New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-18
Secure Nine Registered Pouches
and Make Their
Escape.
PASSENGERS UNDISTURBED
California Bandits Set Engine
Running Wild-Quick Work
Saved Passenger Train
in It's Way.


over the Southern Pacific Railway for
the East at o O'Clock on Saturday night.
was held up by TWO masked men at
Sprig, two miles east Of here. early to-
day. and robbed of nine pouches OF reg
istered mail
The train carried no express matter.
Four of the pouches have been recov-
cred. but the robbers rifed the others.
and now are hiding in the hills between
Martinez ami Oakland. sherirfs' posses
from two counties. detectives and post
office inspectors on horses and in auto
mobiles are engaged in the man hunt
The robbers were well armed. and a bat
tie is expected.
The passengers on the train were not
disturbed and several or them did not
learn of the robbery until this morning.
After getting the mailsacks the robbers
cut the engine loose from the train and
sent it wild. throttle open. down the
main track to the east
In the direct path of the engine was a
section of passenger train No. ). west
bound, heavily loaded But for the pres
ence of mind of telegraph operator at
Suisun a collision would have taken
place. The engine was thrown into a
ditch in the nick Of time
The train robbery is the first in Cali
fOrnia for several years. 10 was plotted
and executed in spectacular fashion.
Demanded the Treasure Box.
Before the fast mail arrived at
Benicia two men who had left Oakland
on another train two hours earlier and
had got off their train on the Port
Costa ferry climbed unobserved on the
rear end Of the fast mails locomotive.
The train had gone less than five miles
from Benicia when the stowaways
crawled over the oil tank OF the tender
and pointed revOlvers at the heads OF
the engineer and fireman. ordering them
to stop the engine and get off
I'VE are not going to hurt you" one
of the robbers said; all we want is the
treasure box"
The engineer and fireman quickly
complied Then the robbers compelled
the engineer and fireman to get into the
mail car. which was in charge OF Her
bert j. Black and his assistant, Thomas
a. Clancy.
Throw out the registered mail
pouches" the robbers ordered.
Black started to toss out the newspa-
Ter sacks. but the robbers detected the
ruse at once. They threatened to kill
the clerk unless he gave them the regis
tered mail Black complied The engine
crew then was forced to carry the nine
sacks to the engine. The engine and
mail car were uncoupled from ths
coaches filed with sleeping passengers
and run down the track two miles. Here
the mail pouches were thrown out. the
engine was uncoupled and it's throttle
pushed wide open. The engine dashed
forward on it's wild journey toward n
passenger train coming westward to-
Tolenas. sixteen miles east. passing the
first section on siding at Cygnus
Passenger Train Saved.
AS the engine passed the station at
SUisun the operator noticed that il was
running wild he Immediately reported
To the dispdtcher's Office at Oakland and
Re eCeived instructions to call TOlenas
and instruct them to derail the OncOm-
ing engine. The second section II
Train No 5. westbOund had Just ar
rived at Tolenas. under orders to wait
there for the china Japan mail The
switch was thrown. and the runaway en-
gine. by this time pretty well relieved OF
steam. ran on a siding and smashed into
a string Of bOXcars.
In the mean time the robbers We're
making their escape across San Pablo
Bay into which the Sacramento River
empties. The news of the robbery had
gone up and down the line and posses
were formed quickly.
Just before feeing with the mail sacks
the robbers fired four shots 10 frighten
off immediate pursuit Even this did
not awaken the passengers. The porter
heard the shots and locked all the doors
To the sleeping cars. The train was en-
gineless for some time. until an engine
was secured from Sacramento. II then
was hurried into Sacramento. arriving at
6 o'clock this morning.
A good description of the bandits was
furnished by a man on the ferrybOat.
who had observed them as they hung
about Port Costa waiting for the train.
They appeared to be railway meCnlniGS.
and from their familiarity With he en-
zine officials il is thought the robbers
are former railway employees.
Heading for San Francisco.
Their trail has been followed 10 the
rough hill country between Martinez and
oakland. and il is believed they are
headed toward san Francisco and have
a good chance 20 escape.
Near where the bandits left the en-
sine road leads % the east bank Of the
bay The men ran down this road % q
rowrOat concealed in the bushes The
four sacks they did not take with them
we're found later along the edge Of the
track They evidently had fallen from
the engine after il had been uncOupled
from the train.
From the point where their boat was
noorrd the bandits roWsd directly across
the bay 10 Bulls Head Point. one and n
half miles east Of Martinez There they
abandoned the boat. In climbing the
bank one OF the men slipped and lost n
3S-calibre revolver and a pair Of Held
glasses.
From the point where the boat was
abandoned all trace OF the men was lost.
hut before daylight horse and buggy
were stolen. supposedly by the robbers.
from stable In Martinez.
Between and O'Clock IN the MORN