Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-08
NEWS OF FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1918
FAST TRAIN is HELD UP
BY FOUR MASKED MEN

MEMPHIS. TENN, July 4-IIli-
nois Central train No. l. bound from
Chicago. to New Orleans, was held "
by four masked men early to-day
one and one half miles south of
Batesville, Miss
II was believed the men obtained
325 1000, 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
tral just before noon. The message
said the bandits tagged the train at
the Tallahatchie River bridge, near
Batesville. Miss, and compelled En-
gineer A +. Norton to abandon his
cab.
The negro fireman was kept in the
engine cab, guarded by bandit who
kept him covered with revolver,
while the others went back and I'M
coupled the passenger coaches from
the mail, baggage and express cars.
The negro fireman ran the cars
through Batesville to a point one mile
south of the town and stopped in
dense river bottom forest.
Officials Of the American Express
Company said the bandits did not OBJ
tain more than $1,000. 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 A party of Deputy United
States Marshals from Memphis, left
10 take up the chase for the bandits
Sheriff w Lemaster of Batesville,
was the first man to reach the eX-
press car after the bandits left it. He
found the car nearly wrecked.
by peering into a crack in the safe,
which was not completely demol-
ished," said Sheriff Lemaster, Il
could see two packages. One was
marked $50 600 and the other 49,
0O0.' 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-
iieve the hold-up men were the same
ones who have held up several trains
In the last few months in the South.
Express Messenger r. T.. Hooks, of
Cairo, Ill, 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 ierked il
off The rObber cursed him and
jabbed him in the ribs with a re-
VolYer
Batesville. Miss, is so miles from
Memphis, Tenn, and is the center
Of 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
rifed 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
bank.