodhOupd r,ara +al,