The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22
Three Arrested in Tusca-
lOOsa and Two in Birming-
ham Held for Further
Examination
INSPECTORS SEEK TO
MINIMIZE AMOUNT
BANDITS SECURED
Said 10 Have Been After One Pouch
Containing Shipment of Over
100000 From Washington
to the New Orleans
Subtreasury

Ihe train bandits are still at largel
Three suspects were arrested yesterday
morning i'm Tuscaloosa. where they are
still held. although the police and sheriffs
officials are certain that the trio had
northing to do with the robbery Thursday
night of train No. of the Queen and
Crescent railroad u miles north of Bir-
mingham between Trussville and Iron
| dale.
| Two other suspects We're arrested yes
terday afternoon as they alighted from
| Frisco train by Detective Harry Gold
stein. They were brought to detective
headquarters and are being held for fur
tier examination. However it is the
| theory of the local detectives that they
had nothing to do with the hod-up The
men are said to be from Jasper
Still Think Bandits Are Here
1t is still the opinion of local police
officers and of Acting Chief Martin
Eagan that the bandits are local men and
are at the present time hiding in some
of the smaller hotels in the city. The
postal inspectors are of the same opin-
ion, as well the railroad detectives,
although they are thoroughly examining
all suspects sent in by the country depu-
ties. 1t is we'll known that in the small
country towns amateur Sherlock
Holmes carefully watching the
| movements of all strangers. and nearly
every tramp sighted is arrested and sent
IN to Birmingham as a suspect
There were no new developments yes
terday as to the amount of money the
ROBBERS secured in the robbery Thursday
night. At the federal building the postal
inspectors sought to minimize the loss by
making varied statements as to the
amount stolen. However it leaked out yes
terday afternoon that the bandits were
seeking only one pouch last Thursday
night which was a consignment of money
from the federal treasury in Washington
to the sub-trea sury in New Orleans. 1t is
said to have contained Sl0O 0O0 and more.
| New light thrown on the train robbery
Yesterday showed thar il was carefully
planned. The theory that the bandits got
on the train at water tank a few miles
above Trussville was discredited yester-
day, and it was stated that the robbers
must of a certainty have climbed on the
rear of the engine at Alfalfa, 80 miles
north of Birmingham
A Leak Somewhere
1t is stated that the bandits could have
left Birmingham on an afternoon train
and arrived In Alfalfa about dusk. then
have taken trolley car to Gadsden for
supper and returned about $3.50 O'Clock TO
Alfalfa and boarded the train without ex-
citing suspicion.
/ a Of
of trains and how they are running on
the board at Alfalfa also might have
aided the robbers in picking out the
mail train That there was a leak in
the postal service, and that the ban
dits knew of the heavy consignment
OF money to New Orleans is undoubted
By the federal inspectors. They al
lowed train No. ] running on train No
IS tine to pass unnoticed at Alfalfa
and only boarded train No. running
40 minutes late with the mail on train
No. is time. That they knew that
the late train would catch the mail is
the opinion of the postal inspectors
/ It also became known yesterday that
instead of carrying only one sack
with them the bandits had three large
mail sacks, and it in these that
they carried away the loot. The rail
way special agents. owing to this fact,
are now searching questionable houses,
IS II is realized that the bandits must
taNe had meeting place to come
boldly into Birmingham with three
iarac mail sacks. 1t is also known
tnat one of the bandits within the mail
car addressed another on the ground
i outside as chief The alleged conver-
satton is reported as follows by one
o. tie mail clerks;
where's that registered maiI?"
asked one of the robbers of Chief Clerk
Melville.
"T don't know" is the alleged reply
OF Clerk Melville.
Called One Man Chief
You're a liar"' said the bandit. and
then he is said TO have called outside
the car: Hey, chief. come on in here
and get out that sack; this fool won't
talk or don't know
II was then, according TO the mail
clerks. that another man jumped into
the mail car. He was stouter and APP
peared older than the other two rob
? bers. He is said to wasted no time
in talking to Clerk Merville. but to have
walked quickly TO one end of the mail
car and after pulling a few mail sacks
cut of way to have cut the straps on
the registered mail sacks and hollored
out: Here II is, boysn
the loot was then hastily placed in
tine large sacks the bandits carried and
the robbers departed on the engine.
mile further on they stopped the en-
zine and are believed to have boarded
q waiting automobile. 1t is stated by
i the officers that they either came on
to Birmingham or started east in the
direction OF Lovic<. thence to Leeds
and Cook Springs. 1t is stated that
the bandits may have deserted their
automobile at Admission. The Cook
Springs road is being closely watched
,by ostal inspectors and railroad spe-
; cial agents
Suspects Arrested in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, February 21-(Special)
Sheriff Palmer announced early to-
t night that he would probably release
the three white men who were arrested
here today being suspected of robbing
the Queen and Crescent train near
I Trussville Thursday night. They are be-
ing held on charge of vagrancy pend
4 ing the arrival of some of the special
} OFFICERS working on the case, but the
county officials here state that they
are now satisfied that the men are in
) no way connected with the robbery.
The suspects held here give their