The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-17
BANDITS HOLD
UP FAST MAIL
Booty Amounted to Over
LHenty Thousand.
PASSENGERS ARE INJURED
~-
Second Hold Up IN Same Vicinity
In Same Month.
Medical Aid and a Relief Train Were
Rushed to the Scene with
sheriTs Posse ana News
paper Men.
ARE INJURED

Spokane, Wash, May 1e.-In the
hold-up of the Great Northern passen-
ger Train No. 3 between Colbert land
Mead. shortly before midnight last
night, twelve persons were injured
when the detached engine and mall car
started running Wild down the track
| by the bandits. after they had rified
the mails, coilided with the remaining
cars OF the train.
The bandits detached the engine and
mail car from the train. ran them
ahead considerable distance and then
| after the registered mall had been
opened they sent the engine and car
back to collide with the cars stand
ing on the Track.
The conduex0r saw the wild engine
and car casting at the rate Of twenty
| ave miles an hour when they We're .
! short distance away and he and one
| Of the trainmen placed tie on the
track In an effort to stop their Wild
flight The engine and car were part
iy stopped by this means but plunged
| into the coaches, There was loud
crash and the passengers were thrown
1 from their seats. most of the injured
4 being hurt by glass from the broken
| windows.
4 When the train reached Colbert.
some switching had to be done. While
the engine crew WAS busy at this
| work. two men suddenly appeared or
TIE engine cab and thrusting re-
4 Eolver against the body of Engineer
William Miller. ordered him to do as
commanded.
The engineer and fireman. John Hall,
obeyed. The mail car was coupled on
Ito the train and pulled out. After the
train had proceeded a few miles. the
engineer was ordered to stop and he
and his fireman were forced to leave
the cab. Two of the robbers. then
went to the door Of the mall car and
ordered IL opened. Their command
was obeyed by BENJAMIN +. Stump,
the mail clerk. Meanwhile two other
bandits were with the engineer and
fireman who were uncounling the mail
Year an6m9h8 1esUAqetfve. ~ y ~
Il Soon after the train stopped az COL
berk ena.leAes g Robertson
i Jumped from the car but was driven
back BY doi1h revolver shots AS
soon as the conductor was aware that
there was holdup he ordered brake
man to the rear of the train to pre-
vent q collision and had another brake
man cut in the telegraph wire to send
| work to Spokane. A third member of
the train crew was hurried to the sta
ton with the news. About half hour
after the engine and mail car had dis
appeared, they were seen coming down
the track and hurried Preparations
were made to ditch the runaways but
without complete success.
Two special train loads of deputies
were hurried from Spokane when the
word of holdup was received. Doctors
also were taken out on the train to
care for the injured. Chief Ryan, of
Hillyard. went out with a posse and
surrounded all the roads leading to-
ward Spokane. No trace OF the rob
bers was found
IL Is reported that the bandits OBJ
tanned large sum of money from the
registered mail. the amount being
placed at $4,000. The two bandits
who climbed into the cab are de-
scribed as follows:J
i One more than six feet tall, weight
ty-five years old or older, evidently
an experienced engineer: the other
man about FIVE feet nine inches tail
and Weighing ITO pounds. AS they
entered the cab, the tall man said to
the engineer:
"Yov have heard of US before" i'm
dicating that they had been involved
in other similar train holdups in the
vicinity of Spokane within the last
few months.
T. N. Wilson ana wife, OF Spokane,
were seriously injured. Mr. Wilson
suffered a fracture OF two ribs and
Mrs. Wilson is badly bruised.