Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-05-07
BOLD EXPRESS ROBBERY.
Ten Thousand Dollars Taken--Day
light Robbery at Britt.

hSHN nSHSSly a. Diits
Mason City, May 1.-The little town
of Britt, located forty miles west Of
this city, is in a high fever Of ex-
element over the robbery of the Unit
eled States Express company's Office
of $4,000 in cash.
John Peterson. an elderly gentle
man, represents the company as agent
Yesterday morning he made the Chi
cage. Milwaukee & st. Paul trair
which arrives at 7:i5. Among Other
shipments he received was o register
Cd package containing $4,000.
This was 10 be transferred from the
Milwau'aG = re Minneapolis & st.
LoE's rSi ~. The package was
t zen fram ste depot TO the express
oG,ce In an isolated part of the town.
agent Peterson arrived at his Office
about Z; Is and the package wos placed
in the shipping ssfe. Mr.. Peterson
he'd some book work to do and he
seated himself al his desk and was
bHsily OF gaged
He tells the stc-y that he heard q
noise bur did not look up. But few
moments passed when tap On his
shoulder aroused him and he looked
up only to see two revolvers held up
on him by two heavily masked men
They demanded absolute quiet and at
the point % the guns led him to the
safe and demanded that he immedi
?tcly opcn il. Mr. Peterson was not
long in Obeying. As soon as the saf,
was oaened the package containing
the $4,000 was Immediately appropri
atcd. Other packages containing
money were taken. but how much is
not known.
The agent was then taken and
bound hand and foot, gagged, and over
his head large gunny sack which the
robbers brought with them was tied
He was then carried into a back room
and left on the floor. With his arms
pinioned and SO badly gagged that he
/ could hardly breathe, il was impos
sible to give the alarm.
The robbers had completed their
work by S o'clock II was about 10:ls
when the young son of Mr.. Peterson
went to the office and hearing a noise
in the back room went to see what IL
was He found his father and immedi
ately unbound him. The alarm was al
once given.
Immediately the officers Of the ex
press company were telegraphed anG
a number OF detectives were sent tc
take up the chase.
During the afternoon two medicine
men who were in town, were put un
der arrest. But when taken before
the agent he was unable to identify
them. He says that he was SO badly
frightened that 1t would be almos
impossible for him to identity the
men.
No one saw any suspicious charac
tiers about the town. Two men were
seen entering or coming from the
building. This is not strange from
the fact that the building is soisolated
Agent Peterson has been with the
company for number of years ant
bears an excellent reputation. Polics
officers in all sections of Northern
Iowa have been notified of the rob
berry.
1t is thought that the men taking
the money had knowledge of that
amount being on the train and thar
possibly they came in on the SAME
train that the money did. Every in
dication points to the work of expert
hands. There are heavy transfers OF
money at Britt, most of the currency
for the Fort Dodge banking institu.
lions being carried this way.
Mason City, May "A number OF
detectives are at work on the robbery
at Britt One suspect was arrested at
Sanborn and is being held. There is
not the least suspicion duplicating
Agent Peterson. 1t is generally be.
iieved that the robbery was perpe,
trated by local parties. The officials
refuse 10 give the exact amount in the
package or from where 1t was sent
The general supposition is that the
package contained $4,000 as reported.