Evening star., 1909-02-14
BANDITS COOL WORK
Systematically Rifle Car OF
Registered Matter.
HOLD-UP NEAR DENVER
Trainmen Driven Off at Point of
Revolver.
MAIL DELIBERATELY SIFTED
Soldiers at Fort Logan and Police
Securing Neighboring Country
for the Criminals.
MAIL DELIBERATELY SIFTED

is known as Military Junction, two
masked robbers early today stopped east
bound Denver and Rio Grande passenger
train No. 4. known as the Atlantic EX-
press Amid fusilade of revolver shots
from one of the robbers the other forced
the mail clerks to open the door of their
car The second robber then coolly
searched every piece of registered mail
in the car. threw the packages he desired
into sack and jumped off. At the points
of revolvers the engineer, fireman. bag
gageman and mail clerks were marched
up the track a distance. then told to
get back to their train. The robbers
then disappeared with their booty.
How much they secured is not known
but 1t is believed to amount to several
thousand dollars. That they were thor
oughly familiar with the railway post
office business seems evident. as the
robber in the mail car threw aside pack
age after package after examining them
carefully.
Armed forces of deputies and squads
Of regular soldiers from Fort Logan and
police are searching the country around
Fort Logan and the foothills in search
of the two bandits, but no trace of them
has been found. A careful search is also
was only eight miles distant from the
heart CT the city. and the robbers may
have made their way here.
Trainmen Covered.
The train, which was several hours
behind time. was running at speed of
nearly forty miles an hour. when sud-
denly Engineer Gum heard a voice be-
hind him. Looking around. he found
the muzZle OF an automatic revolver
poked into his face Fireman Lessig also
within W inches, Of his cheek
''Slam on the air and stop this train,'
came the order. BE quick about it, or
We'll blow out your brains This came
from the robber attending to the engi-
neer. He was a heavy-set man with red
hair and wearing red sweater, the COL
lar of which was pulled up over the low
er part of his face. His revolver was
pushed against Engineer Gums face as
Gum hesitated moment.
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 alacrity.
Covered by the hold they were march
ed to the mail car, next to 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 command
ed the red-haired man.
Engineer Gum did so. The mail car
door was opened, and an instant later the
stiffness of the night was broken by a
fusilade Of shots, fired by the hold-up men
in all directions. II any passengers had
intended to cNa1e out and see things, they
did not do so after the shooting began.
Mail Clerks Coulter and Taylor were
ordered to step down. They obeyed In
stantly and were lined up with the en-
gineer and fireman. Taking Taylor with
him, the red-haired man then entered the
mail car his companion, a short. stockily
built fellow, wearing a black mask. stay
ing outside to guard the other trainmen
Sitting the Registered Mail.
Occasionally he fired a shot along the
side of the train. Inside the mail car
the red-h haired man was busy. Appar-
emily he knew exactly where the regis
tered mail was kept, and this he sought
out He carefully examined every pack
age. took those he wanted and threw
them into sack. and then, ordering
Taylor to walk ahead Of him. jumped
from the car All told, the robber took
eighteen packages of registered mail.
three of which are known as Inner
packages"
Now. then, boys" said the red-haired
robber to the trainmen, walk along
ahead of US like nice fellows
They did So After walking a short dis
tance up the track the robbers COM
manded the trainmen to return. AS
Gum and LessiS climbed on board the
engine the bandits ran in front. shot out
the headlight, then disappeared, running in
the direction of Fort Logan. Gum made
record run to the union depot. where
he reported the robbery and within a
few minutes officers in automobiles were
hurried to the scene.
Fort Logan was also notified, and
posses started out from the army post
Littleton and Petersburg Complete de-
scriptions of the robbers were furnished
them.
Possibly $35, 900 Stolen.
That the robbery gave a loot of pos
sibly $4,000 is indicated BY the investi-
cation of the police and railroad Of
ficials Eighteen packages of registered
mail were obtained. One of these pack
ages is said to have contained large
sum of money, but until a thorough
checking up of the missing packages is
possible the exact amount secured by the
robbers cannot be ascertaned.
The robbery was remarkable for its
originality and daring. 1t took place
within less than two miles of Fort Logan,
the military reservation, and at the spot
where habitations are plentiful. Yet so
thorough was the work of the robbers
and so well were their plans laid that
they had fully an hour and half start
of the officers. Search of the vicinity
of the holdup indicates that third man,
and possibly a fourth were engaged In
the robbery; that a rubber-tired buggy
was In waiting for the actual holdup and
that torpedoes and red signal fires were
used unsuccessfully in In attempt to stop
the train before the Automatic revoiverS
OF the two men on the engine tender
in