New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-16
TWO MASKED BANDITS
HOLD UP FAST TRAIN
Blow Open Express Safe and Es-
cape with Sum Which May
Reach 100000.
NO PASSENGERS MOLESTED
Bloodhounds Lose Trail and
Robbers Are Believed to
Have Boarded a Freight
Train on Branch.


Iattiesburg, Miss, May 1.-Two masked
men held up the New Orleans-New York
limited train No. .. northbound. on the New
orleans q Northeastern Railroad. eight
miles south OF this place. soon after mid
night this morning, and after blowing open
tho safe IN the express car escaped with
bundles containing cash estimated all the
way from S35O)O to 10000. Southern FIX
press officers decline TO give figures Of the
loss
The passengers were not molested and no
one was hurt The train proceeded TO Hat
tesburg. where the city and county Of
fcials were notified. Posses were formed
at once. and mounted on horses started in
pursuit of the robbers, taking bloodhounds
with them.
The safe was secured by 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 rined safe were
one package of money representing the
payroll Of the Alabama & NicksburS Rail-
road at Meridian and about twenty-five
packages of cash, representing the remit
tances of agents of the Southern Express
Company at points along the Nicksburg'
Shreveport & Pacific Railroad. There
were also two or more packages of silver.
containing $1,000 each; other packages OF
currency and several parcels Of tewelry.
stock certificates and bonds.
When the train was passing Oklahola.
nag station. the two bandits climbed
o> er the tender and. with drawn revolvers,
called out to the engineer, Maher, and his
fireman. "Obey orders"
No resistance was offered. and after the
train had rounded q curve above Okla
hola the engineer was commanded to stop.
With guns pointed at their heads. the en-
sjneer and fireman were marched back to
the baggage car and Maher was ordered
10 call tho express messenger. When the
messenger, y. A. Gray. Of Chattanooga.
opened the door he looked into the muzzle
Of a pistol. He did not hesitate TO obey
the order to alight.
Other trainmen were promptly lined up
beside the train, and, leaving them IN
charge of his partner one Of the bandits
jumped into the express car and began
work on the large express safe. After APP
living charge of nitroglycerine he got
down and awaited the explosion. II was In
tUCCtNP, ana I'VE plitl ''hA go VI W.
high explosive were set off. The sixth
charge blew off the safe door and scattered
silver coin and packages Of currency ana
other valuabes in every direction.
Except about $500 in silver and pack
40 containing 500. everything .in sight
was hurriedly placed in a sack, and the
two men backed off into the darkness, with
their revolvers leyellcd at the train crew
After walking backward for about a hun
dred yards they dashed off
II is believed the bandits fed on horses
which had been left in charge of third
lobbcr. 1t is presumed the robbers are
tlcse who held up a Mobile & Ohio train
Iodr Corinth in February
Bloodhounds took up the trail OF the
robbers and followed 1t for only a short
distance north Of Okahola. at tho junction
Of the New Orleans & Northeastern Rail
road and small logging road. a freight
train stopped at the junction soon after
the passenger train had proceeded. and
II i1 believed the robbers boarded the
freight.
-Four mon are said 70 have been seen
leaving the freight train when II arrived
here.
officials Of the Southern Express Com
pany declared thorough investigation
would he necessary before the amount or
che "haul" could be determined