The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-12


 One of the cags belonging to the Pa oific Express company was attached to the Wabash train which was running ' between Detroit and Indianapolis. It left Detroit in the evening and was due to ~arrive at the latter city at about ? O clock the following morning. When the traia stopped at Rohan it was boarded by two men. who entered the front door of the express car and held up Bert Iumas, the express messenger. They stuffed large gag, consisting of two handkerchiefs rolled together, into his mouth, and. after tying another hand kerehief around his face and fastening his hands behind his back they lashed him with a rope to the safe, which they opened with the keys they had taken from him. The safe contained about $45o0 besides a quantity of jewelry and car with their plunder at some point be- tween Rohan and Peru. Ind.
 When the train halted at Peru the expressman rapped on the car door and, receiving no reply. called for assistance ami forced an entrance. Lumas was found lying on his back unconscious, with his arms and shoulders tied to the safe. There were found indications that a struggle had occurred, and there were three or four bullet holes in the side and roof of the car, the shots having evidently been fired from within Medi- cal aid was summoned, and the doctor. after considerable trouble. succeeded in restoring Lumas to consciousness. He bore no marks of violence other than what he had suffered from the gag, but this had nearly cost hin his life. as it was so large that it had almost stopped his breathing.
 When he revived Lumas stated that as the train was leaving Rohan he was busy writing out his report, and while thus engaged he was bounced upon by two powerful masked men. They felled him to the floor, gagged and bound him. took his keys, and robbed the safe. Lumas said that he became un- conscious during the course of this latter operation. and that he had been surprised so unexpectedly that he was quite un- able to retain any memory of the mems . appearance. He added that they had taken his pistol. which lying the table in front of him. and fired several shots at him. none of which, however, had hit him.
 At this time I was chief special agent for the Gould system of railroads, which included the Wabash. On the morning after the holdup I received a telegraphic summary of these events, and at once went to Rohan. I was able to obtain any further information there, however. since nooody in the town or at the station had the robbers had any knowledge of them. It seemed probable that the robbers had been lying in hiding and had boarded the train unobserved, just as 1t was leaving the station.
 I then made my way to Detroit, where I had an interview with Lumas, the express messenger. Lumas was a young man about 26 years of age, fine fin appearance, some feet tall, and weighed about 1S0 pounds. He was ., born in Vermont. He had an elder brother who was passenger conduct or on the main line of the Wabash railroad, and had been in the service of the company for many years. This brother remained in the service contin- uously until his death, 30 years later
 
 sided in Vermont Bert, the messenger. had always lived with his mother until ,he took service with the Pacific Ex- press, and he had an excellent repu- tation.
 So much was told me by MT. Brazee superintendent for the Pacific com pany of the Wabash divisioe, with headquarters at Decatur. H., whom I met at Detroit while making my in vestigations.
 "Lumas is in good standing with the company. and there Is no possibility of his having been in league with the robbers said MT. Brazee, when I sug- gested that Lumas might have been implicated. Why" he continued, you must remember that Lumas was al- most dead when he was found in his car at Peru. The robbers undoubtedly Attempted to kill him, and would have succeeded. too, had it not been for the timely assistance rendered by the doc- tor. Now, if Lumas had been mpli- cated in sthe affair in any way, the robbers would not have attempted his life.
 While still dubious, l appreciated the stand which MT. Brazee had taken Vn behalf of one of his subordinates l knew him personally and he had 7 reputation for kindness, which was we'll deserved. I next interviewed MT Fuller, the general superintendent of the Pacific Express company, and all the other officers who would have been likely to know anything about Lumas They all spoke in the highest terms of Lumas. and of his brother also. Un- der these circumstances, did not deem 1t advisable to repeat my statement as to the possibility of Lumas having been implicated in the affair. but re- quested that Lumas receive fnstruc- tions to report to me whenever 1 wished to see the messenger. It was also arranged that Lumas should come tEs me whenever he was wanted for t3e purpose of identifying any sus- } pects.
 | next decided to shadow Lumas in the most thorough manner at both ends of his route. I placed two of my operatives at work for this purpose. ono at Indianapolis and the other at Detroit. The instructions given to the operative at Detroit were that hc should pick up Lumas when he left bis train at that point and not lose sight of him again until he boarded