The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-13
ROBBERS HOLD UP
 COAST LINE TRAIN
And Get Several Sacks of
 Mail
WRECK RELIEF TRAIN
Bold Robbery Occurs at Hardeeville, S. C., Just Before Day Break. Train Running in Two
 Sections

Savannah, December 12.-Though officers of two states and several cities and a battalion of railroad special agents have searched far and wide today, they ob- tained no clew to the identity of the two men who held up Atlantic Coast Line train No. 80, northbound, near Hardee- vile, S. C., early this morning and robbed 1t of one jacket of registered mail mat ter valued at s5OOo. The bloodhounds that were put on the trail of the robbers fol- lowed it into the country for probably a mile, then circled back to the railroad, and officers stated this probably meant that the robbers had made. their escape on a later northbound train.
 Atlantic Coast Line train No. S0 north bound, which left Savannah for New York 20 minutes late this morning at 12:45 was held up by robbers a short distance from Hardeeville, S. C., just before day this morning.
 The train was running in two sections because of the heavy passenger traffic, and it is reported the express car, which the robbers were believed to be after, was carried on the second section and escaped. The robbers captured the mail car, however, and secured several sacks of registered mail.
 D. H. McRoy, night operator at Har- deeville, states that the train reached his station Tn good condition, and he gave it the signal to go ahead. Soon after the train got away, and before 1t had gotten out of sight it was stopped. He was sur prised to see this as it had no orders to stop. Just about this time the seconu section of the train arrived from Savan- nah and McRoy advised the crew to go ahead and find out what the trouble was with the first section.
 Arriving at the spot where the first section had stopped, the train crew found the utmost confusion. The robbers, two in number, had forced the engineer to stop his train, and covering the fiagman and conductor with revolvers they made the fagman open the mail car after it had been detached from the train and run forward some distance. Here two mail clerks were found at work, and they were made to give up two bags of registered mail.
 The robbers then made their escape. JAS quickly as possible Savannah was mo- tified of the robbery and a special train consisting of an engine and two cars with several Coast Line officials and detectives were soon en route to the scene. within an hour. The local special was in charge of Engineer Lee Rawls ana a conductor. The Coast Line uses Jo:nt trackage to Hardeevile, and <iwhile en route to the scene the traiR with the officers on board ran intoe freight of
 s Charles ReddS TSs the nxgro fireman, and Engineer Rawls both. .>5dmped and escaped injuE The wreS<s delayed the arrival rO he of the robbery until several hours after 1t had occurred.
 The robbers. it is believed boarded the train at Hardeeville as the dispatch thinks he saw two suspicious looking characters get aboard at that point He thinks they got between the front coaches and from here made their way to the tender and the engine.
 Another feature of the robbery was the scare the passengers on the Coast Line train received about 5:30 o'clock just tnis side of Hardeeville. The train was going at good rate of speed when suddenly there was loud report and everybody Jumped up, believing it was being held up. Pistols were drawn and the passengers de- termined eo protect themselves at all haz- ards.
 There was panic almost for time until it was found the report had been made by discharging torpedo placed on the track 10 warn the approaching tran Of delay to the second section of No SO Some of those on the train that was stopped were W. R. Kahn of New York. T. c. Trenchard of Baltimore, w A Gil. more, superintendent of bridges of the Atlantic Coast Line at Raynel, S. C., A. R. Williams, Savannah, and G. B,ount of Atlanta
 The Atlantic Coast Line officials said early this morning they did not know the value of the booty secured by the rob. bers, but that their advices were that they got away with all the registered mail the train carried.
 H. w. Wingard, an employe of the Georgia Railway, at Augusta, who was on the train stopped by the torpedo, realized what it was and did a great deal toward stopping the panic, which threatened for Q time.
 Atlanta, December 12.-George Sutton. postoffice inspector in charge of this dis trict, said to the Associated Press that a registered packages were stolen by the robbers who hel1 up Atlantic Coast Line passenger train No. so at Hardeevile s. C., this morning. The government has a standing reward of approximately S5O0G for any one who robs a mail car
 
 Treaty Ratified
 Washington, December 12.-Ratiica : tions were exchanged here today by