Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-12-10
R Ob berS
MakeHaul
Of $4,000
Held up an Express Car,
Knocked Outthe Messenger
and Made Good Their ES-
cape.' hundreds in Pursuit
UNITED PRESS LEASED wIRH.l

lUNlIbb fhboo ANAoNb WAhNsl
bakersfield, Cal, Dec. 10.-Twenty
thousand dollars in gold was the haul
last night of two robbers who held up
the express car Of the Sunset west
erp train, bound from Bakersfield to
Taft. Cal The money was consigned
10 the First National Bank of Taft by
the First National Bank of Bakers
field. 1t was not placed in the ex-
press SAFE
When the train arrived at Taft rail
road men were forced to break down
the door of the express car. In a
corner covered with mail sacks was
NJ w. Handy, the express messenger,
who was just returning to conscious
ness, but physicians who examined
him declared that apparently he was
not seriously hurt.
Handy could provide only few de-
tails Of the robbery. He said that two
men entered the car just as the train
was leaving Maricopa. He did not
know whether they we're masked and
was unable to tell how he was rem
dered unconscious. He said he was
Just recovering consciousness as the
train entered Taft, about half an hour
after the robbery. He appeared to be
suffering from the effects of blow,
and was rather incoherent. He could
give no description of the robbers.
Hundreds Take Up the Chase.
Bakersfield, Cal, Dec. 10.-More
than 200 deputy sheriffs and armed
citizens today are on the trail Of the
two bandits who robbed the express
car of the Bakersfield-Taf local train
on the Santa Fe and escaped with $780,.
900 in gold.
officers from the Kern county sher-
ifs office reported today after an
hour on the trail that the men proba-
bly, have escaped over the hills to the
west Of Taft and are trying to make
their way to Los Angeles or some
point in the San Fernando valley
where they may board San Francis
co train.
Thirty-four automobiles loaded with
citizens hastily deputized as special
officers left here before noon today,
while dozen similar parties are op-
Grating out of Taft, By system OF
telephone communications these pos
ses are endeavoring to throw circle
about the valley through which they
hope the bandits will be unable to
make their way.
Messenger May Die.
Detectives in the employ of the San
ia Fe and Wells Fargo companies are
among the various posses that have
taken the trail. 1t is reported that
they have offered reward Of $1,000
for the capture, dead or alive, of the
outlaws.
Practically every automobile owner
IN Bakersfield and surrounding towns
has Joined the man hunt which al
ready is being conducted on scale
that eclipses the trailing of the noto-
rious Harry Tracy in the Northwest
several years ago.
William NJ Handy, the youthful ex-
press messenger who was seriously in.
lured by the bandits, lies today in 9
hospital at Taft. Physicians who ex'
amined his wounds say his skull Is
fractured and that his recovery II
doubtful. He has been unable to give
a lucid description of the bandits.
Several hundred men in the Taft dis
trict will be compelled to go without
meir pay envelopes this week on ac
count Of the robbery. Several of thu
oil companies operating about Taf
nave ordered additional funds sen
under guard from Bakersfield