The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-04-21
DARING TRAIN ROBBERY.
BANDITS ROB THE SOUTHERN
PACIFIC MAIL TRAIN.
Nine Pouches Of Registered Mail Sc
cured-Posses in Close Pur-
suit of Robbers.

|China-Japan mail, which left Sa1
Francisco over Southern Pacific fol
the East at 9 o'clock Saturday nigh
was held up by two masked men a
Spring, two miles east of here, a
I12.30 o'clock this morning and rob
bed of nine pouches of registered
mail.
The train carried no express mat
ter. Four Of the pouches have beer
recovered, but the robbers rifed the
others and now are hiding in the
hills and canyons between Martinez
and Oakland. Sheriff's posses from
two counties, detectives and post
office inspectors on horses and in
automobiles are engaged in the man
hunt. The robbers were well armed
and a battle is expected. The pass
engers on the train were not dis
turbed, and several Of them did moi
learn of the robbery until this morn
ing.
After getting the sacks, the rob-
bers cut the engine and sent it wild
the throttle open, down the main
track to the East. The engine was
thrown into a ditch in the nick OF
time to prevent it colliding with an
east-bound train.
The train robbery is the first in
California in several years. 1t was
planned and executed in most dar-
ing manner. s..
eve are not going to hurt you, D
said one OF the robbers. "All we
want is the treasure box"
"Take US to the express car"
When Informed by the train crew
that the train carried no express mat
ter they said:
"Then take US to the mail car
Arriving there, they threatened to
blow it up with dynamite if the door
was not opened. Under this threat,
Herbert B. Black, in charge of the
car and his assistant, Thomas W.
Clancy, appeared at the door. The
robbers compelled the engineer and
firemen to enter the car and throw
out the registered mail packages.
Black started to toss out the news
paper sacks, but the robbers detected
the ruse at once. They threatened to
kill the clerk unless he gave them
the registered mail. Black complied.
The engine crew was then forced to
carry the nine sacks to the engine.
The engine and NAH car were then
with sleeping passengers and run
uncoupled from the coaches filled
down the track two miles.
Wild Engine.
Here the mail pouches were thrown
out, the engine uncoupled and It's
throttle pushed wide open. The en-
CINE dashed forward on its wild Jour-
ney towards passenger train COM
ing westward to Tolenas, 16 miles
east, passing the first section on a
siding at Cygnus. AS the engine
passed the station at Suissun, the
operator noticed it was running
wild. He Immediately reported to
the dispatcher's Office at Oakland
and received instructions to call To
lenas and instruct the agent there
to derail it. The second section OF
the train No. 5, had just arrived at
Tolenas under orders to wait there
for the China-Japan mail. The
switch was thrown and the runaway
engine, by this time pretty well re-
lieved of steam, ran on a siding and
smashed into a string of box cars.
In the meantime the robbers were
making their escape across San
Pablo bay into which the Sacramento
river empties. The news of the rob-
berry had gone up and down the line
and posses were quickly formed.
Fired Four Shots.
Just before fleeing with the mail
sacks, the robbers fired four shots to
frighten off immediate pursuit. Even
this did not awaken the passengers
The porter heard the shots and lock
ed all doors to the sleeping cars.
The train lay engineless for some
time, while an engine was secured
from Sacramento. It then was hur'
ried into Sacramento, arriving at 6
o'clock this morning.
A good description of the bandits
was furnished by d man on the Port
Costa ferry boat, who had observed
them as they hung about waiting fol
the train. They appeared to be rail
way mechanics, and from their ia
miliarity with the engine, it is
thought they are former railway en-
ployes.
Crossing the Bay.