The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-15
Battle With WOuld-Be Bandits
A Hold-Up Frustrated, Engineer and Conduc-
tor Caught With the Goods

known as Katy" West had been an
engineer for years, having been in charge
of a freight train. Each of these men
owed Adams quite a considerable sum of
money 1t was in the course of a con-
versation with them about their in
debtedness to him that Adams was ap-
preached by them upon the subject of
robbing the train. I'VE will have plenty
of money TO pay YOU all that we owe you
in a few days. said one of them, and
then they asked him to join them in
pulling off the job, which he agred to
do for the reason stated.
| had known Mr.. Clark for a number
of years, and, as stated above, had done
considerable work for him while chief
special agent for the Missouri Pacific
read, | had severed my connection with
that line at this time and was conduct
ing a secret service company in St
Louis. 1t was on account of the close
frienship between us that Mr.. Clark had
sent for me, and on this account [ was
especially anxious to Illustrate the rob
berry.
"Furlong," said the superintendent,
'just as soon as the time and place for
this holdup have been fixed l will notify
you. and | want ydu to take measures
TO prevent that train from being robbeu
and to catch the guilty parties"
Early on the morning of November %
l received message from Mr.. Clark,
stating that the superintendent had just
learned from Adams that the passenger
train on the Lexington branch was to
be held up and robbed that night at a
point nine miles north OF Sedalia, and
instructing me to take immediate steps to
protect the train and prevent the rob-
berry. The superintendent placed w. w.
Kay, his special agent, at my disposal
and two more agents, Detective Frank
Barnett and another, who joined me at
independence. The fifth member of the
party was Joseph S. Manning, one of
my own staff. from the st. Louis office
On consulting the official time card
on the Missouri Pacific road I found
that. In order to protect the Lexington
branch train against the contemplated
robbery, it would be necessary to leave
ST. Louis that morning, in order to board
the endangered train at Independence
junction the same evening, as that train
was due to leave Kansas City ON its
eastward trip before the train from St.
Louis arrived there. | also found that
if both trains were on time | would have
three minutes at independence to make
connections. This was accomplished.
| told the conductor in charge of the
Lexington branch train at Independence
of the instructions which | had received
from Superintendent Clark. and instruct
ed him that, when the train was Tagged
and stopped. he should pay no attention
to the parties who had signaled her but
was to devote his whole time TO keeping
his passengers quiet in their seats and,
in particular. that he should see that
none of them raised a window or put
his head out. | then went over to the
engineer and told him what was liable
to happen.
when we arrive az the curve" l said,
you'll see the signal, which will be red
light shown across the track. You are
to stop the train Immediately, and under
no circumstances are you to run beyond
the danger signal"
l further instructed him that. after
stopping the train, he and his fireman
could squat down on what is known as