LINK BY LINK.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
More About the James Boys and Train Robberies
From St. Joe Herald.
Yesterday an old farmer was in the city, who lives in the vicinity of Fairport, in the edge of DeKalb county and meeting a Herald reporter, gave the following facts:
He said that on or about the 5th of July, some two weeks before the Winston robbery, two men rode up to Mr. Robinson’s house, a prosperous farmer and stock dealer, living near Fairport, and wanted their dinner. They were invited in, and their horses, fine animals, taken to the stable.
Right here we will remark that Mr. Robinson has many horses, and among the number a pair of fine black mares, which were perfect matches, beautiful as well as valuable animals. Dinner over, the two men and Mr. Robinson went out to the stable in order that the men might get their animals to take their departure. In getting their animals out of the stable, the subject of horses came up and Mr. R. naturally feeling proud of his mares which he kept for his personal use, he exhibited them to the strangers, who took a great fancy to them. An hour or two was spent in Mr. Robinson refusing propositions by the men. They seemed to have plenty of money and offered him their horses and everything reasonable for his, but he would not trade.
Next morning be arose and went out to feed his mares, and in their stalls stood the two horses of the men. They had returned during the night and exchanged animals. Mr. R. undertook to track the men, and after following the trail for a few days, gave it up, returned home, and advertised by postal cards and circulars, offering $100 reward for the arrest of the mem and $100 for the horses.
A week or two later, about the 10th or 11th, a man came from King City to Mr. R’s and asked him what reward he would give him to tell where his mares were. He told him $100. Together they went to King City where the mares were, and he secured them. The thieves had rode ting animals down and left them in a stable near King City, and, taking two other horses went on their way.
On the 12th of July thev arrived in Riverton, lowa, where they had their horses shod at the blacksmith shop, got their dinners at hotel and had their horses fed. After dinner they rode their horses and tied them near the bank, both went in. The cashier was alone in the bank. One of the men produced a 8100 bill, and asked the cashier to change it. He examined the bill and turned around and unlocked the vault. He had hardly opened the of the vault when he was dashed to the floor by one of the men and a stick stuck in his mouth and the other made a raid on the contents of the vault, getting about $1,200 or $1,300, and out they went, and mounting their horses, rode off at a lively trot. A few miles from Riverton, they met a farmer going to town, and giving him a letter addressed to Bill Smith, Jr., Cameron, Mo, asked him if he would please put that in the post office at Riverton. When he arrived at Riverton he heard the story about the bank robbery, and the description of the men answered that of the men who gave him the letter to mail. Instead of taking the letter to the post office he gave it to the sheriff. It was brief: and said they were doing well. That they had made several good hauls and would be near Cameron in three days.
————-
The Gallatin Democrat, August 6, 1881, Page 2. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gallatin-democrat-winston-train-robb/199837319/ : accessed June 19, 2026), clip page for Winston train robbery – Link by Link by user darryl_gpc54
