The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-02
Follows Wealthy Joplin Man
From Kansas City.
LEAVES A TRAIL OF BLOOD
Tracks of RObber Traced as
Far as River Bank.
Captures ValuableS From Pas
sengers as a Ruse.

Kansas City, May AT O'Clock
this afternoon Shorts pocketbook,
empty, was found on the Missouri
river bank three miles east of the bus
iness center of Kansas City.
Nearby, bloody footprints led to a
thicket. A Gordon of police was thrown
about the thiclzet and began closing
in. 1t was believed the robber, dan
gerously wounded, lay hidden In the
underbruSh.
Kansas City, May ITO rob the Jop-
lin millionaire, Jesse NJ. Short. was the
real object Of the giant bandit who
held UP a Kansas City Southern pas
senger train in the Kansas City sub
urbs early today, and the holding
up" of several other passengers was
merely incidental according to the
theory of the police who instigated a
thorough search for tht robber today.
After lively duel with Mr.. Short in
the narrow Pullman the robber fell Off
the train wounded, carrying 81, 900 OF
Shorts money, and the wealthy mine
owner was left lying in his berth with
three bullets in his body. Physicians
attending Short at local hospital say
he will recover unless unforeseen COM
plications arise.
The fact that q mysterious person or
unusual stature had been seen about a
local hotel where Mr.. Short stopped,
reached the ears of the police and
eventually resulted in the theory that
the bandit who was considerably over
six feet tan had shadowed the million
aire and believed a Pullman berth the
best place to rob him.
According to a telegram sent the
police early today from Grainview.
Mo-, by c. G. Gibson, conductor of the
train, which continued on it's way
south, the total amount of loot obtain
ed amounted to $1,100 in money and
a $32 diamond. OF this Gibson said
Mr.. Short lost $1,000, w. ]. Scarfer,
Neck City, Mo, $65. and F. A. Sea-
man, Eureka Springs, Ark, $35 and
diamond stud.
Pools of Blood in Pullman.
Conductor Gibson said the robber
must have been wounded seriously as
he left blood in pools in the Pullman
aisle and on the platform from which
he leaped into the night.
When daylight came the search for
the big robber went forward with
double vigor. What in the darkness
of the night was believed to be a trail
of blood left after the man fell off the
train vanished with the dawn and a
dozen detectives who searched the
railway right of way for a mile on
either side the spot where the robber
disappeared found nothing to guide
them.
The escape was effected in a lonely
region of switch tracks, mazes of box
cars and market gardens where the
chances were all with the robber. Ser
geant William Myers, who a few min
utes after notification of the robbery
reached the police through the night
operator at Airline Junction was on
the trail with a squad of a half dozen
patrolmen, searched more than a hun
dred box cars. Mounting a switch en-
CINE and bearing torches and lanterns
Myers and his men went up and down
the track searching every foot OF
ground on either side without success.
Bleeding profusely from wounds he
received in a pistol battle with Short,
the robber left a trail of blood as he
fed from the scene of the robbery This
enabled the officers to follow his tracks
until he arrived at the Blue river, al
most a mile from the point where he
Jumped from the train. Here the trail
stopped abruptly and his pursuers ex-
pressed the belief that he continued his
aight in a boat. 1t was suggested that
ing him at the river.
The train was just pulling out or
The depot here when a tall man ran
out of the darkness of the railroad
yards and climbed up the steps of the
car. He had a handker-
chief over the lower part of his face -
and carried two pistols.
Oscar Allen, a negro porter. who
saw him board the train. rushed out
md ordered him away. The robber
covered him with his pistols and said:
Made Porter His Prisoner.
"I am going to put over a trick
lere. You sit down there and be quiet.
will need you"
After the train had proceeded about
hree miles through the East bottoms,
he robber ordered Allen to go ahead
If him through the train. In the sitting
-oom of the observation car were w.
T. Scafe of Neck City, Mo-, and F. A.
Seaman of Eureka Springs, Ark. The
'obber's voice trembled as he demand
ID their valuables, but they offered no
'esistance and gave him money and
ewelry amounting to about 5000.
Preceded by the frightened negro,
he rObber then entered the chair car