Evening star., 1909-08-31
BANDIT TOOK PENNIES,
DROPPED GOLD BARS
Daring Lone Robber Holds Up
Pittsburg Express in Penn
syIvania Mountains.
WASHINGTON MESSENGER
is COVERED WITH GUNS
Lined Up in Express Car With
Other Members of Crew.
CONDUCTOR SHOT IN HAND
Robber. in His Flight. Drops Bag
Containing $4,000 in Gold.
Thinking It Filled With
Pennies-Posse in Pursuit.

Special Dispatch to The star.
ALTOONA. Pa, August 31-A darina
but careless highwayman successfully
held up train No. 30, the Pittsburg and
Northern express. westbound on the
main line of the Pennsylvania railroad
at Lewiston Narrows. seventy-fve miles
east of Alt BONA. at 1:3o o'clock this
morning. After shooting the conductor
in the left hand he got safely away with
a bout 5000 in gold bullion and a lot of
copper pennies. but in his flight he made
mistake in his bundles, which were
gold. carrying the pennies away with
him.
\ posse began searching the mountains
for him, but that section OF the country
is very wild and offers any number OF
hiding places for man familiar with II.
The train. with two express cars at
tached, left Harrisburg at 1901 this
morning and was due in this city at 800
o'clock. 1t was in charge of Conductor
Isaac Poffenherger, Engineer Samuel
Donnelly and Fireman G. ID. Willis.
Passing through Lewiston Narrows the
engineer was startled by an explosion
beneath the locomotive wheels, and he
| brought his train to a sudden STOP that
| awakened all the passengers. AS the To-
comotive came to standstill a masked
man swung nimbIy aboard.
Covered With Revolvers.
With big revolver in each hand the
intruder covered the engine crew The
highwayman ordered the engineer and
the fireman to go back with him to the
first express car, which was in charge OF
Express Messenger j. w. Harper, and
in which was the shipment of bullion
and Lincoln pennies
Under the threat of the guns the en-
gine crew knocked at the door of the
express car and asked to be admitted.
Harper, hearing other voices, opened
the door Driving the engineer and fire.
man before him, the hghwayman sidled
into the car.
Evidently he stood in wholesome fear
| of the shotgun which Harper had stand
Willis carefully between himself and the
express messenger W4th one revolver.
| while glancing under their elbows and
| covering every move Harper made.
Ii was apparent mat the highwayman
knew what he was about, for lie ordered
Harper 10 produce ine gold bullion and
even the pennies, ana tnen, by his or
ders, Engineer Donneiiy neld an empty
lNfr IL I'D m ne
bullion. In another bag the copper pen
MES were put, and that was the high
wayman's undoing in his getaway with
the loot.
Washington Messenger in It.
While the men were engaged in trans
ferring the coin for their captor, I. ).
Claytor Of Washington. ID. e.. the eN-
press messenger in the second car, went
forward 10 learn the cause of the stop.
He was in the first car before he real
lied the situation and was promptly Gov
cred and lined up against the wall. Then
| came Conductor Poffenberger, who had
| been in the rear of the train.
The highwayman then decided that his
/ captives were getting TOO numerous for
1 his own safety, for he ordered Poffen-
! berger TO hasten back to his post and
STAY on the rear platform of the last car
until the train started. The conductor
was a little too slow to suit.
Growing impatient, the robber fired at
him. the bullet piercing the conductors
| left hand The wound. although pain
| full is of little consequence. 1t was prop
erly cared for later. That wound spurred
| the conductor on his way, though, and he
! went back to the coaches to reassure the
| passengers that they were in no personal
| danger.
When the coin in the express car had
all been bagged, the highwayman drove
his prisoners out of the car before him
and saw them on the locomotive before he
bent TO pick up his burdens.
Said a Cordial "Good-Bye.'
/ With a wave of the hand and shout
of Goodbye and good luck, he van
ished in the woods that come down TO
| the edge of the track.
| Donnelly started his train at once, and
at the nearest telegraph tower reported
| the hold-up. special was sent out from
Altoona with officers aboard and chase
| was soon in progress.
| 1t was stated at the Washington office
of the Adams Express Company To-Day
that Mr.. Claytor is one of the company's
oldest employees. He is assigned regularly
, to the run from this city to Pittsburg on
the train which leaves here at pm. He
| is a resident of this city. living I'm an
apartment house on 14th street between
T and L streets. A number of money and
other packages We're sent out on his run
from this city last night, consigned to
| western cities. but it is not believed that
the robber got any Of them.
| The highwayman had wearied of his
| heavy loads. as If fearing that they
| would interfere with his escape. 1t
was not far from the track that the
searclers stumbled across a heavy bag.
| They thought. as did the highwayman
] probably, that it was the less yaluahlo