Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-28
MASKED BANDITS
ROB FAST TRAIN
Ten Bold Outlaws Succeed
in Most Daring Stunt
in Recent Years
TWO HOURS SPENT
IN BLOWING SAFE
Amount Of Swag Secured By
Robbers Known Only to
Express Company

! L.
Peace officers Of dozen counties
hundreds Of citizens and the blood
hounds Of the state penitentiary al
McAlester were searching East Okla
! homa today for an outlaw gang Of ter
or more men who this morning perpe
trated the boldest train robbery of re
cent years in this section.
The fast Missouri, Kansas & Texas
vestibuled train No. 8, southbound
Chicago to San Antonio, was held up
by the masked robber band near
Onapa, shortly before a. m, the
train crew trussed up with ropes, q
guard placed over the passengers and
with methodical work commenced to
loot the three express cars carried by
the train Despite the robbers ef-
forts, carried out with all the smooth
ness of a well rehearsed drama, their
plans went awry, and they took away
with them in their flight the contents
Of only single safe. Three other
safes defied their attempts at robbery
and the men made no effort to molest
mails or passengers.
Amount Of Booty Unknown.
What they obtained from the one
safe which they opened was unknown
early today to any one except express
officials. The train often carries large
amounts of money and securities, it is
said.
For more than two hours, as the
day was just beginning, the robbers
worked at the treasure chests. All
nR ir
exercised to prevent collision and
wreck The robbers, undoubtedly
aware that they were on the main
line Of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas,
sent out guards to the front and rear
OF the train to signal to a stop any
other approaching trains.
1t was this caution which led to the
first alarm being given that a robbery
was in progress. A freight train was
tagged in the rear of the passenger
train. While the crew was being lin
ed up by the robber guard, the freight
engineer escaped and ran seven miles
to Checotah, north Of the scene Of the
holdup. from where he summoned as
sistance.
Crew Held Prisoner.
The bandits are believed to have
boarded No. at Checotah or some
nearby point north Of the scene of the
After passing Onapa, a sta
tion without telegraph facilities at
night, the train was In sparsely
settled territory, midway between
Cnecotah and Eufaula and near the
Canadian river, remote from Interrupt
ton and affording wild forests and
marshes for escape. Here the rob-
be1s climbed over the baggage and
mail cars into the engine, and forced
the ingineer and fireman to stop the
train. Next In order was the con-
luctor, who was routed from the pas
senger coaches. then the other mem
oers Of the crow. All were lined up
by the track and some of them tied
10 trees, while several members OF
,ho robber gang stood guard.
Only One Injured.
Work was then begun on the ex-
PRESS safes Three safes appeared
and were abandoned.
After flve charges of nitro-glycerine
we're exploded, the fourth safe on the
rain was wrecked and It's contents
Jared. During all this time probably |
dozen shots were fred by the men.
tut except for brakeman who was
in the finger when he tried
o escape, no one was hurt.
When the loot from the wrecked
,,fe had been packed away the rob-
,el, carefully thanked the train |
rev. wished them Good Night" and
disappeared into the darkness on foot |
"swag" 10 Negligible.
St. Louis, Mo-, Oct. 27.-C. D. Sum-
ney, general manager Of the southern
Iivision Of the American Express
said nothing Of value was
n the safe which was blown open by
he men who robbed the Missouri,
Kansas & Texas train in Oklahoma
arly today. Mr.. Summey said the
xpress company had not shipped
money on trains for several months.
Ie said he had been Informed the
obbers took package Of claim
ouchers and railroad tickets.
ROBBERS CAPTURED.
Chicago, Oct. 27.-Police Of Chicago
Heights, suburb, fought revolver