The San Francisco call., 1913-09-26
DEPUTY ! IS
KILLED IN
THRILLING
MANH()NI
Special Trains Carry Hun
dred in Chase for Trio of
Boy Train Robbers;
Safe Is Dynamited

COTTONDALE. Ala, Sept. 26.-A
man about 25 and two boys said to be
not more than Is are being hunted by
more than 100 armed deputy sherins
and farmers, as the robbers who held
up the Alabama Great Southern fast
express train at / o'clock this morn
ing near Bibbyville
The three young bandits stole the
front section of the train and after
a wild run Of 80 miles blew the ex-
press safe and escaped with $4,000
in cash and negotiable papers.
Deputy Sheriff Brown of Birming-
ham was shot and killed by a deputy
sheriff of Montgomery county The
Montgomery posse mistook the depu-
ties with whom Brown was search
ing for the robbers and fired into
the party.
Special trains carrying deputies
were on their way to the scene of
the holdup from Birmingham, Mo-
bile and Montgomery The last def
mite report they had of the bandits
was from Sheriff Palmer at Tusca-
Ioosa, Ala. where the engine and
two cars sped through the town at
rate of so miles an hour.
sHERIFFvS SIGNALS IGNORED
Sheriff Palmer, who had been noti-
fed of the robbery attempted to flag
the train to a stop at Tuscaloosa.
The bandits ignored the signal
Sheriff Palmer fired at the engine.
From the first car came fusillade of
shots in reply.
Palmer was picked up a few min
utes later on a special train carry
ing armed men and bloodhounds to
trail the bandits when they should
abandon the train.
AT the time of the robbery a negro
porter who came forward from
Pullman sleeper fought with one of
the younger bandits. The negro was
overpowered and compelled to un-
couple the passenger coaches from
the front cars Of the train.
The fast express train was brought
to a stop by Engineer r. w. Daniels
when he saw a red block signal ahead.
One of the boys, wearing mask that
covered all of his face except his
eyes, covered Daniels and the fireman
with a revolver and compelled them
TO climb to the ground.
l. l. Poole. the express messenger,
was eating his lunch when the man
and one boy entered the car. Poole
did not see that they were masked.
Go on away" he ordered sTll
throw this hot coffee on you"
He was about to carry out his
threat when a bullet grazed his cheek.
He fell to the floor. thinking at first
he was fatally wounded.
MAIL CLERKS LINED UP
Six mail clerks were ordered out OF
their cars and lined up along the
right of way with their hands in the
air. Before he was ordered to jump
to the ground. Messenger Poole was
asked by the older bandit to move a
crate containing two dogs from near
the express safe.
1--WE are going to blow that. and we
tApii y eAtiN ~ AAi hilt QO6Ss SdiQ the
robber.
When he jumped from the car Poole
caught his foot in a cattle guard and
was painfully hurt. The other men,
who were working in the express and
mail cars, were left standing beside
the track and the engine and two
cars moved away with the older ban
dit at the throttle.
Conductor Cook he'd gone through
the sleeping cars and awakened all
the passengers, warning them to hide
their valuablcs.
The doors OF the cars were locked
by the conductor Then he walked
back TO Woodstock, more than three
miles. and reported the robbery.