The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-11-30
MASKED MAN ROBS MAIL.
DARING ROBBERY TOOK PLACE
IN MILE OF STATE HOUSE.
Train No. IS of Atlantic Coast Line
was One on Which the Ban.
dit Did the Work.

Columbia, Nov. 25.-Traln NO. 80
on the A. C. L. was robbed last night
shortly after II o'clock while the
train was within a mile of the State
house, and a considerable amount of
valuable registered mail was taken
from the mail car. The robbery was
committed between Roystef, just a
mile south of this city and the out
skirts of the city between which
points a masked white man entered
the mail car and held the mail clerk
with his colored assistant at the
point of a pistol, while he proceeded
to take possession of the registered
pouches. When he had completed his
work he pulled the emergency brake
and jumped from the train at the
crossing. The robbery, for boldness
and daring, happening as it did, with
in earshot of the police, hardly has
an equal.
When train No. 55, due in Colum-
bia from Wilmington, N. c., at 11:10
p. M, reached the block Office at
Royster, it was running II minutes
late. Mr.. Meredith, the mail clerk,
had just finished putting the regis
tered mail packages in pouch in
readiness to carry them to the mail
transfer Office at the union station.
J. D. MINIS, the conductor of train
No. 55, got off to register at the block
Office and then signaled his train
ahead.
Soon after the train began to move
masked man threw open the front
door Of the mail car, the second from
the engine, stuck pistol in the mail
ters.
"Give them to me-" he said "and
be quick about it or your head will
have hole through it!'
After he got possession of the
pouch containing the registered mail
he sorted over the packages and TAX
ing the most valuable ones and leav-
ing few which contained only mer-
chandise, all the while backing to-
ward the door by which he had en-
tered.
While he was preparing to make
his exit, Dreher, the negro assistant
to the mail clerk, moved and the rob-
Der shifted his gun on him; and de-
manded that he hold up his hands.
Then the robber seized the cord gov
erning the emergency brake and pull
ed it. In less than q minute, the
tran, which was moving slowly, came
to stop just at the corner of Sum-
ter and Whaley streets. As soon as
1t began to slacken speed, the mask
ed man jumped back, slammed the
door and made off,
Conductor Minnis was in the third
car from the engine when Mr.. Mer-
edith rushed in and told him that a
masked man had held up the train
and taken the registered mail.
The train pulled into the union
station, where the robbery was COM
municated to the police by telephone.
They in turn telephoned to the pen
itentiary for bloodhounds and in less
than half an hour. after the affair,
the dogs were on the spot where the
| robber is supposed to have leaped
| off the train. They failed to strike
a trail.
H. L. Meredith, of Wilmington, the
mail clerk, is positive that the mask
ed robber who held him up is white
man. He noticed his hands, his nose
and his eyes, which were not covered
by the mask.
The coolness and deliberation dis
played by the robber suggests that
he is an old hand at his trade. His
knowledge of the registered mail and
the emergency brake also go to prove
that he was no amateur.
He is described by those who saw
him as man of medium height,
rather frail, with dark hair and prob
ably dark eyes.
Conductor MINIS is positive that
not more than five minutes elapsed
after he signaled his train ahead at
Royster before Mr.. Meredith came to
him in the third coach and told him
that he had been held up. Conduc-
tor Minnis and Mr.. Meredith both
stopped in Columbia.
Woman Takes Poison.
T,~;c