Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-06-24
LOOKING FOR
BANDITS WHO
LOOTED CAR
Officers Believe Robbers are in Con-
cealment in City Of Spring
field.
ROBBERS GOT ONLY $500
Daring Men Escaped After Pitched
Battle With Posse and
Trainmen.
ROBBERS GOT ONLY $500

Springfield, ILL.,, June 19.-Twt
masked men, who early yesterda!
robbed the express car on the "Dia
mond Special" the Illinois Central's
fast train between St. Louis ano
Chicago, were sought in this city
yesterday After being interrupted
in their work by police, the bandits
forced the engineer to run past the
posse, and when a later trial with
dynamite, forced the safe, they
themselves ran the engine into
Springfield and escaped.
The safe which was opened, &C
cording to the local express agent
contained not more than $500. In
their attempts to get this sum the
robbers threatened the engine crew
with death, overpowered the express
messenger, fired promiscuously al
passengers, disarmed one detective
and exchanged shots with another
None of the bandits victims were
hurt and it is believed that they al
SO escaped injury.
The holdup occurred at point
ten miles south of Springfield. A
danger signal brought the train to
stop and the enginemen were
promptly covered by revolvers.
The engine and express car were
cut off from the rest of the train by
the train crew at the point of re-
volvers. Conductor McWilliams on
seeing the engine and express car
pulling away from the train started
to Investigate. A little farther
down the tracks towards this city
he heard an explosion. He hasten
ed to the home of a farmer and sent
the warning into this city. Sheriff
Mester and Chief of Police Under
wood soon had officers securing the
country.
A switch engine in charge of Gem
eral superintendent A. E. Cliff of
Clinton, started to leave this city
about o'clock, and on reaching
Twentieth and Laurel streets ran
onto the engine and express car of
the passenger train. 1t. was desert
ed, and the safe, which contained
$4,000, appeared to have been
looted.
The switch engine returned to
the city and the passenger engine
was sent back to Glenarm for the
train.
Engineer Shell reported that fol-
lowing the battle between the rob-
bers and posse, the bandits took pos
session of the locomotive and ran it
themselves, making him sit quietly
upon his box. One of the men per-
formed the duties of fireman while
the other acted as engineer. The
engineer handled the locomotive, u.s.
ing the reverse lever, throttle and
air brakes in the same manner as
any engineer would have handled it.
Farmers telephones played an
important part in quickly notifying
the authorities of the holdup. Re-
ports Of the explosions of dynamite
used repeatedly upon the safe in the
express car awakened the farmers
for distance of several miles.
Fireman Peter S. Miller of Chi
cago says he has no idea when or
where the bandits boarded the train.
The first he knew of their presence
was when one of the masked rob-
bers slid over the tender with re-
volver in each hand and, covering
both engineer and fireman, said:
"Stop her.
Engineer Shell obeyed the com
mand.
One of the bandits uncoupled the
express car and gave the command |
to pull ahead. After going about a |
mile another order was given to
stop.
The Diamond special arrived at
he station here at 1855 a. m, and
lpon examination of the safe in the
Express car it was found the men
My got into the local box and did
lot get anything of value. /
The barn in which the two men
we're supposed to be hiding was
earched yesterday by the posse of
Ulcers, and no one was found.