The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-01
LOOT MAIL CAR
R0bber Held Up a Train on the
Pennsylvania.
Pile Ties on Track Nearly
Causing a Wreck.
MAIL CLERK is SHOT
Conductor Is Stoned and Engf-
neer Hurled Over Bank.
Many Shots Are Fired Into the
Passenger Coaches.

Erie, July IA hundred or more
farmers. every available police off,
Ger in the country and the state police
are searching today for train robbers
that last night held up and robbed
train Al on the Philadelphia and Erie
branch of the Pennsylvania lines in
the most modern methods of the
wild vest
The train was bound from Phila-
delphia for Chicago. and was brought
to stop against ties and telephone
poles piled on the track at Wesleyville,
about five miles from this city. The
bandits rifled the mail and express
cars, the mail clerk was shot and Sc
riously wounded, the conductor was
stoned and many passengers had mar
row escapes from death or wounds by
bullets.
No accurate information is obtain
able as to the amount Of loot the
robbers secured. Reports that they
got $4,000 which was being shipped
to this city by Adams express. were
promptly denied by the express cont
pany as well as the railroad officials.
The train was rounding Five Mile
curve at reduced speed when Engin-
eer Albert Carey saw the obstruction
on the track in the reflection of the
LOGON olive headlight. He threw on
the reverse and just as the locomotive
crashed into the timber it came to a
stop. Had the train been running at
any kind of speed railroad men say
it would have been hurled down an
embankment to rocks 200 feet below.
Throws Coal at Robber.
AS the train stopped one of the rob
bers boarded the locomotive. Carey
jumped to the floor of the cab, from
his riding seat and hurled coal at the
man. The bandit fired and Carey leap
ed to the ground, struggled with the
robber until another came up and
threw Carey over the embankment.
His clothing caught on a protruding
plank and he escaped with q. wrench
ed back.
c. H. Block of this city, one of the
mail clerks, was first warned by the
smashing in of the mail car door. The
gang imm ediately- opened fire on him.
He emptied two guns at the robbers
before he fell with a bullet through
his hip. Conductor H. D. Rooney Dor
rowed a revolver from passenger,
but was felled with q stone. He
crawled to a farm house He was
chased by farmers who thought him
one of the robbers, and sought refuge
in a tree. Finally Rooney got to q
telephone and notified railroad Off
Gals here, who dispatched officers on
a switch engine.
Passengers in a Panic.
The 500 passengers, when they
learned they were participating in a
holdup of yellow novel magnitude be-
came panic stricken. Women screamed
Historically and tainted. Heads thrust
from the windows were hastily pulled
back and those that ventured to leave
FASTENED within the car when dozens
of shots were fired along the line of
the train. The shooting toward the
passenger continued and broken glass
from the windows fell THRILLING TO the
track. None of the passengers, how
ever, was hit by the bullets. but the
express agent on the train. James
Hart, received a bullet in the side and
was brought to a hospital here. It
was said the robbers fired 200 shots.
Carl o. Anderson of Renova. Pa,
grappleo with one of the holdup men
and was hurled over a steep embank-
ment. He was saved from serious in
jury by catching on bush. Ander-
son says the man he tackled was an
Italian. Detectives are IT the opinion
that the highwaymen iatended the
train to hit the obstruction and go
over the embankment to the bed of
Four Mile creek, nearly 200 feet be-
low.
Say Nothing Was Taken.
Philadelphia, July According to
an official report received today at the
Pennsylvania offices here. no mail or
toll u