People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1894 — CAME TO GRIEF. [ARTICLE]

CAME TO GRIEF.

Missouri Bandits Foiled in an Attempted Train Robbery. An Armed Guard Driven Them Away, But Not Until the Engineer In Shot—Two of the Gang Caught—One Badly Wounded. BALKED BANDJTB. Memphis, Mo., Sept. 19. —An attempt was made to hold up train Na 5 going west on the Santa Fe at 2:15 Tuesday morning near Gorin, Mo., in this county. One of the persons in the plot to rob the train told the officers here about three weeks ago and they communicated the fact to the officials of the road. The first night set for the deed was Thursday, September 6, but a heavy rain coming up the attempt was abandoned, as the robbers wished to accomplish their purpose and quietly return home to their accustomed work as though nothing had happened, but they feared the tracks made in the soft ground would betray them. The second night set for the deed was Friday, the 14th inst., but the weather was again unfavorable and the attempt was put off until Tuesday morning.

W. E. McDaniels, who had advised the officers of the plot, went with C. E. Abrams and Link Overfield and two other robbers to Gorin. Sheriff W. H. Saling and City Marshal L. E. Byrne went to Medill, east of Gorin, and joined Detective J. J. Kinney and two assistants of the Santa Fe, C. W. Stockton, detective of the WellsFargo express, and two assistants, and took passage on train No. 5. As they neared Gorin the engineer noticed the switch signal light hrfd been removed. He heard a torpedo explode and saw a signal flag being waved. He answered the signal and stopped the train. Abrams, the leader of the gang, ran to the engineer and ordered him to throw up his hands. The engineer was a little slow in responding and Abrams shot him in the shoulder, inflicting a slight flesh wound Detective Kinney, who was concealed in the tender, shot Abrams in the shoulder with a double-barreled shotgun loaded with buckshot. Abrams started for the brush and the other robbers ran for their h6rses. Abrams’ horse was killed by one of Kinney’s assistants. The robbers fled when the other officers appeared. The officers followed in pursuit, but did not find them. The officers came to Memphis about 4 o’clock a. m., got out warrants and went 3 miles northeast of this city and located Abrams and Overfield, brought them to town and they are now in jail. Abrams will die. Two others are supposed to have been implicated in the hold-up and the officers aro after them, but refuse to give their names. All the men are residents of this county. Charles Abrams and Link Overfield, the two farmer bandits arrested for their part in the attempted Santa Fe train robbery, were captured only after a stubborn fight. Both made their way directly to their homes, situated 10 miles southeast of here in a lonely part of tho country. Abrams, who received a full load of buck-shot in the face, was compelled to walk the entire distance, his horse having been killed by the detectives. When he arrived home Abrams was secreted behind a bureau. He had practically run the whole distance, and when Sheriff Salihg and his posse with tho railroad detectives came up to the house after his arrival he was faint. However, when he knew that escape was out of the question he made a bold attempt to stand off his captors with a revolver, but the officers had the advantage of him and he finally gave in. After he had been handcuffed the search for the other bandits was resumed.

On the farm of Mrs. Tall, near by, the officers found Overfield, who had crawled under a bed. The house was first surrounded and a deputation sent in to make the search. Mrs. Tull and her two daughters stoutly denied that Overfield was in the house. Overfield showed fight when discovered, but before he could use a revolver he was grabbed by one of the officers. A fierce struggle ensued, the ; bandit finally being overpowered. Then both he and Abrams, with two brothers of the former, around whom suspicion also rests, were handcuffed and taken to Memphis. A search for the remainder of the “gang” is being made. The examination of the four men now under arrest will take place to-day. Chicago, Sept. 19. —Local officials of the Sante Fe road and the Wells-Fargo Express company confirmed the story of the hold-up and attempted robbery of a train at Gorin, Mo. C. F. Ressequie is general superintendent of the eastern division of the Santa Fe road this side of Kansas City. He admitted that he knew all about the intended robbery weeks ago and was prepared for it. Said he: “It was nearly three weeks ago that we first got wind of this attempt at robbery, and I had nearly forgotten about it. You see, it was billed to come off some little time ago, and several times we have been disappointed. The plot to hold up the train was tipped off to us about three weeks ago, and we made preparations to give the bandits a warm reception. The matter was all put into the hands of our special detective, Kinney, and was managed by him. Of course we made every effort to keep it secret for fear we would be balked. There were ten men, all heavily armed, sent with the train every trip.”