New-York tribune., 1909-05-24
HOPE TO GET BANDITS
DR4GNET OYER STATE.
Robbery of Orerland Limited MGy
TnU0lre 5000 900.
fRr Telegraph 70 The Tribune. ]

Omaha May 23-The dragnet has Deeh
thrown out and the machinery of the Iederai
government the State OF Nebraska, the Union
Pacific Railway Company and the cl'y VI
Omaha set in motion in an attempt 10 capture
the four men who late last night held up and
robbed the foreign mail car on the overland
Limited. which runs between Chicago and san
Francisco. While so far arrests have peeh
made, dozens Of individuals are being shado"ed
and all of their movements watched.
To-day plans were made that mean, il would
seem. the almost certain capture OF the train
robbers. These plans practically mean that d
guard covers almost every foot OF Nebraska
Western Iowa and Northern Kansas, inspired
by the hope Of securing the reward OF SON" tor
the capture dead alive. of each of the iour
robbers every sheriff United States marshal
and every policeman in the territory mentioned
is on the alert or searching for the men
Early this morning the Union Pacific sent no
tices to every county and town in Nebraska
Iowa and Kansas giving notice of the robbery
and the reward. The result was that all over
the great area OF country a man hunt was
started.
. In to this time there is little nothing on
which the officers can work there is only
one man able to give any description OF the rob
bers. and this man can describe only one. This
man is NJ c. Rush one of the mail clerks. When
he was getting out of the mail car the mask "f
one of the robbers dropped partly OFF his race
Rush noticed that this man was smooth shaVen,
had light hair and a boyish looking and nun
face. Rush SAYS that ne could identify MIN IN
a crowd Of thousand persons.
ESTIMATES OF AMOUNT VARY.
AS to the value of the contents Of the seven
pouches of registered mail taken estimates vary
and while none Of thu postal officials will ar
tempt to express an official opinion they say
it NAV run as low as 100000 and that it may
double this sum- They say that the pouches
must have contained a large sum of currency
being shipped East Two of the pouches were
destined for New York two for the Chicago ter
ninals. two for Washington and one for Chicago
city. Three of the pouches were made up east
of Cheyenne Wyo, while four had come from
the coast and presumably contained currency,
much of It coming from the Orient.
To-day Of the stolen pouches found
in the vicinity OF z3d street and the Union Pa
ci1c tracks, less than two miles from the
Omaha pOstoffice. Nearby was also found the
top of another of the pouches. The pouch had
been slit open and inside pair Of almost
new. but greasy, gloves Of small size. The tag
at the top showed that IT had come from San
Francisco. The top Of the pouch that was found
indicated that 1t came from Reno.
The robbers had laid their plans well. They
dropped from sight so quickly that not a single
person has been able to give Clew to the di-
rection in which they went. That the empty
mail pouches were found at 43d street leads the
police TO believe that the robbers came toward
Omaha after holding up the train.
What means of escape the robbers selected is
indefinite. but officers believe that they had
either ar automobile or fast horses. The fact
that only two of the rifed pouches have been
found indicates that they were in no hurry TO
divide their loot The greasy glove found
strengthens the automobile theory.
SIGNAL FIRE BURNING.
a signal fire was burning near where the rob
berry took place, evidently a signal for
the robbers on the train to execute their de-
signs As the robbery occurred at the city
limits. the police believe that the outlaws went
to a rendezvous in Omaha, where they may be
still
The spot where the hold-up occurred is only
two blocks from where Eddie Cudahy was kept
prisoner after being kidnapped several years
ago
Mr.. Wallace, the conductor, said that he never
thought of a train robbery at such a point
when the train stopped.
u got out of the rear sleeping when
heard shooting" said Wallace, and the rob
bers promptly began using my lantern as
target / walked forward to the next car. and
one of the robbers yelled at me, Get inside
there before you get your head shot off, 1t
did not take me long to obey. 1 went forward
inside the train. When I got TO the dining car,
lust behind the baggage car, the robbers had
about finished their job. 1 found the coored
walters in panic. They were all up, expecting
to leave the train at Omaha. Two or three of
the dining car stuck their heads out. and
the robbers sent few bullets in their direction.
None of the passengers knew what had hap
pened because they asleep
John P. Maurer representative OF a New York
celery firm. had a thrilling experience and gave
the Sheriff an exciting five minutes after the
hold-up took place. MauTer mad not gone 20
his berth when the train stopped. and hearing
the shooting ne went to the rear platform 10
make an investigation He surmised that
hold-up was going on, and having q large sum
of money in his pocket, decided not to wait for
the robbers to call on him. He started for the
brush at once, and rcrouched in bunch of
weeds where ne watched the proceedings
After the train started he heard the robbers
make off. but il was several hours before he
left his hiding place. Just as he did so he came
In contact with the SherIffs automobile That
officer promptly told Maurer TO hold up his
hands or he would be shot. After explanations
satisfactory TO the officer made Maurer
was brought to Omaha in the Sheriff's car and