The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-29
CAPTURE OF TRAIN
ROBBERS EXPECTED
TO Be MADE SOON
Inspectors Are on Trail and
Are Sure They Are Still
In the Woods
LIST GIVEN OUT
OF MONEY TAKEN
Postal Authorities Think Amount of
Loss By the Express Company Is
Much Larger Than Has Been
Admitted

Admitted
That the train robbers who held up the
Alabama Great Southern train at Bibb-
Vile, last Thursday night, are still in
the rough mountain country lying north
west Of Tuscaloosa, between the Mobile
and Ohio and Southern railroads in Tus-
oaloosa county, was the emphatic opin-
ion of postal inspectors in Birmingham
last night.
TIE postal inspectors. none of whom
cared to have his name mentioned in
print because it is against the policy of
government officers to be interviewed,
have the movements of the train robbers
traced down and they expect that the
bandits will be captured before they
emerged from the woods.
According to tie postal inspectors and
to the circulars issued by the postonice
department regarding the train robbery,
the loss of the government in the hold
up will not be over $3.50 in actual cash.
The circular states that 81 registered
pieces of mail were taken which may
have contained small sums of money to
an approximate amount of $500 or less.
There were also 10000 1-cent stamps,
0.0Oo 2-cent stamps and 500 special de-
livery stamps stolen. The circular also
states that a lot of money order forms
were taken and some miscellaneous
pieces of iewelry such as cuff links ana
a few watches The federal government
offers $1,000 reward for the capture OF
each of the robbers and there are over
10 postal inspectors in Birmingham at the
present time actively engaged in the pur-
suit of the robbers.
Express Loss May Be Great
Though the government loss is but
slight. the postal inspectors are inclined
to the belief that the Southern Express
company has minimzed it's loss and that
the sum secured by the train ROBBERS
in blowing the safe will actually go over
the $4,000 mark. AS to the reason why
the company does not make its loss pup
lie, the postal inspectors state that IL
would encourage the infant industry Of
train rcbbing.
According 10 the postal inspectors the
trail of the bandits has been located. 1t
is known that they planned the robbery
in Birmingham and were in birmingham
for several days before the robbery. a
fire was found about a quarter OF nhlle
from the scene of the hold-up, where the
robbers had awaited the time for holding
up number Z. negro named Mepiey mas
been located who talked with the tralf
robbers at dusk the night of the hold
up about two miles away. 1t is known
that two or the robbers left Birmingham
on an afternoon train and anghted Al
Woodstock.
The postal insectors have also located
the place where the robbers LETT the
train They state that the boy, Robert
Vaughn, who was riding on top of the
exnress car told them that the robbers
ali left the train at Vance, about f1ve
miles from the scene of the robbery. A
man who was 'possum hunting has been
located who met the bandits at the cross
roads at Vance shortly after the robbers
had left the engine.
From Vance, the bandits have been
traced northwest to Gilmore near the
Warrior river, as they were seen there
on Friday morning by men from lum-
Der camp near Tidewater. The bandits
are now known to be in the northwestern
part of Tuscaloosa county in the dense
woods and mountains between the Mobile
and Ohio and Southern railroad lines
There to Meet Them
The postal inspectors state that there
will be a large posse near the line OF
Fayette and Lamar counties to await
anv of the bandits as they come out OF
the woods. 1t Is known that the robbers
are sleeping in the woods in daytime
and walking all through the night as the
posse in pursuit has come ON several OF
the places where they slept and built
fires. The capture of the bandits is but
a few hours away, according to the opin-
ion freely expressed at the Federal build
ing last night The heavy rain yester-
DAY afternoon and last night will also
be of great aid to the authorities in
rounding up the desperate criminals
When Chief of Police George II. Bode-
ker was apprlsed Of the close pursuit
the postal inspectors had instituted after
the train bandits he stated that he was
cogpizant of the course the robbers had
taken. He deviated from the opinion
of the postal inspectors in that he ex-
pected that the robbers instead of enter
ing Fayette county would turn northeast
and touch the southern part of Walker
county and enter Jefferson county at its
extreme northern end. He expected that
the bandits had headquarters not very
many miles north of Bessemer and that
a raid in that locality would probably
be undertaken within the next "a hours.
Chief Bodeker stated that the total
of $1,000 in rewards for the capture of
the robbers would prove great incentive
and he expected that the country people
who read the newspapers would be able
to give valuable information to the Off
GERS. He stated that he was in constant
communication with the pursuit and that
he was positive that the robbers would
be captured. The chief also was inclined
to the belief that the loss OF the South
ern Express company was much larger
than the officials of that company would
admit.
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