Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-15
POSSE OFF IN PURSUIT
LED BY BLOODHOUNDS
One Robber Guards Crew While
Other Rifles Express Car.
PASSENGERS NOT MoLEsTED
Silver Scattered Over Coach Of
Queen and Crescent Line BY
Blasting Of Safe-Escape
on Horses.

HAITlESBURG. Miss, May ia rich
haul was made by two masked b,na,,s
VINO early today held up the Queen and
Crescent New York limited train near
Okahola. a flag station eight miles south
OF Hattiesburg. and blew open the safe
in the Southern Express car. The sum N.
robbers obtained is variously estimated at
from $4,000 TO $4,000.
However. the express officials deny that
the sum obtained aggregated the latter
figure.
The bandits made their escape: Early
today Sheriff Bennett and a posse started
In pursuit. Bioodhounds led the way.
Time Lock on Safe.
The safe in the express car was se-
cured by q time signal lock when the
train left New Orleans last night. and
there was a guard in the car in addition
to the regular messenger
II is said that in the rified car there
was one package of money representing
the pay roll of the Alabama and vicks-
burg railroad at Meridian, and about
twenty-five packages of cash. represent
ing the remittances OF agents of the
Southern Express Company at points
along the Vicksburg. Shreveport and Pa
cific railroad. In addition to these there
were two or more sacks of silver, con-
tanning $1,000 each; other packages of
currency and several packages of jewelry.
valuable stock certificates and bonds.
Crew Offers No Resistance.
When the train was passing the nag
station. Okahola. two masked bandits
climbed over the tender and with drawn
revolvers, called out to Engineer Maher
and his fireman. "Obey orders," No re-
sistance was offered 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.
Maher was ordered to call the express
when the messenger. d. A. Gray Of Chat
tanooga. opened the door of his car. he
looked into the muzzle of a pistol He
did not hesitate to obey the order to
alight.
Sixth Attempt Wrecks Safe.
Other trainmen were promptly lined up
dlO0SSlQe TIE dLlu iCdNil6 thcbi III
charge of his partner the commanding
bandit jumped into the express car and
began work on the large express safe.
After applying charge of nitroglycerin
he got down and awaited the explosion.
1t was ineffective and successfully five
other charges of the high explosive were
set off before the bandit accomplished
his purpose. The sixth charge blew OF
the safe door. and scattered silver coin
and packages of currency and other
valuables in every direction.
Except about $500 in silver. everything
in sight was hurriedly placed in sack,
and the two men backed off into the
darkness with their revolvers leveled at
the train crew. After walking backward
for about 100 yards the men dashed off.
1t lis believed they fled on horses which
had been left in charge of a third robber.
Passengers Not Molested.
1t is presumed the robbers are those
who held up a Mobile and Ohio train near
Corinth in February. None of the pas
sengers was molested.
When the train reached here express
employees made an inspection of the rifled
car They picked up from the floor or
the car about three hundred silver dol
lars and found several silver dollars had
adhered to the sides of the safe. They
also found in the safe about 500 in cur
rency.