The Sentinel=record., 1911-03-25
ROBBERS GET
SMALL HAUL
ROB IRON MOUNTAIN EXPRESS
SAFE NEAR CoFFEYvILLE,
KANSAS.
Force of Explosion Destroyed Most Of
the Money--Got Only $foo-offt-
GERS Pursuing in Direction Of
Oklahoma.

Coffeyville, Kas., March 2i.--Fed
leral officers tonight joined in the
search for the four masked men who
learly this morning blew up with nitro
glycerine and robbed the express car
|safe of northbound passenger train
NO. 104, OF the st. Louis, Iron Noun
tain and Southern Railroad on a prai-
rie, IL miles south of here.
II was discovered late today that
several packages of registered mail
had been stolen. The officers imme-
diately hurried here from Kansas City
The value of the stolen mail is be-
Ilieved to be small Passengers on the
train We're not molested.
No clew to the identity OF the rob-
bers has been found. Federal officers,
five railroad detectives and Sheriff
headed for Oklahoma in buggy after
been running down rumors all day and
are out again tonight.
1t is now believed that the bandits
headed for Oklahoa in buggy after
they had commimted the robbery.
Early reports were that about $780,
900 was taken from the wrecked safe.
III. w Walker, superintendent of the
Pacific Express Company, with head
quarters in Kansas City. said tonight
the total monetary loss, including the
paper money that was destroyed by
the explosion, would net be more than
$500. He doubts if the robbers got
more than $100. il they got anything.
THE safe carried no more than
$4,000" said Mr.. Walker I'VE have
recovered enough of this to insure Us
against the loss of mere than $500.
Taking into consideration the amount
of damaged money that we have
found upon which we cannot recover,
/ do not see how the robbers profited
more than slO0 by their WORK"
-Four charges OF nitro glycerne
used. The hast explosion tore off the
door OF the safe and scattered its con-
tents broadcast
James Lynch, the engineer in
charge of the train. tonight told the
story of the robbery.
Shortly after we left Lenapah,
Okla, for Coffeyville." he said, Il saw
two men riding ON the blind. Turn
ing the engine over to the fireman,
crawled back over the coal and order
ed them to get off the train.
After a few words of argument,
both men drew revolvers. They forced
me 20 climb into the cab and then COW
ering both the fireman and myself, or
dered ME TO stop the train at cross
ing three miles north of isenapah. A As
we approached the crossing, ! saw
two men standing in the center of
the track. stop here, said one of the
robbers. | stopped.
iStill covered by revolvers. my
fireman and i we're compelled to dis
mount from the engine, go to the ex-
press 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 inside and the
other kept his revolver trained upon
us.
Two of the gang stationed them
l.selves on either side of the tender
hand kept up constant fusillade down
the sides of the train. No one ven
tured from the coaches, and all we
had to do was to keep quiet and
watch the operations.
after the first shot of nitro-glyce-
rine which blew only the outer door OF
the safe, the cracksman of the gang
asked for coal pick. Moore, the fire.
man, was marched to the engine to
get the implement. The robbers had
previously compelled us to turn out
the lights in the engine, and in
searching for the pick 1t was necess-
sary to have some light,
Moore asked permission to open
1.-THE door to the engines firebox,
which the robber consented to. Moore
got a good look at the robber- Moore
says he would be able to identify the
man."