Evening star., 1915-02-19
MASKED BANDITS
ATTEMPT ROBBERY
Bind and Gag Express Mes
sengers Aboard the "FIor- /:
ida SpeciaT"Train.
THROW SAFE FROM CAR
WHICH CONTAINS NO LOOT
Receptacle Said to Be at Bottom Of
Aqua Creek-Railway Of
ficials Investigating.

Two masked robbers tried 20 loot
the express car OF the Florida Flyer
of the Seaboard Air Line just after II
passed Alexandria southbound last
night. The car was a joint Adams NIX
press Company and Southern Express
Company car and it was stated today
at the office of J. NJ HUFF, superintend-
ent of the Adams Express Company
here, that his information is that a
safe which was thrown from the car
after the robbers failed TO open it did
not contain any money, SO that tho
bandits got nothing for their pains.
The matter was reported on the arrival
of the train at Richmond.
Reports were that the two express
company employees in the car were
bound and gagged at the point of re-
volvers. At Mr.. Huffs Office il was
said they had not been SO advised. Tho
express messengers are named Cham
bliss and Williams. 1t is said here
that after giving the details of the
attempted robbery they continued on
their runs" south. Chambliss is said
to be en- route today for Jacksonville.
and Williams for another point. The
express company officials say they have
little information in regard to the af-
fair. but they are conducting an in
vestigation.
Safe in Aqua Creek.
Reports from the neighborhood OF Aquia
creek today are to the effect that an iron
safe, such as the express safe is said
to have been, rests in about fifteen feet
of water in that creek. 1t is said to have
been discovered by a railroad section
master. and efforts are being made. it
is understood. to get it out Of the water.
The train. No. 81, of the Washington
and Southern railway feft Washington
last night at o'clock.
The express messengers on their ar
rival at Richmond are reported to have
said that after the train left Fran
coma the robbers appeared in the car
and ordered them to throw mp their
hands, leveling their revolvers. One
Of the bandits is said to have then
tried to blow open the safe. and, fail
ing in this, they are reported to have
thrown the safe from the car at AGuia
creek The latter point is twenty
five miles from Franconia and ABOUT
thirteen miles from Fredericksburg.
The train stopped at FREDERICK sburg
for water for the engine and the ban
dts are said to have jumped off at that
point.
There is complete mystery and wide
discrepancies as to the details of the
attempted crime. The Washington po-
lice have not been asked to assist the
Virginia police and have no informa-
tion on the subject beyond report, IN
the nature of a lookout. that was tele-
phoned to them this morning from the
express company offices.
The Alexandra police have been
| active, they said today. in searching
for possible suspects, and have de-
tained two suspicious characters. who
sought lodging in Alexandria early
this morning. but it is not understood.
IL these are the men wanted. how
they could have succeeded in getting
ho IN
burg by s o'clock this morning, the
hour at which they were arrested.
They are white men. twenty-eight and
twenty-five years old. respectively. and
say they come from different cities in
Pennsylvania They say they were in
Alexandria all night.
Detective Kennedy, an employe of the
Southern Express Company, is said to
be on the way to Washington today
from Richmond with some clothing.
which may be a clue to the bandits.
No description of it was obtainable.
Another clue may be a revolver. mark
! which news dispatches today said had
been taken from Express Messenger
Chambliss.
Section Masters Notified.
Following the robbery all section
masters along the line were notified to
be on the lookout for the safe. Marls
on the trestle spanning Aquia creek
supposed to have been made by the
safe when it was thrown from the car
attracted the attention of the section
master at that point, and he immed ately
made soundings and discovered that
there was an iron safe resting at the
bottom of the creek. He feels salts
| fed that this is the one thrown from
| the express car.
Railroad people say that if this is
the missing safe the bandits made a
miscalculation when they cast il out,
as IL would have been an Impossible
task to have handled the safe in such
| a place.
The place where this sale was found
is lust north OF where a big railroad
robbery occurred about twenty years
ago This was the crime with which
two men named Searcy and Morgan-
6ald ware identified Both were cap