Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-12-24
Daring Robbers Halt Fast
Train Near Springfield But
Are Unable to Blow Express
Company Safe. Aa
BIG POSSE TRAILS T.
BUNGLING BANDITS
Fifty Thousand Dollars In
Christmas Treasure Saved
tv Quick Witted Flagman
WAC Summoned Officers BY,
Wire. u.1
rs, Lcnscd Wire u IlyonIng HcrAidI

IHN Lrnscd Wire tO EVonIng HcrAidI
Springfield. IT,. Dec. ~. 49, Booty
worth H5U,uUO was tho prize sought
10y the bandits who held up and at
tempted unsuC0 CSSlully To rob the Chi-
ragu " Altuu's passenger train. ''rhe
hummer" near lies Junction, four
milrs south ot springfield, last night.
In the safe, which resisted Ave att
irmpts To break u, were money, jew
ulrN and other vulunbtcB worth that
SUM It was said by tho express COM
pauN's officials today, and Il In be-
livNvd the wuuld-bc robbers ,had an
mkliuR of the value OF the Christmas
treasure the train WAS carrying from
Chicago To- NJ. luuiB and Kansas CITY.
Ns clever In .lnding officers a. they
were bold Mnd deliberate in holding
up the train, the robbers have es-
capped. \ thorough search OF the
country near the scene OF the hold-up
rallied To produce any clow as to the
dcsporaducs.
After uhcoupllnK the engine and
express car from the train and com
pclllng the engineer to take them
"mOrc than milo down the track. the
robbers madn hve unsuccessful at
tcmpts To blow open tho safes with
nitro glycerin and dynamite,
According to railroad officials ard
]
only II few small packages OF valuO.
while the hlghwaymen were working
with the engineer aud iirsmen Flag
man Horace Smith slipped away 70
, Hes Junction, where there is "A tele-
graph office, and notified the railroad
officials here and at Bloomington,
The robbers worked forty-tive min
utcs IN the express cur. thus giving a
switch engine carrying officers time to
reach the scene before the highway
men could yet away. When tho rob
hrrs heard the engine approaching
they i"d, iirinR "A few shots at the Of
| ii""rs as they disappeared IN tho dark
I ness.
The passenger coaches and sleeping
cars stood un tho tracks more than
! two hours until The engine and eN.
pr"rs ears wrr" brought back and ths
train started on its way to Kansas
! cay.
\ lrW passengers some courageous
and SON" going along because they
admitted they did not want to be
lett al"u",' accompanied Conductor
John & l''vd of Chicago, when he
started i' u.IsC an iuvesti legation,
'iri back there, damn YOU" WAS
ih"ir greeting, emphasized with re-
| N"lNcr shots, when they approached
( lh" express ear After that the pas
S"ng"rs were content To remain safely
under cover.
The pursuit waE Hs spectacular IA
! tn" huld-up, When FlHgmnn Horace
smith ran hnCk and notified the Op-
! orator at He's, the latter wired To the
! Alton officials In Springfield. switch
| "nHlnr wnH pressed into service and
/ illtorn deputies police officers and
! detectives were sent To the scene.
Engineer -, -. Hanks commanded
| IA" switch engine. TO make the mp
| prouch luss noticeable he darkened
/ ma headlight and sped hlH train for
/ ward depending only on tho bright
! glow 81 the moon, When tho HWltnh
"hgln" approached the scene the Of
! llr"fS could plainly see two of the men
~ work rllllug an CxpreAH package
/ SoO yards from tho rails. Al first the
! pear pnid no heed 10 tho switch en-
! Blil"'s arrival hut when tho officers
! stepped down the men fed.
Thu officers tried to surround the
! men, whom they we're sure they
| would cup,"rc, but the bandits Inys-
| l"rluusly disappeared. Most OF tho
deputies returned Ia the city at day
lRhi, reporting nothing doing"
! 'h"iiW MeHlcr sent out another
i t"I pI men and Police Chief Under.
""". nut all the men 1T his command
an the job. II was believed tho ban
ats crcpt back into tho city. which ID
being searched thoroughly. and sew
efal suspects have been arrested. IL
N possible they boarded Wabash
iI"lkht train then passing the scene OF
IN" hold-up. n definite cIews arc not
i9und today Sheriff Moster will proba :
NY request Governor Deneen t0 lssug
P'"'mnlh'lon Offering reward.