Smyrna times., 1911-07-05


Fight With Crew and PASSENGERS.
5loodstains Show Some Of Them
Were Wounded.
To throw the train down the steep
embankment and then dynamite the
wreck was evidently the dastardlv
purpose OF the six armed bandits who
held up the Philadelphia & Erie train
No. IA at Five-mile Curve, near Erie.
Pa.
Two large sticks of dynamite were
found by detectives, fused and ready
to be discharged. They were wrapped
carefully in a Polish paper dated
March II, 1911. The dynamite was
manufactured by the Aetna Powder
company, of Cincinnati.
1t Is now the accepted belief of the
Philadelphia & Erie officials and de.
tectlVes that it was the intention of
the robbers to derail the train, throw.
ing II down the 250-foOt embankment,
then dynamite the mail and express
cars and make way with the spoils.
"hlle death, fire and excitement reign.
ed. officials of the company say the
bandits plot was one of the most COW.
aruly and Infamous attempts to sacri.
nee human life for financial gain ever
perpetrated or heard of in the annals
OF railroads.
Farmers living in the vicinity of
rive Mile curve say that they had seen
four suspicious foreigners lettering in
that vicinity for several days.
Several bloodstains were found ON
the stones in the ballast between the
tracks. These stains were probably
caused by wounds received by one of
the bandits at the hands of Conductor
Roney
Ihe stains and footmarks were
traced across the tracks and down the
steep embankment. Here the stains |
led TO the creek in the ravine, where |
the injured man probably washed and
dressed his wounds Here all trace of
the fugitives was lost.
The train which was held I'M is an
accommodation and does not usuallv
carry much mail or express of valu9
officials Of the road say, but S45, 600 in
cash was carried at the time. 1t was
to protect this money that the train
crew made such hard fight against
Qldup men.
Inc money was in the baggage car,
and 1t is thought that the train rob.
bers knew of its presence.
The train was making about forty
miles an hour, when the engineer no
ticed an obstruction on the track and
brought the train to a stop, and six
armed men suddenly appeared.
I. II. Block, one of the mail clerks.
was first warned by the smashing of
the mail car door. The gang imme-
dlately opened fire on him. He drew
TWO guns and emptied both at the rob-
bers before he fell with a bullet
through his hip. He is in a hospital in
Erie.
The passengers, when they learned
they were participating in a hold-up of
yellow novel magnitude, became manic
Women screamed hysteri-
cally and tainted.
Express Agent James Hart received
a bullet in the side and was brought
to hospital in Erie.
Carl o. Anderson, of Remove. Pa a
travelling salesman, grappled with one
Of the hold-up men, and was hurled
over a steep embankment. Anderson
says the man he tackled was an Ital-
AN.
Detectives who have been put on
he case are of the opinion that the
intended the train to hit
he obstruction of ties and poles laid
across the track and go over the en-
oankment to the bed of Four Mile |
creek, nearly 250 feet below.
The train was rounding Five Mile \
curve at reduced speed, when Engi- y
leer Albert Carey, who was RESPONSE r
Die for 500 or more passengers ehe
rain carried, saw the obstruction on
he track The train crashed into the
pile of timber. |
As the train stopped one of the rob-
1ers boarded the locomotive. Carey U
Jumped to the floor of the cab from /
ais riding seat and hurled coal at the i
nan. The bandit fired, and Carey then s
the ground and struggled
bier until another came up a
ma threw Carey over the embank. Il
nent His clothing caught on a pro- T
ruding plank and he escaped with a
Vrenched back
The male passengers, seeing the
brave fight being made by the train
rev, joined in the fracas. Many had
'evolvers, and they opened fire on the {
outlaws, who soon realized the hone
essness of their task and escaped in 2
he darkness. ;