The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-15
Robbers Get $4,000 From
Express Car Safe.
Bandits Climb Over Coal Ten
der, Surprising Engineer.
BLOW SAFE SIX TIMES
Last Charge Skaters Iron
Door, Revealing Money.
Passengers Warned to Remain
Quiet in Coaches.

New Orleans. May 1.-two masked
men held up the New Orleans-New
York limited train No. 2, northnouna
on the New Orleans and Northeastern
railroad eight miles from HattlespurS'
Miss. shortly after midnight this morn
ing and after dynamiting the safe IN
the express car escaped on horses with
one bundle containing $14O,ooO
Southern express company ot1clais
here today declined to vouchsate any
information as to the amount OF money
taken by robbers. 1t was denleo' now
ever. that the robbers obtained sum
approxinating $4,000 the loss first re-
ported.
Hattiesburg, Miss, May 15.-F1ve
charges of dynamite were exploded IN
the express car, nearly demohShlLe II
A through safe destined from Ne" y
leans to eastern points said to contain
1oos-itI,1 s150CO0. most of which was
government funds, was plo"n open
The contents were taken
The train had stopped at a water
tank just north of Richburg when the
men boarded the express car AT the
time nearly all the passengers except d
few who were to leave the train at
Hattiesburg, were asleep in their
berths.
Forced to Leave the Engine.
The men first forced the engineer and
fireman to leave the engine ana To-
gether with the conductor, Hagman ana
other members of the crew, they were
lined up against the train and covered
with a revolver by one of the robbers
while the other entered the express
car and forced the express MESSENGER
and guard, said to be watching the
government money on the train, to get
sCir ha
and guard were relieved of their
weapons before they had chance to
make any resistance.
After the guards and messenger had
disembarked. the robber guarding the
crew sent one of tIlerl back through the
coaches with instructions to inform the
passengers the train was being held
for certain purpose and they We're
safe as long as they remained inside
the cars.
Time Lock on Safe.
The safe in the express car was Sc
cured by time signal lock when the
train left New Orleans last night and
there was guard in the car in addi-
ton to the regular messenger. 1t is
said in the car there was one package
of money representing the payroll of
the Alabama and Vicksburg railway at
Meridian and about 25 packages of cash
representing the remittances of agents
of the Southern Express company at
points along the Vicksburg, Shreveport
& Pacific railroad. There were also two
or more sacks of silver, containing
900 each, other packages of currency
and several packages of jewelry, valu-
able stock certificates and bonds.
When the train was passing the
flag station, Okahola, two masked
bandits climber over the tender and
Engineer Maher and his fireman:
"Obey orders"
Too Surprised to Resist.
No resistance 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 t. cir heads the en-
gineer and fireman were marched back
to the baggage car where Maher was
ordered to call the express messenger.
D. A Gray, of Chattanooga, who open
ed the door of his car, to look into the
mgzzle of pistol He obeyed the
order to alight.
other trainmen were lined up along
side the train, and leaving them in
charge of his partner, the command
car and began work on the large ex-
press safe.
After applying a charge of nitro
glycerin he got down and awaited the
explosion. 1t was ineffective and sue
cessively five other charges of the high
explosive were set off before the ban
dit accomplished his purpose.
Sixth Charge Wrecks Safe.
The sixth charge blew off the safe
door and scattered silver coin and
packages of currency and other vaIu-
ables IN every direction. Except about
$500, in silver, everything in sight was
hurriedly placed in a 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 is
believed they fled on. horses which had
been left in charge of a third robber.
1t is presumed the robbers are those
who held up Mobile & Ohio train
near Corinth in February.
None of the passengers was mo-
Tested.
Bloodhounds, after taking up the
trail of the robbers, succeeded in fol- !
lowing it for only a short distance
north of Okahola, at the junction of
the New Orleans and Northeastern
railway and a small logging road. II
is believed the robbers boarded a |
freight train soon after the passenger |
train DrOcaedQ6.