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Daring Hold Up |
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| Kingfisher Free Press |
| April 4, 1895 |
Last night at midnight, just as the south bound passenger train was slowing up to cross the bridge across the Cimarron, the engineer and fireman were ordered to stoop the train. Compelled by shining Winchesters, the trainmen complied with alacrity. Two men, unmasked, boarded the grain and entered the smoking car, captured the Negro porter and compelled him to carry a bag for the reception of gold, silver and flat money, engagement rings, hair chains and such other trinkets as men like Bill Grimes, Joe Kaufman, Sam Winemiller and Pete Brough carry.
A number of pocket corkscrews from Kansas found their way into the bags and the robbers will no doubt find them handy things to open tomato catsup and other bottled goods on Turkey creek not twenty miles away.
The robbers were jovial, careless sort of fellows. They would shove their revolvers under the boys noses and then laugh about it in a heartless sort of way that was anything but reassuring.
One Germanyoost from the Faderland thought it was smart a pretty good joke to be. So he thought he would go a little bit to sleep and maybe somebody fool a little. He didnt fool anybody for he was compelled to cough up about eighty-five dollars in cold cash.
Wm. Grimes was on the train and when the trio, the Negro porter and the two or robbers came along, he slid his elegant gold watch under the stove and handed over $1.50 in small coin, although he had a large amount hid under his shirt.
Joe Kaufman was on the train. Now Joe is not tenderfoot and although he had just come back from a collecting trip, he only gave up a Mexican dollar, a Cream Rye check and a ten-cent plug of Piper Heidsick.
Pete Brough would have given his teeth if they had wanted them. He shelled out his watch, a corkscrew, a roll of confederate bills, six pieces of string, a Barlow knife, two lead pencils and his laundry bill. The robbers passed on, well satisfied with Pete Broughs donation.
They held up Lew Fossett. You are playing on a dead card here, said Lew.
Thus they robbed the boys right and left. One sad eyed member of the human family, just let out of the penitentiary, told his tale of woe to the robbers but he was compelled to dump his last dollar into the sack. However, they gave him back a half dollar with which to get his breakfast.
All this time the fusillade was kept up at the express car. But the messenger refused to open the door. Finally shot in the wrist and leg and fearing his life would be taken, he gave up the fight. They then broke the door open and tried to rifle the safe. It was a through safe, however, and even the messenger could not open it. So they gave up the search. The safe is reported to have contained about fifty thousand dollars that was being sent to a Texas fort to pay off U. S. soldiers with.
The robbers left the train after going through the smokers and chair car and the train came on to Kingfisher, where Drs. Winkler and Overstreet cared for the wounded messenger. Express man Grout of this city, was sent on to take his place until another man could arrive.
It is thought the robbers secured about a thousand dollars in money, watches and jewelry, besides what they got from Joe Kaufman and Brough.
Just before leaving the train, the two men on the train, told Grimes, who was formerly U. S. marshal and whom they recognized, to give their complement to Chris Madsen and his deputies.
LaterMadsen and fourteen armed deputies passed through town this a.m., Thursday and will endeavor to capture the band. It is thought the latter ade for the gypsum hills, where capture is next to impossible.
Still, LaterRumor has reached this city that Deputy Marshal Madsen shot and killed one of the robbers Dick Yeager, about twenty miles west of Hennessey.
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