The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-25
TRAIN HELD lip
At LONELY spot
Four Daring Bandits Blow Open
Safe on st. Louis, Iron Noun
tain d Southern.
AMOUNT SECURED is
BELIEVED TO BE SMALL
Passengers Are Not MOiested:
Posses on Trail Of the Band
of Kansas Robbers.

CoFTEYv1LLE. Kan. March 24-Fed-
eral officers tonight joined in the search
for the four masked men who early TO-
day blew up with nitroglycern and
robbed the express car safe OF north
bound passenger train No. 10i OF the st
Louis Iron Mountain & Southern rail
road on lonely prairie twelve miles
south OF here.
II was discovered late today that sew
eral packages OF registered mail had been
stolen Ihc officers were lmmedia te ~
hurried here from Kansas City. The
value OF the stolen mail is believed to be
small. Passengers on the train were not
molcsted.
No clue to the identity OF the robbers
has been found. Federal officers. five
railroad detectives and Sheriff William
Gillespie OF this city are worliSg on the
case. They have been running down ru-
nn9rs all day and are out again tonight
Ii Is now believed that the robbers
headed for Oklahoma I'm buggy after
they had committed the robbery, First
reports had ii that the men left the
train in an automobile. Tonight ii was
learned that the automobile which pas
senGers saw a short distance from the
train belonged to ConeyvIllc persons who
were going home Buggy tracks were
found leading south from The train tc
the Nerdigris river. and IL Is thought
they were made by vehicle belonging
TO the robbers.
amount stolen Small.
Early reports were that about 500, OOC
was taken from the wrecked safe. H.
w. Walker. superintendent OF the Pacific
E%Drcss company. With headquarters in
Kansas City. said tonight that the total
monetary loss, including the paper money
would not be more than $500 He doubts
II the robbers got more than 500 #
they got anything
The. safe carried no more than $4,000.
nl l,s,.s "a
enough Of this to insure us against the
loss OF more than $500 Taking into con-
sideration the amount OF damaged money
that we have found upon which we
cannot recover. | do not see how the
robbers Drohted more than 500 by their
work
Four charges OF nitrociyceYin were
used The|iast explosion lore off the
door of the safe and scattered It's con-
tents broadcast.
James Lynch. the engineer in charge
story of the robbery:
Shortly after we left Lenapas. Okla,
for Coifeyyille ! saw two men riding on
the blind Turning the engine over to
the fireman / clawled back over the coal
and ordered them to get off the train.
Engineer Captured.
After few words of argument both
men drew revolvcrs. They forced me
to climb back into the cab. and then,
covering both the fireman. and myself
Ing three miles north of Lcnapas.
AS we approached the crossing | saw
two men standing in the center of the
track, stop here said one OF the rob-
bcrs. | stopped.
"StIll covered by rcvolvcrs. my fire.
man and / were compelled To dismount
from the engine, go to the express car
and ask Express Messenger Russell to
open the door, When the messenger did
as requested he was forced to climb out
OF the car. One OF the robbers went in
side and the other kept his revolver
trained upon me.
Two Of the gang stationed themselves
on either side Of the tender Of the en-
elne and kept up constant fusillade OF
firing down the sides OF the train. No
one vcntured from the coaches. and
all we had 10 do was To keep quiet and
watch the operation.
after the first shot Of niroslyccrinc.
which blew only the outer door off the
safe. the cracksman OF tho gang asked
for coal pick. Moore. the fireman. WAS
marched TO the engine 10 get the needed
implement. The robbers had previously
compelled us To turn out all the lights
I'm the engine and In searching for the
pick IT was necessary TO have some
light
Moore asked permission to open the
door toythe engines fireboX. which the
robbers consented to. Moore got a good
look at the rohber and says he would
he able 10 identify the bandit among
any number of men