Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-02-19
BANDITS LOOT TRAIN
Fast Mail P|undered of S..
600 Near Denver.
SECRET SERVICE ON TRAIL
Following Completion of Neat Job,
Desperadoes Vanish and Army of
Sleuths Are Sent in Pursuit of
Bold Criminals.

Denver, Col. Feb l5--Almost with.
IN the city limits of Denver. at what is
known as Military junction, two
masked robbers Saturday stopped east.
bound Denver & Rio Grande passenger
train No 4, known as the Atlantic Fix.
press. Amid fusillade of revolver
shots from one of the robbers, the 9th.
er forced the mail clerks to open the
door of the mail car. The second robber
then coolly searched every piece OF
registered mail in the car, threw the
packages he desired into a sack and
jumped off. At the points of revolvers
the engineer. fireman. haggageman
and mail clerks were marched up the
track distance, then told to get back
to their train. The robbers then dis
appeared with their booty.
Loot Is About $4,000.
How much they secured is not
known. but it is believed to amount
to $4,000. That they were thoroughly
familiar with the railway post-office
business seems evident, as the robber
in the mail car threw aside package
carefully. Armed forces of deputies
and squads of regular soldiers from
Fort Logan and police searched the
country around Fort Logan and the
foothills in search of the two bandits
but no trace of them had been found
A careful search was made in Denver
as the robbery was only eight mile.
ho ,,f ~ o;f
the robbers may have made their way
here
The train, which was several hour.
behind time, was running at a speet
OF nearly 40 miles an hour
Like Wild West Show.
Suddenly Engineer Gum heard /,
voice behind him. Looking arount
he found the muzzle of an automati,
revolver poked into his face. Fire
man Lessig also found one within two
inches of his cheek
Slam on the air and stop this
train" came the order. BE quicl
about it, or We'll blow out your
brains" This came from the robbel
attending to the engineer. He was
Ing red sweater, the collar of which
was pulled up over the lower part o.
the face, and his revolver was jammet
against Engineer Gums face as the
latter hesitated a moment.
Ordered Off Engine.
The train was brought to a sudden
stop within a short distance of the lit
tie station, which was closed for the
night.
Now you fellows get off this engine
as quick as you can" commanded the
red-haired robber. Don't run or make
trouble. If you do this automatic will
do business"
Gum and Lessig obeyed with alac
rity. Covered by the hold-ups, they
We're marched to the mail car, next tt
the engine. Call to the fellows in the
mail car and tell them to open the
door, and you tell them not to shoot
too, again commanded the red-haireG
man. Engineer Gum did So The mai
car door was opened an instant later
the stiffness of the night was broken
by fusillade of shots, fired by the
sengers had intended to come out ant
see things they did not do SO after the
shooting began.
Red-Haired One Spokesman.
All told, the rebber took 1S pack
ages of registered mail, three of which
are known as inner packages"
Now, boys" said the red-hairec
robber to the trainmen, walk along
ahead of us like nice fellows"
They did So After walking a shor
distance up the track the robbers com
manded the trainmen to return. Al
Gum and Lessig climbed on board tn,
engine the bandits ran in front, sho
out the headlight, then disappeared
running in the direction of Fort Logan
Gum made record run to the Uniol
depot, where he reported the robbery
and within few minutes officers il
automobiles were hurried to the scene
Fort Logan was also notified, am
posses started out from the army pos1
Littleton and Petersburg. Complet
descriptions of the robbers were ful
nished them.