The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-08-27
BOLD ROBBERY
ON FASTlTRAIN
L. A. Baird, Of Missouri Valley, Re
Iieved Of SIS by Couple Of Hold
Ups on "Wednesday Last.
ROBBERY OCCURS ON TRAIN


Robbers Are Arrested and PIeac
Guilty and Are Bound Over to
September Grand Jury.
One of the boldest robberies thai
has ever taken place in Crawford
county was perpetrated on Wednes
day night of last week on passenger
train No. 13 on the Northwestern
known as the Hawkeye Express
which arrives in Denison at $50 p
M, going west.
Mr. L. A. Baird, accompanied by his
wife, were passengers, coming from
Boone to their home at Missouri Val
ley, after having attended the funeral
of Mrs. Baird's father at Boone. They
were riding in the chair car and when
out of Carroll Mr.. Baird thought to
enter the smoker for quiet smoke
Just prior to entering the smoker
Conductor Link Rule, who was in
charge of the train, had had trouble
with couple of passengers regarding
their fares. Knowing Mr.. Baird, the
conductor stopped him in the vesti.
bule and conversed with him. after
which Mr.. Baird went on into the
smoker and took seat beside anOth-
er passenger, and after taking his
seat his fellow passenger began com
planning about having lost his pocket
book and in the course of the conver.
sation he accused Baird of having
taken it. Baird disclaimed any knowl-
edge of the pocketbook and the argu
ment became heated, the stranger at.
tempting to search him. Baird took
his own pocketbook, containing $75 in
money out of his pocket and said that
it belonged to him and he did not
have another on his person. The
stranger looked at it and claimed that
it belonged to him and made a grab
for it. During the mixup another man
appeared on the scene and held
Baird's arm while the other fellow
forced the pocketbook from his hand
and put it in his pocket. Mr.. Baird at
once notified the conductor that his
pocketbook had been taken from him
and he. together with the conductor,
went up to the front end of the car
and interviewed the stranger in re-
that the pocketbook be returned to it's
rightful owner and after warm dis
cussion the stranger took the pocket
book out of his coat pocket and told
Baird that if it was his to take it.
Baird returned to his seat with the
pocketbook. but upon opening it found
that the SIS in bills was missing. The
fellow who had taken it refused to
return the money and so when the
train stopped at Denison he was de-
tanned in the vestibUle while John
Meehan, who happened to be on the
train. got off and sent word to Deputy
Sheriff O'Meara, who went to the sta
ton and placed the man under arrest.
Mr. and Mrs. Baird got off the train
at Denison and swore out Information
against the man. He was taken to the
county Jail where he was searched
by Sheriff Cummings. who found the
roll of bills. amorn ing to s75 in his
coat pocket. and besides this amount
he had something like S26.
Sheriff Cummings talked the case
over with Mr.. Baird and as soon as
he learned that another man was
mixed up in the deal he phoned to the
Council Bluffs police and asked them
to meet No. 13 when it arrived there
and place the other man under arrest
". !. Str,"rt. chief insnectnr Cf TIE
western division of the Northwestern
road, boarded No. 13 at Missouri Val
ley and was told of the affair by the
conductor Mr.. Stuart kept his eye
on the other man and turned him over
4
train arrived at the Broadway station.
A hearing was ei''on the man taken
from the train he"o at Denison on
Thursday morning. He gave his name
as John Sheridan and claimed to be
a resident of Ma~shalltown. Iowa. He
plead gui1tv to the charge before
Justice Rollins and was bound over to
await the action Of the grand jury
which convenes in September.
John O'Neil. of the Council Bluffs
po)jce denartment brought the other
man to Denison Thursday afternoon
and he was given hearing that even
ing. He gave his name as Lorenso
Johnston. and claimed to be a resi-
dent of Aurora. Mo. Johnston plead
ed guilty. to tho charge brought
over to tho GRAND irrv. Both Sheridan
and Johnston had been emnlCved at
the gravel nit near Wall Lake and
both were known by Joe Pulvn. a
Frepchman, who was on the train at
the time. Mr.. Pnlvn endeavored 70
have Sheridan return the pocketbook
to it's rightfrl owner and not being
able to do so he stopped off in Den
ison of his own accord to testify as
to the facts in the case.
There is no question but what Sher-
idan mad Johnston are guilty OF the
charge brought AGAINST them and the
finding of the SIS on the person OF
Sheridan only makes the case that
much stronger. The fellows appar-
entlv knew there was little homes OF
their getting out Of the affair and
Mead guilty. The trick was NOT even
smooth and one would think that it
was done bv men under the inN"ence
of liouor. We feel confident that both
fellows will think long time before
thew perpetrate another such robbery
nv the time they have served long
sentence in the state penitentfary.