Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-04
MISSISSIPPI
EXPRESSIS
LOO 7 Ed
Masked Robbers Hold Up Illinois
Central Passenger at Lonely
Spot South of Memphis.

MEMPHIS, TENN. July 4.-Iln-
nois Central train No. 1. bound from
Chicago TO New Orleans. was held up
by four masked men early to-day
one and one-half miles south of
BatesvilIe. Miss
It was believed the men obtained
s25, 900, although the local officials OF
the American Express Company say
the amount was not that large
Official news of the hold-up reached
Memphis Offices of the Illinois Cen
trail just before noon. The message
said the bandits tagged the train at
the Talshetchie River bridge. near
Batesville. Miss. and compelled En-
gineer A. f. Norton to abandon his
cab
The negro fireman was kept in the
engine cab. guarded by bandit who
kept him covered with a revolver,
while the others went back and IN
coupled the passenger coaches from
the mail. baggage and express cars.
Deny Heavy Loss.
The negro fireman ran the cars
through Batesvilie to a point one mile
south. OF the. town apd stopped in a
dense river bottom forest.
officials Of the American Express
| Company said the bandits did not OBJ
tain more than $4,000. Five charges
OF dynamite was exploded before the
safe was opened. Every registered
mail pouch was rified, but postal au-
thorities in Memphis said that money
shipments were small because Of the
holiday.
Following the robbery the bandits
ran the engine ten miles south when
| the fire under the boilers went out.
Believing the negro fireman had al
| lowed the fire to die in order to trick
them. the bandits threw him out OF
the cab while the engine was moving
rapidly He was slightly injured. The
| men abandoned the engine one mile
| north of Enid Miss. and entered the
| forest.
A special train arrived from Jack
son, Miss. bringing officers and blood
hounds. party OF Deputy United
States Marshals from Memphis, left
to take up the chase for the bandits
Car Nearly Wrecked.
Sheriff w. Lemaster. of Batesville,
was the first man to reach the ex-
press car after the bandits left 1t. He
| found the car nearly wrecked
BY peering into a crack in the safe.
which was not completely demol
ished," said Sheriff LemasteT. Il
could see two packages. One was
marked 5000 and the other &c.
OO0' Just inside the outer door of
the safe l picked up nearly $500 in
loose bills and silver"
officials of the road say they be-
| lieve the hold-up men we're the same
ones who have held up several trains
In the last few months in the South
Express Messenger r. f. Hooks, of
| Cairo. H., wired the authorities In
Memphis a good description of one of
| the bandits
| He said as he jumped from the
| train at the command of the hold up
men he tripped and in falling caught
at one OF the bandits. His fingers
| caught the mans mask and jerked it
! off. The robber cursed him and
jabbed him in the ribs with a re-
| volver
HoId-Up in Wild Region.
| Batesville. Miss. is so miles from
Memphis, Tenn. and is the center
/ Of a hilly. thickly wooded country.
Within the past year there have
been numerous train robberies in the
| South.
The first was in Mississippi, on the
Queen and Crescent, near Meridian,
when robbers stopped a train and
rified the express car. The express
company never made an official state
ment Of the amount stolen, but it
was estimated at $4,000. The rob
bers escaped on horseback through
canebrakes into the river bottom.
Presumably they waded their horses
some distance up the shallow stream,
for hounds lost the scent at the river
7