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w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m
ized the train was being robbed, he wheeled his horse back
toward Malta. A shot rang out. Kilpatrick's bullet struck the
animal, dropping it mid-stride. Cunningham scrambled free
and ran for town on foot.
Inside the coaches, curious passengers dared peek through
the windows. Kilpatrick fired warning shots and barked or-
ders for them to remain seated. A brakeman named Wood-
side and a traveling auditor hesitated—and both were shot
through the shoulder for their defiance.
The bandits forced their way into the express car and or-
dered the mail clerk and express messenger aside. Dynamite
was set. The explosion shattered the night and ripped open
the safe. According to the July 4, 1901, edition of the Great
ROBBER
BUNCH
