An account of the daring train robbery

A Rock Island Train Boarded Road Agents, Who Murder the Conductor and Plunder the Safe of the Express Car.

The most daring robbery and wanton murder that has occurred in the Southwest for many years took place on the night of July 15, near Winston station, Mo. The express train of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad, from Kansas City, was boarded at that point by a gang of men variously estimated at from ten to fifteen, who shot down the conductor and another employee of the road, displaced the fireman and engineer by knocking them off the locomotive, put two of their men in charge, and plundered the safe of the express car of its contents. Mr. C.H. Murray, the express messenger, gives the following circumstantial account of the affair:

“We pulled out of Winston, Conductor William Westfall jumping on the head end of the smoking-car to go through the train for tickets as be always does. We left Winston about on time, 9:00 o’clock. Being in the express car I did not see what transpired in the smoker, but a passenger told me as follows: A masked man arose from his seat, and, approaching the conductor as he came along, said: ‘You are my prisoner.’ The conductor had not time to make word of reply when the stranger, pulled out revolver and shot him. The conductor reeled against the seat, and attempted to go out the rear door of the car, when the robber fired again. Westfall managed to get out on the platform, where he fell down and rolled off the car to the ground dead. After the report of the shots the train suddenly stopped. We, that is, I and the baggage man, Frank Stampes, were standing between two trunks in the middle of the car at the time. Just after the train stopped Baggageman Stampes stepped to the north-side door to see what was the matter. The door was open to admit of ventilation, as the night was very warm. Without warning Stampes was grabbed by the legs by four marked men. Their spokesman said: ‘Come out, you ___ of a ___, come out.’ At this they pulled him out. When they got him down on the ground they told him if he moved or spoke a word they would kill him. The robbers then shot into the express car twice. Knowing pretty well what was coming, I had ensconced myself behind the sample trunks. The four men then jumped into our car and put the lights out. As they did this I got out of my place and went over toward the locomotive end of the car. The robbers were looking for me, as I heard them say especially, ‘Where to the other ____ of a ____? Shoot the cuss.’ The robbers, thinking probably I had left the car, also deserted for the time being. I jumped up and barred the end door next to the smoking-car and shut the south-side door. Then I barred the door next to the engine. There was some firing done at the car while I was looking the doors, but how many shots I don’t remember. One ball went through the door, missing me by about three inches. After running about half a mile the train came to stop, as it was started immediately after the road agents pulled the baggageman out. Just as I was barring the outside door, the last one of the four, the robbers came to that side. Four of them rushed into the car and began shooting again. How many shots they fired I don’t know, but afterward we counted twelve bullet-holes in that end of the car which were shot on the inside. At almost every shot they would keep up the yell, ‘Come out, you ____ of a ___.’ I kept my place, squatting on the door till I thought they had ceased firing: then I rose and I said, ‘Here I am.’ They grabbed me and whirled me around several times and demanded the key. I gave it to them. One fellow went toward the safe, then turned around, handed me the key and told me to unlock the safe. I did so at the point of four revolvers, threw the cover back, and leaned up against the side of the car. The one who appeared to be the leader peeled out of his coat-pocket a sack two feet long by a foot and a half in width. He took the money and all the contents of the safe and put them into the sack. While doing this he asked me several times how much money there was. I told I didn’t know but there was quite a little pile of it. Then he demanded, ‘Is that all you have got? Give me the rest of it.’ I told him it was all the car contained of except the silver bricks on the floor. He answered ‘I want the rest of it or I’ll kill you.’ After I had again told him I hadn’t another cent he continued, saying, ‘You might as well give up. We have killed your conductor and engineer, and we are going to kill you, so get down on your knees. There are twelve men in this gang,
and we’ve got full possession of the train.’ He then struck me on the head and another blow on the back with his revolver. After this the men left the cars.”

A stonemason residing at Wilton, who boarded the train at Cameron, was shot and killed as he stood on the platform of the first coach next to the smoker. None of the passengers were molested. The robbers only attacked the engine, express and smoking-car.

The spot where the robbers had their horses tied in the woods was discovered. The men were in such haste to leave that their halters were cut, not untied, and the trail was in the direction of Clay county. The Sheriff of Daviess county, Mo., with 100 men, at once started on the trail.

It is the general opinion in the vicinity of the scene of the robbery the gang is the same old one headed by Jesse and Frank James.

Sheriff Timberlake, of Clay county, started out with thirty men after the robbers. It is thought the latter divided near Lawson, aiming for Clay county.

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The Gallatin Democrat, July 30, 1881, Page 4. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gallatin-democrat-winston-train-robb/199835574/ : accessed June 19, 2026), clip page for Winston train robbery account by user darryl_gpc54