Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-05-15
The Amount Lifted Reported TO Have Been
S15O,0OO Though Statement Is Denied
THE BANDITS WORKED METHODICALLY
Used Six CHARGES Of Dynamite Before the Safe the Express Car
Was Broken Open-Two Men Turned the Trick. Getting
Aboard the Train Near Hatiesburg, Miss, and Forcing
Engine Grew to Stop in an Isolated Place

New Orleans, La, May Is. South
ern Express company officials here
today declined to youcbsafe any i'll.
formation as to the amount of money
taken by robbers who early today
held up a Queen and Crescent flyer
south of. Hattiesburg and dynamited
the express car. 1t was denied, how
ever, that the robbers obtained sum
approaching $4,000, the loss first re-
ported.
Three masked men held up the New
Orleans-New York limited train No.
2, northbound on the New Orleans
and Northeastern railroad, eight miles
from Hattiesburg, Miss, shortly after
midnight this morning, and, after
dynamiting the safe in the express car
escaped on horses with large sum
of money. The passengers were not
molested and no one was hurt. The
train proceeded to Hattiesburg, where
the city and county officials were no
titled. Posses formed, and, mounted
on horses, started in pursuit Of the
robbers, who it is said, took north
easterly direction, evidently heading
for the Alabama state line.
Five charges Of dynamite were ex-
plonded in the express car, nearly Co
molishing It. A through safe destin-
ed from New Orleans to eastern
points said to contain possibly $780,
900, most of which was government
funds, was blown open. The contents
were taken.
The safe in the express car was Sc
cured by time signal lock when the
train left New Orleans last night and
there was a guard in the car in addi-
tion to the regular messenger. It is
said that in the car there was one
package of money representing the
pay roll of the Alabama and Vicks-
burg railroad at Meridian and about
E25 packages Of cash, representing the
remittances of agents of the Southern
Express company at points along the
vicksburg. Shreveport and Pacific
railroad. There were also two or
more sacks of silver, containing $1,000
each, other packages of currency and
several packages of jewelry, valuable
stock certificates and bonds.
When the train was passing the
flag station, Okahola, two masked
bandits climbed over the tender, and,
with drawn revolvers, called out to
Engineer Maher and his firemen to
'obey orders" No resistance was Of
fered and after the train had rounded
the curve above Okahola the engineer
was commanded to stop. He complied
promptly. With guns pointed at their
heads the engineer and fireman were
marched back to the baggage car
where Maher was ordered to call the
Eexpress messenger, d. A. Gray. of
Chattanooga, who opened the door Of
his car, only to look into the muzzle
Of pistol. He obeyed the order to
alight.
Other trainmen were lined up along
side the train, and, leaving them in
charge of his partner, hte command
ing bandit jumped into the express
car and began work on the large ex-
press safe. After applying charge
of nitroglycerin. he got down and
awaited the explosion. It was inef-
|fective and successfully five other
charges Of the high explosive were
set off before the bandit accomplish
ed his purpose
| The sixth charge blew off the safe
door and scattered silver coin and
packages OF currency and other valt-
ables in every direction. Except $500
in silver, everything in sight was hur-
riedIy placed in sack and the two
men backed off into the darkness with
| their revolvers leveled at the train