The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-11-28
HOLDS UP MAIL CLERK
IN COLUMBIA LIMITS
Daring Robbery On Atlantic Coast
Line Train-Work OF an
Expert.

A masked white man robbed the
mail coach on Atlantic Coast Line
train No. 55 last night about 11:2o
o'clock between the block Office at
Royster, just south of Columbia and
Lower street, the southern boundary
of the city. The robber held H. l..
Meredith, the mail clerk, and his negro
helper, B. 5. Drehec. ct the point of
a pistol an1 took possession of the
register I'd mail The1. he pulled on
the emergency brake and leaped off
the train just before it reached the
crossing at the corner Of Whaley and
Sumter streets.
It is impossible to state the value of
the registered packages gotten by the
robber, but it is believed that they
are worth thousands of dollars.
For boldness and daring, the robbery
of Atlantic Coast Line trian No. IS
within mile Of the State house equals
anything in the annals of train hold
ups.
Registered Mail in Pouch! :
When train No. 55, due in Columbia
from Wilmington, n. c., at 11.30 p. m.
reached the block Office at Royster it
was running II minutes late. Mr..
Meredith, the mail clerk, had just fin
ished putting the registered mail
packages in a 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,
a masked man threw open the front
door of the mail car, the second from
the engine, stuck a pistol in the mail
clerks face and demanded the regis
ters.
'FGive them to me-" he said, "and
be- quick about it, or your head will
have a hole through it!''
Backed Out at Door.
After he got possession of the pouch
containing the registered mail, he
sorted over the packages taking the
most valuable ones and leaving a few
which contained only merchandise, all
the while backing toward the door by
which he had entered.
While he wasS preparing to make
his exit, Dreher, the negro assistant to
. the mail clerk, moved and the robber
shifted his gun on him, and demanded
that he hold up his hands. Then the
robber seized the cord governing the
emergency brake and pulled it. In
less than minute the train, which
was moving slowly, came to a stop
- just at the corner of Whaley and Sum-
ter streets. As soon as it began to
slacken speed the masked man jump
ed back, slammed the door and made
off,
Conductor Minis was in the third
car from the engine when Mr.. Mere
dith rushed in and told him that a
masked man had held up the train and
taken the registered mail.
Bloodhounds Fail.
The train pulled on into the union
station, where the robbery was CON-
municated to the police by telephone.
= They in turn telephoned to the peni-
tentiary for bloodhounds, and in less
than half an hour after the affair the
dogs were on the spot where the rob-
Der is supposed to have leaped off the
train. They failed to strike trail.
H. L. Meredith, of Wilmington, the
mail clerk, is positive that the masked
robber who held him up is a white
man. He noticed his hands and his
nose and eyes, which were not cov-
cred 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 amatelc.
RObber Described.
He is described by those who saw
him as a man of medium height, rath-
er frail, with dark hair and probably
dark ewes