Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1910 — ROBBERY TOOK SIX HOURS. [ARTICLE]

ROBBERY TOOK SIX HOURS.

In Euir Kansas City Bandits Stopped All Traveler* One Afternoon. Three bandits, who spent an entire afternoon holding up twenty-five citizens forty years ago were the pioneer sensational criminals In Kansas City. The robbery was begun at 1 o’clock and wasn’t finished until dinner time. The bandits met their victims at 26th and Main streets, which at that time was only a macadamized road leading out to Union Cemetery. Frederick Midland, a cabinet maker, employed by the Lep. J. Stewart Undertaking Company, was an undertaker at that time and was returning from the cemetery when he saw a small crowd down the road ahead of him. “I hurried up to tee what was the matter and found that all except three of the men were standing with their hands raised over their heads,” Midland relates. “I realized that a robbery was going on, but It was too ‘late to turn back. The robbers were on horses and were stopping javery one who. came along the road. They saw me before I could get away and commanded me to line up' with the rest and to hold up my hands. In those days the revolvers were even more formidable appearing than they are to-day and I certainly didn’t hesitate about obeying.' “Well, they kept us there without any trouble. As the farmers came by in their Jwagons they were* forced to get oilt, tie their teams and join the growing line of victims. When a crowd of at least twenty-five had gathered the bandits began their work.I was at one end of the line, and one of the men started to search me while another began down at the other end. The third stood In the foreground and preserved order with a display of arms that made us dizzy. That's -to joke, either, about a revolver barrel looking like a tunnel when it’s pointed at you. “All Thad was 15 cents. I figured that they would hand it back with an apology for robbing a poor man, but they were not that kind of robbers. The one who was searching me swore a little at my poverty and went on to the next man. When they had finished with the crowd they rode away rapidly ancl we dispersed. They were never captured, because the event was considered lightly. The only ones who were really angered were those who arrived first and had to stand with their arms In the air until tne crowd had been collected—lt was almost six hours. The bandits had not

robbed us singly, because they know those released would spread the news. —Kansas City Star.