The Sentinel=record., 1914-03-19
HOLDS UP SANTA FE EXPRESS AND ESCAPE WITH s15,ooo OR
 s2o,ooo.
PULLED OFF THE JOB ALONE
Locks Messenger in Car and Robbery Not Discovered Until the Train Reaches the Next Stop-Train Car. red Large Amount of Money.

Beaumont, Texas, March 1S.-A lone masked bandit who suddenly appeared from behind pile of boxes in the Wells Fargo Express car on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railroad, this afternoon, covered the express messenger with a pistol then bundled him in a gunny sack and escaped from the car near Helbig with a booty estimated at from $15,OO0 to $20.000.
 Express company officials refused to discuss the robbery, but the amount secured was arrived at by estimates of the payroll of the Kirby Lumber company of Houston. This was pay day at several lumber towns along the Santa Fe and approximate ly S20.000 is the amount usually sent to cover the payroii.
 Reb Martin, of Beaumont, express messenger and baggage agent, would not say how much money was taken from the car, but that quite a large amount was consigned to his care, is known by remark accredited to Conductor McCray. before the train left Beaumont.
 Martin has a lot of money today and he is scared to death" the con ductor is reported to have said.
 The robbery occurred on north bound Santa Fe train No. 202 from Houston to Center, Texas. and was discovered at Silsbee, 20 miles north of Beaumont, the first important stop after the train left this place. Fhe suspicious of conductor Mckay were aroused when the express messenger, Martin, failed to come out of his car, and examination showed the car lock ed tight. When entrance was secur- ed Martin was foud in a corner of the car gasping for breath under the heavy sack which had been wound about his head, but he som recov- cred.
 Martin said he was busy working when the robber appeared. He did not know where the train was at that time. The first thing he knew of the hold-up, was command to throw up your hands" and he turned to see a man apparently middle aged wearing a mask and dressed in a brown suit, wlho pointed a pistol at his head.
 "If you make a move that l don't like I will blow your head off like l would a dog" said the robber, fore ing the messenger toward the corner of the car. He robbed Martin of his keys and then bound a sack around his head and face, with the additional warning 10 the messenger that a move to lift the sack would result in the robber blowing a hole through him"
 That is all Martin saw or heard, until the conductor and others of the train crew forced an entrance into the car at Silsbee and released him, almost suffocated.
 Before the robber escaped he care fully locked all doors of the car with Martins keys except the end door, iibIl WHICH ne swung Oll luc lIdiH' It is believed the bandit left the train near Helbig, 12 miles north of Beaumont in a thickly wooded and sparsely settled country. He is thought to have hidden behind freight in the car which was also the baggage car, while the train was standing in the Beaumont station. Two men whose actions have been since thought significant by the local police, are being sought as suspects. Sheriff's posses left for the scene of the hold up in automobiles.
 Bandit Got $14,00o.
 c. A. Taft, general superintendent of the Wells-Fargo Express Company at Houston, tonight placed the loss at Sl4,000, based on reports made to him from Beaumont. Houston banks which supplied the money issued statements covering a total of $16,900 shipped to three Kirby Lumber Com pany camps. but the bank officials said they did not know whether all the money had gone on the same train