nothing was heard of the bandits for several months after the stage robbery, and their crimes were again relegated to partially forgotten incidents of the past. in december following, however, another attack by the outlaws refreshed the memory of their deeds and threw missouri and kansas into a fever of intense excitement.
the band of desperadoes, by some means known only to themselves, learned of an intended large shipment of gold-dust from denver, via kansas pacific railroad, and that it would be carried by a train arriving in kansas city on a certain day. the place selected at which to intercept the train bearing the valuable shipment, was muncie, a little station six miles west of wyandotte, kansas. there was a water tank near the place, at which the engines almost invariably stopped to take a fresh supply of water. at this point six bandits stationed [pg 84]themselves and awaited the train, which was not due until after nightfall. prompt upon time the engine blew its shrill whistle, and then rolled up under the tank and stopped. in a moment the brigands left their place of concealment and boarded the train, one of them, bill mcdaniels, being deputed to cover and remain with the engineer and fireman. the robbers rushed through the cars and commanded every passenger to remain quiet under penalty of death. two of them stood on the platforms of the cars while the other three proceeded to the express car. the bandits presented their pistols at the head of the messenger and forced him to open the safe, from which the sum of $25,000 in money was taken and gold-dust valued at $30,000. this total sum secured was so large that no attempt was made to rob any of the passengers, and after the valuable plunder was placed in a sack, jesse james blew a keen whistle and a moment after all the free-booters abandoned the train and regained their horses.
soon as the passengers reached wyandotte, which was speedily, the alarm was given, which spread to kansas city, and another large body of men was sent in pursuit of the daring highwaymen. they chased the fugitives southward into indian territory, but the pursuit was abandoned in the creek nation, where all traces were blotted out.
about one month after this great robbery a police officer arrested bill mcdaniels in kansas city, for[pg 85] drunkenness, his participation in the train plundering not then being suspected. but when searched at the police station a sheep-skin bag was found on his person filled with gold-dust. in addition to this he had a large roll of money, and being known in kansas city as a worthless fellow, suspicion was at once excited that he was a confederate of the train robbers. he was placed in the calaboose and allowed to sober up, and then taken upon a requisition to lawrence, kansas. on the following day after his arrest the city marshal and con o'hara, the detective, went into mcdaniels' cell and spent two hours in a persistent endeavor to obtain a confession from him of his complicity in the robbery, or the names of those who committed the act. but he remained as silent as if he had lost the power of speech, and not a word concerning the robbery did the officers ever hear from him. two months after his apprehension, in taking him from the jail for trial, mcdaniels broke from the deputy sheriff and escaped. after a week's search he was found, but resisting arrest, he was mortally wounded by a member of a citizens' posse named bauermann. mcdaniels died, however, refusing to reveal anything in regard to his confederates. it has since been ascertained, however, that those engaged in the muncie robbery consisted of jesse james, arthur mccoy, cole and bob younger, clell miller and mcdaniels, the latter only being captured.
