Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-03-25
DARING ROBBERY Of
IRON MOUNTAIN
EXPRESS
OFFICIALS DECLARE
MONEY LOSS IS SMALL
Registered Mail Pouches RifIed
By Quartette of Highwaymen
Near CoffeyviIIei Federal
Officers in Pursuit,
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased wireI

IBy Morning Journal Special Leased wirel
Coffeyville. Kas., March 2i.-Fed-
eral officers tonight joined in the
search for the four masked men who
early today blew up with nitro-glyc-
crime and robbed the express car safe
of the northbound passenger train
No 104 of the st. Louis Iron Noun
tain & Southern railroad on lonely
prairie, twelve miles south Of here.
1t was discovered late today that
several packages of registered mail
had been stolen. The officers were
Immediately hurried here from Kan
sas City. The value of the stolen mail
is believed to be small Passengers
on the train were not molested.
No clue to the identity of the rob-
bers has been found. Federal Off
GERS, five railroad detectives ard
Sheriff William Gillespie, of this city
are working on the case. They have
been running down rumors all day
and are out again tonight.
1t is now believed that the robbers
headed for Oklahoma in a buggy eft.
er they had committed the robbery
First reports had it that the men left
the train in an automobile Tonight
il was learned that the automobile
which passengers saw a short dis
tance from the train belonged 10 Cof-
feyville persons who were going homo
Buggy tracks We're found leading
south from the train to the Vardigris
river, and 1t is thought they were
made by a vehicle belonging to the
robbers.
Early reports were that about SEQ
600 was taken from the wrecked safe.
II. w. Walker, superintendent of the
Pacific Express company with head
quarters in Kansas CITY, said tonight
that the total monetary loss, includ-
ing the paper money that was de-
stroyed by the explosion would not
be more than S500 He doubts If the
robbers got more than 800, il thcy
got anything,
The safe carried no more than
$1,000" said Mr.. Walker. 1--WE have
recovered enough of this to insure us
against the loss of more than $500.
Taking into consideration the amount
OF damaged money that we have
found upon which we cannot recover
l do not see how the robbers profited
more than 800 by their work"
Four charges of nitro -glycerine
were used. The last explosion tore off
the door and scattered its contents
broadcast
James Lynch, the engineer in
charge of the train, tonight told the
following story of the robbery;
shortly after we left Lenapah,
Okla, for Coffeyvllle, saw two men
riding on the "blind.' Turning the
engine over to the fireman. | crawled
over the coal and ordered them to
get off the train
after Il few words OF argument.
both men drew revolvers. They forced
me to climb back into the cab, and
then, covering both the fireman and
myself, ordered me to stop the train
at a crossing three miles north of
Lenapah. As we approached the
the center Of the track. stop here
said one OF the robbers. | stopped
still covered by reyolvers my fire.
man and ! were compelled to dis
mount from the engine, go to the
express car and ask Express Messeng-
er Russell to open the door When
the messenger did as requested he
was forcd to climb out of the car.
One of the robbers went inside and
the other kept his revolver trained
upon us.
1.-TWO of the gang stationed them
selves on either side of the tender
Of the engine and kept up a constant
fuslllade of firing down the sides of
the train. No one ventured from the
coaches. and all we had to do was to
keep quiet and watch the operation.
After the first shot of nitro -glyc-
crime, which blew only the outer door
of the safe. the cracksman of the
gang asked for coal pick Moore,
the fireman, was marched to the en-
gne to get the needed implements.
The robbers had previously com
PEELED us to turn out all the lights
in the engine and in searching for the
pick II was necessary to have some
light
Moore asked permission to open
the door to the engines firebox,
Moore got a good look at the robber
and says he would be able to identify
the robber among any number of