The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-11
Men Who "Shot Up" M. K.
& T. Train Are Run
Down By Posse
TWELVE MEN IN
THE BANDIT CREW
Uncoupled Mail and Ex-
press Cars; Took Them
Mile Down Track
CBy Associated Presa.)

Paola, Kan, July 11.-A posse Of
200 men today was patrolling the
banks of the Marais De Cygne river
near here awaiting the signal TO
rush a large patch OF timber IN
which it was believed were hiding a
dozen men who late last night held
up southbound Missouri, Kansas &
Texas passenger train at Koch sid
ing, Just south of PaoIa, shot three
persons, looted the express and mail
cars and made their escape.
The posse is composed Of MEM
bers Of the county anti-horse thief
association and home guards from
Osawatomie and is led by county
and railroad officers.
- Details of the robbery in which
two of the train crew and a woman
passenger were wounded by bullets
from the bandits guns, as related
by railway employees, seem to indi-
cate the robbers shot up the
train to terrorize the passengers and
crew. No attempt was made to rob
the passengers. The train was
tagged as it was backing from Koch
siding, and the bandits swarmed
about the engine, forcing the engt-
neer and fireman at the point OF re-
Yolvers, back into the smoking car.
The doors of the smoking and day
coaches were locked and several Of
the robbers ran up and down the
aisles shooting into the floors and
the roof, the bullets from their guns
striking Fireman r. NJ. Carter in
the ankle and G. T. Witcher, the
train auditor, in the thigh.
Others Of the bandits boarded the
mali and express cars, uncoupled
them from the rest Of the train and
with their own men at the engine
throttle, ran out to the main line
and backed north. AS they passed
the standing coaches they fired into
the windows and it was then that
Mrs. L. D. williams Of Achille,
Okla, was wounded. She was shot
in the shoulder.
A mile north Of the siding the mail
and express cars were stopped and
the robbers proceeded to rifle them,
throwing the express safe from the
car and breaking it open.
They are said to have taken a
quantity Of registered mail. The
sum of money taken from the mail
hags could not be estimated. Ac-
cordiug to the express messenger
and mail clerks there was not a. large
GLIlO0AAL Oh 4AAD4Gy III GlLI4SA CSA4s
When the two cars had been
stripped of vaIuabIes, the bandits fled
in automobiles which had either
been left nearby or brought up by
confederates Members Of the train
crew started for this city and found
the engine and two cars deserted.
They ran back to the coaches, cou-
pied up the train and proceeded with
the wounded TO Parsons, Kan. The
bandits are described as young men,
although all were masked. Their
familiarity with the train schedule
and their handling Of the engine and
detached cars were the feature that
attracted the particular attention Of
railroad men, as it was taken to in
dicate at least some Of them had had
railroad experience. One of the
masked men was reported to have
warned companion, don't shoot
that nan-that's Jake Darkes".
Darkes was a brakeman on the
train.
OOficiaIs of the American Express
company said today that the rob-
bers obtained little booty from the
express car. They declared that
about $50 worth OF jewelry was
probably the most valuable shipment
the car contained. Cancelled checks
consigned to a southern bank, and
representing about $500, were in the
car.