Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-05
MISSISSIPPI
EXPRESS IS
LOO TED
Masked Robbers Hold Up Illinois
Central Passenger at Lonely
Spot South of Memphis.

MEMPHIS. TENN, July 4.-Illi-
nois Central train No. 1. bound from
TO New Orleans, was held up
by four masked men early to-day
one and one-half miles south Of
Miss
It was believed the men obtained
s25, 600, 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 Tallahatchie River bridge, near
Miss. and compelled En-
gineer A. z. Norton to abandon his
cab.
The negro fireman was kept in the
engine cab, guarded by a bandit who
kept him covered with a revolver,
while the others went back and I'M
coupled the passenger coaches from
the mail. baggage and express cars.
Deny Heavy Loss.
The negro fireman ran the cars
through Batesvllle to a point one mile
south Of the town and stoppeS in a
dense river bottom foreN.
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 rihed. but postal au-
thorities in Memphis said that money
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 4 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 it. He
found the car nearly wrecked.
"By peerlng into a crack in the safe,
which was not completely demol-
ished." said Sheriff Lemaster. Il
could see two packages. One was
marked 100000 and the other &c.
900 Just inside the outer door Of
the safe I picked up nearly $500 in
loose bills and silver"
officials Of the road say they be-
lieve 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. z. 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.
Hold up in Wild Region.
Batesville, Miss, is so miles from
Memphis, Tenn, and is the center
of a billy, 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
riaed the express car. The express
never made an official state
ment of the amount stolen, but It
was estimated at $4,000. The rob-
bcrs escaped on horseback through
into the river bottom.
Presumably they waded their horses
some distance up the shallow stream
for hounds lost the scent at the river
bank.
Many persons have good tenants