The Washington times., 1912-02-20
BRAKEMAN IS HELD
AS DARING BANDIT
Who ROBBED TRAIN
Money and Jewelry Alleged
to Have Been Found on
: B. o. EmpIoye.

CUMBERLAND Nd, Feb. 90
Within seven hours after a masked
bandit held up Baltimore & Ohio train
No. l, near West Piedmont, w. Va,
and relieved a number of passengers OF
their jewelry and money at the point
of revolver, Brakeman Becker was
arrested TODAY and locked up in the
KeJser, W. Va, Jail, charged with the
hold-up. The money and jcwelry was
found on Becker, 1t is alleged, by the
police.
Little is known here concerning
Becker by Baltimore & Ohio officials
and employees. He boarded at Keyser,
1t Is said, and his run was from Cum
berland to Grafton, w. V. He was ar
rested at "forty-mile water station"
nine miles west of Piedmont, by Lieut.
+ kenney, Of the Baltimore e. Ohio police
force.
Becker was found calmly sitting by
a small camp fire not far from the
water station. He made no attempt
to escape when he saw the sheriff and
his deputies.
In his pockets were found $50 and
three watches and a red bandana
handkerchief folded into the shape OF
half-face mask. The police saw the
imprint of the mans nose was easily
discernible in the mask.
Becker readily gave up the money and
Jewelry in his possession, but denied
that he was in any implicated in the
hold-up. He insisted that tramp with
whom he had spent the night, had
given him the stuff.
The robbery rivaled these of the early
days in the far West. Wfile the train
was going I'D the steep grade from this
city tn Cumberland, Md. man swung
onto the rear platform Of the last car
lie entered the sleeper snapped out two
REVIEWERS, ana while he held the con-
ductor, brakeman, and porter covered
with one. fired six shots through the
roof from the other.
Get up. Ill of vou," he yelled. and
bring your money with YOU"
1t did not take long for the terrified
passengers, sixteen in number, to climb
down from their berths., They handed
over their valuables and were ordered
hack to bed.
"A q sound from one of you and I will
kill you snarlcd the bandit, hut this
pusscnger was unarmed and all were
admittedly frightened. In few min
utcs the robber had all of the visible
wealth in the car. He then retreated
10 the ground. He disappeared in the
woods as the train swung around Il
curve, with some OF the men passengers.
the conductor, and trainmen standing on
AS soon as the train reached Altamont
IT was stopped and news of the robbery
tClegraphGd back.
Posses were hurriedlv formed and they
found tracks in the soft mud Of the emf
bGnkment showing where the bandit
had hit the dirt and taken to the woods
There the trail was lost. however.
Among those who reported to the
railroad officials that they had con-
trbuted' to the bandit were: Pullman
Conductor +. c. Hubbill, $25 and gold
watch; Porter Scott. $1.45 and a watch !;
Elizabeth Flynn, New York $lS cash
and a $50 check: II. &. Chambers. Ha-
gerstown, Md, $40 and a watch; Mr..
and Mrs. Samuel Lawrence, Hamlin,
N. c., watch and fountain pen; A. S.
Funkhausen. Hagerstown, Md, 81; Fred
MeSse, Cincinnati, $3.50 and watch ;
Mr.. and Mrs. w. L. Bond, Chilicothe,
Ohio, $50. Other passengers refused to
give their names or the amounts ia
ken from them.