Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-20
MASKEOMEN
ROB 0. & c.
TRAIN
Chief Messenger Stabbed as He
Resists Band of Thieves-Reg-
istered Mail RifIed.

BIRMINGHAM, ALA, Feb. 20
Posses, with bloodhounds, to-day are
searching for bandits who held up
Queen and Crescent passenger train
No near Trussville, fourteen miles
north of here, late last night, and
escaped with loot reported to be
worth $4,000
In a battle with FIVE railway mes
sengers. the robbers stabbed Harry
r Melville, chief messenger; subdued
his COMPANIONS and disappeared in
the darkness with the registered mail
sacks.
The train was bound from New
York to New Orleans and carried
heavy passenger list.
Masked Men Board Train.
After the train had passed Alfalfa,
Sc miles north OF here, and the last
scheduled stop before reaching Bir-
ningbam, it was tagged, and when
the engineer reduced the speed Of his
locomotive three masked men leaped
into the cab. Covering the engineer
and firman with pistols, the bandits
ordered the train stopped in lonely,
densely wooded spot between Truss
Vile and Irondale.
At that point the robbers com
manded the train crew to uncouple
the mail and express cars from the
rest of the train After carrying these
cars about a mile, the locomotive was
again stopped and the mail cars were
detached.
Chief Messenger Melville, knowing
that the unusual actions of the train
meant a holdup, barricaded his door
and told his assistants to prepare for
a fight. The original three bandits
were reinforced, and all were heavily
armed. When Melville refused to
open the door of his car. the bandits
began firing at it.
Slabs Chief Messenger.
Noley after volley was fired, ana
the door was splintered Finally the
bandits forced an entrance, but Mel
Vile still showed fight. When ne
attempted to prevent the leader of the
gang from taking possession Of the
registered mail, the robber drew
long knife and plunged 1t into the
messengers shoulder.
In the meantime, the other messen-
gers, cowed by the display of firearms,
were standing with their hands above
their heads.
The cars were ransacked, the rob-
bers taking their time for their work.
However they overlooked one sack
that contained mail worth $4,000.
Melville, after the robbery, said
that he believed there were about
eight men in the party, VINO
swarmed into the mail cars while
others were on guard at the locomo-
tive.
William Murphy, engineer Of the
when the first signal was flashed near
Alfalfa. Believing that there was dan
ger ahead. he Immediately slowed
down. The men who entered the cab,
Murphy said, were armed with rifles.
The passengers thought that the train
had ben delayed by an accident.
Special Train Takes Posse.
As soon as word of the holdup was
received here a special train was
made up and rushed to the scepa.
Deputy sheriffs of jefferson County
accompanied the railroad detectives,
taking several bloodhounds with
them.
After the cars had been looted, the
bandits crowded into the cab of the
locomotive and told the ngineer to
shoot ahead" 1t was expected that
they would abandon the engine in
some desolate spot and seek refuge
IN the mountains, and telegraph or
GERS were sent along the line to keep
close watch for the locomotive.
Inc locomotive, which the robbers
mad abandoned not far north Of this
city, was found early to-day on a
siding. As soon as ii was located
atht became the central spot for the
search, as it was believed the bandits
could not have travelled far by foot
or horse by the time the engine was
round. Engineer Murphy said the
ROBBERS were highly elated at their
good fortune in getting so much loot
ana whistled and sang while making
thelr way from the scene of the rob-