Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1898 — TRAIN ROBBED. [ARTICLE]

TRAIN ROBBED.

Bandits Overpower an Express Me»■enger Near Wichita, Kan., and Escape with the Booty. Wichita, Kan, July 18.—The ’Frisco passenger train, leaving here at 9:30 o’clock for St. Louis, was held up Saturday night by two masked men-at. Andover, a station ten miles east of here. A citizen of Andover, who learned of the plan to rob the train, attempted to notify the train crew and was shot by the robbers. He will probably die. His name could not be learned. Several hundred dollars were taken from the express car, but the exact amount is not known here, and there is no way of finding out, as all attempts to raise the Andover office have failed. Andover is a flag station and has about 200 people. Two men rode into town at dark and tied their horses in the street near the depot. They avoided everybody and acted in such a mysterious way that they were suspected and a man was sent down the road to flag the train. He was shot by the robbers just a few minutes before the train arrived. As soon as the engineer slowed down the men, wearing heavy masks, entered the express car and demanded the money. The messenger drew a revolver, but was gagged and disarmed, after which the men took the valuables from the safe. No attempt was made to fob the passengers. After getting what money thay could, the robbers rode off across the prairie at a full gallop, firing back toward the town. The sheriff and a posse followed from here.