The state herald., 1909-02-19
MAIL CLERKS HELD UP AND
THIRTY.TWo REGISTERED
PACKAGES TAKEN.
ON RIO GRANDE ROAD
THE TWO ROBBERS ESCAPE AND
SNOW NEXT DAY osL'TER-
ATEs TRACKS.

Denver.-one of the most daring
train robberies which the West has
seen in years was executed Saturday
morning at 2:50 o'clock when two
masked men, heavily armed, forced
Engineer c. II. Gum of Denver & Rio
Grande train No. to stop near Mill
tary Junction while the robbers went
through the mail car.
The snow of Saturday night COM
pletely obliterated the tracks by which
the men might be traced b. blood
hounds.
The bandits obtained thirty-two
packages of registered mail, which are
believed to have contained between
$4,000 and $4,000. The robbers
boarded the train probably at Palmer
Lake.
Not many minutes before the rob-
bers made their appearance over the
tender of the engine, three shots were
heard by Fireman Oscar Lessig. conf
ing, 1t seemed to him, from one of the
rear coach windows. A minute later
both Lessig and Gum were covered
by guns in the hands OF two men who
had made their way over the coal car.
The men had evidently made a mis-
take in their location. and after the
taller of the two had peered out of
the cab for an instant, he ordered the
engineer to pull ahead few feet just
opposite Military Junction. There the
larger man alighted from the engine
and ordered the fireman and engineer
to follow, while the second bandit
brought up the rear. The crew was or
dered down in front Of the mail car.
c. r. Taylor and W. II. Coulter. mail
clerks. were decoyed out of the car
and forced to stand alongside of the
engine crew with their hands in the
air. While the four men We're covered
by guns in the hands of the taile.'
holdup. the second man went through
the registered mail sack. The men
then made their escape toward Nor
rison. Posses secured the country.
but thus far no trace OF the holdups
has been unearthed.
Walter X. Ridgeley of Salt Lake was
In the chair car and when the train
came to two stops In brief spaces of
time he thrust his head out OF the
window. He witnessed the entire af-
fair, saw the engine crew come from
their cab and the mail clerks descend
from the mail car. His curiosity near.
ly cost him his life, for no sooner had
the smaller OF the robbers spied him
than he fired and the bullet plowed
past Ridgeley close to his face.
Conductor j. l.. Larson had a narrow
escape from death when he went to
investigate the shots which he heard
and the unusual stopping of the train.
He had hardly stuck his head out OF
the coach when fusillade of bullets
hummed about his ears. Conductor
Larson hurried back into the car. see
Ing that he could no nothing. and
quieted the few passengers who had
been awakened by the shots and who
We're inclined to rash actions
Mail Clerk Coulter has been en-
ployed In various capacities In rail.
road work for the past twenty years.
ne mas peen III naH u uozeh holdups.
His most recent escape from robbers
previous to that Of Saturday morning
was on the morning OF last May 7ih.
when Express Messenger Charles II.
Wright was killed.
Chief Postoffice Inspector Cochrans
was given every detail of the robbery
Saturday morning. and he has an.
nounced that $1,000 reward Is offered
for tho capture OF either of the rob.
bers. The reward is the highest paid
by the Postoffice Department and oh.
tains only In the case OF train rob.
bers. or the thirty.two packages TAX
en- fifteen OF them are what is known
as single packages. Seven OF them
came from Pueblo and ten from Lead
vile.