Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-04-18
ROBBERS
LOOT MAIL
TRAIN
REGISTERED POUCHES
CARRIED OFF BY BANDITS
Detectives and Posses Scour
Country for Thieves Who
Ate Well Armed and Expect
ed TO Give Battle,

ed to Give Battle,
/ IN, Morning Joarnal special Ieascd wircl
nenicie. cal. April / Z, The China
lJapon mail which left san Francisco
for the cast az O'Clock saturday
night, WIS hcld up hy two masked men
at Sprig two miles cast of here at
l12;2o o'clool, this morning and robbed
Of nine pouches Of registered mail The
train carried no express matter. -Four
of the pouches have been recovered
but the rohpers rifled the others ana
now arc hiding with their loot IN tho
hills and canyons between Martinez
and Oakland. sheutfs posses from
two counties. detectives and post
office inspectors on horses and in
automobiles arc engaged in the man
hunt
The robbers are well armed and a
battle with them is expected
The passcnEcrs on the train were
NOT disturbed ana several OF thcm dld
not learn of the hold-np until this
morning After getting the matt sacks
The robbers out the engine loose from
the train and sent II Wild. throttle open.
down the mnin line 60 the east,
Ia the direct path of the engine was
La section OF passenger train No 8,
wosthound, with many passengers
But for the presence OF mind of "A
telegraph operator at Suisnn, serious
collision would have taken place The
eneine was thrown into switch I'm
tho nick of time.
The train robbery is the first that
has occurred Ia California for several
years II was plotted and executed IN
Ia spectacular fashion
Before the fast mail had arrived
at Renicia. two men who had left OAK
land on another train, two hours earl
Ter, and had left their train on the
Port Costa ieuyhpat climbed unnb-
served on the fear end 81 No. 0s lD-
connective The China-Jnpan mail had
gone less than five mites from tho
llnniciu landing when the stnwawnya
crawled over The ull tank ~ the tcn-
der aud pointed royolvcrs at the heads
Of the engineer and flremon and or
dcrcd them 70 stop the train and get
off the engine
We arc not gong to hurt YOU"
said one of the rohbofs, AN we want
Is the treasure box
Take us TO the eNpress car
When Informed bs the train crew
thal the train carried no express matt
ter ana had na express ear. the roh-
hors appeared uonplusscd.
Then take az to the mail car"
they ordered Arriving thero they
threatened to- blow II up with dyna-
mite II tho door wns not opened AZ
this throut Herbert ~ Black who was
In charge OF the car ana his assistant
Thomas w Clancy appeared at the
door The robbers compelled the en-
ginoor ana fireman to enter the car.
Throw out the registered matt
ordered tho fohbcrs Black
started Co toss out newspaper sacks.
but the robbers showed their famli-
lrilN with the situation by detecting
the rusc at once They threatened TO
Kin the clerk unless he gave them
tho registered mni at once. Black
The engine crew was fore
I'd to carry the nine sacks to the en-
gine
The engine and mail car then we're
incouplcd from the coaches fillcd with
'leoping passengers and run down the
rack two miles lIore the mail
pouches were thrown out upon the
ground. the engine WIS uncouplod, its
hrottlc pushed wide open and began
rs wild Journey toward a passenger
rain coming westward at Tolenns.
'ivtecn miles east passing the first
'ection of this train on siding at
'ygnua.
AS the engine passed the station at
'uisun tho operator on duty there
loticcd that il was running wild.
With no one ina the cab llc immedi-
ltely reported this fact TO tho dis
,atchers cfii"e at onkland and re-
cived instructions 20 call up Tolonas
~ wire and instruct them 10 derail
he on coming enEius Second section
" train 30 r. wcsthuund. had Just
rrivod at roleuas, under orders to
Faii thcro for the ChiuH Japan mail
he switch there WAS thrown ana the
unnwaN engine. which hy this time
ias pretty well relieved OF steam ran
u siding and smashed into string
f box ears.
lu the meantime the robbers were
lakinm their escape ncross san Pablo
ay whore the Sacramento river emp
es into H. Tho flash of the robbery
ad gone up and down the line and
Osses were formed. just before
eeing with the sacks oi mail the
lbhcrs fired four shots. with the pur-
use of frlehtenng off any immediate
ursut Even this did not wakon the
lsacneers. The purtcrs heard the
iots and locked the doors 10 the
coping ears THE China mail lay
neineless for some time while an en-
ire was being secured from Sacra
Iento. VI then wis hurried into
lcramcnto. arriving &c I O'Clock this
corning
\ fanly good description of the ban
ts WAS furnished by q man on the
ort Costa ferry boat who had OBJ
rived them as tines hung ahcut wait
e for the train they intended 20
,h. The mru bad the appearance OF
ling railway mechanics and from the
which they showed with the
igine there is no doubt In the minds
the officials that the men are form-
railway employees.
The trail of the men has been fol-
wed To the rough hill country be-
-een Martinez and Oakland and il Is
.licved that they are headed to-
ard san francisco and that thex
.vc a good chance OF escape
Near the point where the bandits
Il the enTiue. a road lends to the
sc hank ol the hay. The men ran
'vn taIz foRd @ q foNooet they had