Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-11
LARGE POSSE
HUNTS TRAIN
BANDIT GANG
Masked Men Shoot Up
and Rob Passenger in
Kansas.

Psola, EanS- July IA
nosSe of two hundred or more
men early today patrOIled the
hanks Of the MaTaiS De Cygne
river near here awaiting the
signal 10 rush a large patch of
timber in which il was be-
lieyed were hiding a dozen men
who late last night held up a
Missouri. Kansas and Texas
passenger train bound from
kansas City to Galveston at
Koch siding Just south of Pa
ola. shot three persons, looted
the mail and express ears and
escaped.
The posse IS composed of mem
bers Of the county anti-horse-thief
association and some guards from
Osawatomie and is led by county
and railroad officers. All are heav-
IL armed. The posse of men were
called together within an hour aft
er the robbery and started in pur-
suit of the fleeing bandits who
left in motor cars. A report
reaching here early today was ha-
the bandits took refuge in the tim
Ger patch.
Three Are Wounded.
Details of the robbery in which
Two Of the train crew and a wO-
man passenger were wounded by
bullets from the bandits guns as
related by railway employees seem
10 indicate The robbers shot up the
train TO terTOTiZe the passengers
and crew. No attempt was made
10 rob the passengers. The train
was tagged down as il was back
ing from Koch siding and the ban
dts sWaTmed about The engine,
forcing the engineer and firemen
at the point OF reyOlveTs back in
10 the smoking car.
The doors OF The smoking ana
dGy coaches were locked anu sew
eral of the robbers ran up and
down the aisIes. shooting into the
floor and through the roof. stray
bullets from their guns striking
Fireman r. Z. Carter in the ankle,
and C. 7. WilcheT. the train audi
lOr, in the thigh.
Others Of the bandits boarded the
mail and express cars, unCOupled
them from the rest of the train and
with their own men at the engine
throttle ran out 10 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,
vas wounded in the shoulder.
Safe Broken Open.
mile north Of the siding. the
mail and express cars were stopped
and riffed, the robbers throwing the
express safe from the car and
breaking it open. They are said to
nave taken q quantity Of registered
mail The money taken from the
mail bags could not be estimated.
According 10 the express messen-
ger and mail clerks who also were
,orced into the smoking car with
the engine crew, there was not a
large amount Of money in either
cars.
Members OF the train crew start
ed for this city and found the en-
glne and two cars deserted. They
ran back to the coaches, coupled
up the train and proceeded with
me wounded to The nearest hos
ptal al Parsons, Kan.
The bandits are described as
Young men. although all were mask
ed. Their familiarity with the train
schedule and their handling of the
engine and detached cars was the
feature that attracted the particular
attention Of railroad men.
Small sum Taken!
MuskOgee, Okla. July 11.-Ac-
cording 10 " p. Cotton. Kansas
City one Of the mail clerks on the
passenger train looted by bandits
near Pao!a Kan. late last night.
ne robbers secured but an insig-
nlhcant amount Of money from the
MED mail and express cars.