The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-11

up WIN MS lett mana TO eXtlngulSn the
lights in the sleepers, intending to pro-
tect the occupants from the bandits
who were on guard outside. Before
his fingers touched the switch he
heard warning growl from one of
the outlaws and a rifle spat at him
from the darkness. window was
shattered by the ball and a piece of
flying glass cut an ugly cash above
Cowan's right eye. After that he did
not attempt to put out the lights
Cowan was impressed by the signals
the bandits used. Just before the
shot was fired at him he heard one
of the guarding bandits shout six"
off in the darkness. Close by the side
of the Pullman another answered
six" other voices cried six" along
side the train and then came the re-
port of the rifle and the smashing of
nection Cowan could see between the
bandits signal six" and the shot at
him was that he was in the sixth car
back.
The Pullman conductor did not get
a close view of any of the bandits
He said those on guard kept will back
in the shadows.
Little of Value in Express Safe.
Kansas City, July 11.-Officials of
the American Express company here
said today that the robbers obtained
very little booty from the express car.
They declared that about $50 worth
of jewelry was probably the most val
liable shipment the car contained.
Cancelled checks consigned to a south
ern bank and representing about $500
also were in the safe, they said.
Get Very Little Money.
Muskogee, Okla, July 11.-Accord-
in-s to w. P. Cotton, Kansas City. one
of the mail clerks on the Missouri
Kansas & Texas passenger train held
II nv bandits Paula Ia
last night, the robbers secured but an
insignificant amount of money from
the rifled mail and express cars.
Four registered packages, none of
which is believed to have been valu-
able, were taken from the mail coach.
None of them contained currency, ac-
cording to Cotton, who has spent
thirty-six years as mail clerk on the
Katy and has been in four train rob-
berries.
The small safe in the express car
was taken from the train, he said.
Cotton did hot known what it con-
tanned. Local express officials lay,
however, that it probably contained
nothing of value. since large amounts
of money are never shipped on that
train which makes its entire trip to
Muskogee during the night.
]. D. Murray, a Muskogee business
man who was a passenger in the
smoker, declared that he saw six
bandits and none wore masks. MUIR
ray was impressed by the seemingly
perfect organization of the robbers.
He said:
The crew of bandits was very well
organized, each man having been
given a number by which he was di-
rected by the leader 1 heard num-
bers called as high as twelve, but did
not actually see more than six men.
No. was called upon to do the most
work. The man who stood on the
front platform after the engine and
baggage car had been taken away was
a young fellow, and I think without
doubt I could identify him. After
cussing a little he proceeded to fire
down the aisle. Three shots passed
very close to me, one passing just an
inch or so in front of my face. All
of the men seemed to be very young,
in their twenties, the engineer refer
red to by the bandits as the old hog
being the oldest of those 1 saw. L
judged him to be about 35 years old.
There was a great deal of confu-
sion on the train, in fact every time
a shot was fired, and there were about
100 fired, 1 think, some would
scream and others would pray. From
their actions 1 would say most of the
bandits were or had been railroad
man