Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-09
Masked BANDITS
HOLD UP EXPRESS
AND GET Bis sum
WEST VIRGINIA ls SCENE OF REG
UlAR OLD FASHIONED
TRAIN ROBBERY.

OtaPSso0r0, w. Va, Ocs. A-
Telephone messages received
here soon aftsr noon sald that 4
shsriff's posse with hioodhounds
had sighted four men In the foot
hills near Central Station, and
were chasing them. They arc be-
I,sved to be members Of the gang,
two Of whom robbed Baltimore 4
Ohio train No. near Central Sta
tlon early today.
Wheeling, w. Va. Oct. S.-Two
masked men early today held up a
Baltimore and Ohio express train from
New York to st. Louis. two miles west
of Central, w. Va. Their booty was
taken from the mail cars, according to
reports received here and was believed
to be large.
The train was due at Parkersburg
at q. M, and It was nearly an hour
later when Samuel Holmes, the engi-
neer, was attracted by noise from
tho tender. Looking over his shoulder,
he saw two masked men climbing over
the coal, each carrying an automatic
shotgun. They called for him not to
movc and minute later he and the
fireman were facing the guns.
One CT the men ordered Holmes to
cut of the engine and throw mail
from the remainder Of the train, and
then stood by Holmes, directing the
distance he should run 1t. When two
miles to the west had been covered,
fhn fch UUo ~, III -,
stop and climb down, while the fire
man was compelled to do likewise.
The other masked man then took the
throttle, and as though we'll acquainted
with the operation Of the engine, ran
the train mile or two farther west.
Here the robbers went through the
mall car, paying particular attention to
the registered mail, which they looted
completely, and then they deserted the
train, going across the hills in the di.
rectton Of the Ohio river. A short
time later the engine and mail car
were found by a track walker where
they had been left.
Passengers Sleeping.
Meantime the crew, left with the
remainder Of the train, had been try
ing to find the engine. They knew
nothing of what had happened except
that the engine and mail car had dis
appeared toward the west, no attempt
having been made by the highwaymen
to disturb the sleeping passengers.
Men were sent forward and soon To-
Gated the fireman fastening back to
give the alarm, Engineer Grant P
Helms having gone in search of his
engine. He found the locomotive on
the rails with the fire drawn from un-
der the boiler and the valves 80 ar
ranged as to prevent any accident be-
cause Of increasing steam pressure.
More than two hours elapsed from
the time of the robbery, about 2
o'clock, until the news could be sent
to division headquarters at Parkers-
burg, and to Grafton, the other near
est town with telegraphic communica-
ton at that hour. But Immediately
railroad and county officers were ac-
tive. Messages were sent in all d.
rections, special train carrying de-
tectives was sent to the scene of the
robbery and posses aggregattng more
than a hundred men were securing
the country before daybreak in Harri-
son, Dodridge and Peasants counties.
The booty secured by the robbers Is
unknown here, but 1t was stated that
the registered mail usual carried by
the train was very valuable.
Central Station Is in Dodridge coun.
ty, midway between Parkersburg and
Clarksburg, w. Va. 1t is stop for
through trains on the Baltimore &
Ohio only for taking on water