The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-05-21
TWENTY THOUSAND
DOLLARS SECURED
BY BOLD BANDITS
BOARDED A GREAT NORTHERN
TRAIN AND GOT AWAY
WITH SWAG.
SUDDENLY APPEARED CAB NO KNOWN CAUSE FOR THE DEED
Special Train Loads Of Deputies,
Heavily Armed, Hurried to The
Scene-Doctors Also Taken Out to
Care For Injured.

care FOR injured
SPOKANE, Wash, May lin the
hold-up of Great Northern passenger
train No. between Colbert and Head,
near here, shortly before midnight
Sunday, twelve persons were injured
when the engine and mail car, which
was started running wild down the
track by the bandits after they had
rified the mails, collided with the re-
naming cars of the train.
The bandits detached the engine
and mail car from the train, ran them
down the track a considerable dis
lance and then, after the registered
mail had been opened, sent the engine
back to collide with the cars standing
on the track.
The conductor saw the wild cars
coming down the track at the rate OF
twenty-five miles an hour when they
were a short distance away and he
and one of the train men placed & tie
on the track in an effort 10 stop tehir
wild fight. The engine and cars we're
partly stopped by this means, but
plunged into the coaches. There was
loud crash and the passengers were
thrown from their seats, most of the
injured being hurt by glass from the
oxen windows.
some switching had to be done. While
the engine crew was busy at this work
two men suddenly appeared on the
engine cab and thrusting a revolver
against the body of Engineer Miller
ordered him to do as commanded. The
engineer and fremen, John Hall,
obeyed The mail car was coupled on to
the train and pulled out. After the
train had proceeded a few miles the
engineer was ordered to stop and he
and his fldeman were forced to leave
the cab.
Two of the robbers then went to the
door of the mail car and ordered 1t
opened. Their command was obeyed
by BENJAMIN F. Stumpf, the mail clerk.
Meanwhile two other bandits were
with the engineer and fireman, who
were uncoupling the mail car and the
locomotive Soon after the train stop
ped Conductor c. L. Robertson jumped
from the car but was driven back by
a dozen revolver shots. Hastily climb |
ing into the cab, the outlaws sent the |
engine hurrying down the track-how |
far is not known.
AS soon as the conductor was aware |
that there was hold up he ordered a |
brakeman to the rear of the train TO |
prevent collision, and had another
brakeman cut in the telegraph wire to
send word to Spokane. A third mem
Der of the train crew was hurried to
the station with the news. About a
half hour after the engine and mail car
had disappeared they were seen COM
ing down the track and hurried prep
arations were made to ditch the run
aways but without complete success.
Two special train loads of deputies
we're hurried from Spokane when the
word of the hold-up was received.
Doctors also were taken out on the
rain to care for the injured. Chief
Ryan, of Hillyard, went out with a
POSSE and surrounded all the roads
eading toward Spokane No trace OF
he robbers was found
It is reported that the bandits OBJ
aimed large sum of money from the
egistered mail, the amount being
laced at $4,000.
The two bandits who climbed into
he cab are described as follows: One
nore than feet tall, weight, 100 :
ounds, face wrinkled about 30 years I
Id or older, evidently an experienced
ngineer; the other man about feet
inches tall, and weighing about ITO
ounds. AS they entered the cab the |
all man said to the engineer: you
ave heard of us before" indicating I
nat they had been involved in other
imilar train hold-ups In the vicinity
[ Spokane within the last few months.
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