The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-24
Inspector Kimzel Tells How
Jeff Harrison Was Taken
and His Pals Rounded
Up in Every Direction
ELEVEN ROBBERIES
IN PAST FEW YEARS
TRACED TO GANG
Grady Webb of Birmingham Is
Now Said to Be the Only
Member Remaining
Uncaptured
BY REUBEN A. LEWIS

Tho keen gray eyes of Charles g.
Kinzel require thick binoculars for per-
feet vision, but the perception of
those soul-piercing orbs enabled the
government to throttle the most notori-
Gus band of train robbers in modern
days. BY virtue of the clue furnished
by the sedate and crafty postoffice in
spector in Texas. IL train robberies
were unearthed and seven bandits de-
livered into the custody of the law.
For 1t was Kimzel who ran to earth
"Jeff" Harrison, Dick Harrison, Ben
Mckee and others of the gang.
The inspector was in Birmingham
yesterday and for the first time barred
to the world the story of how the car
nival of ho1dups. that had Its origin in
1910. was crushed.
To see the inspector, the observer
would scarcely hazard the guess that
he was a sleuth, detailed to deal with
the most daring and bold highwaymen,
For, in his face there is a kindly, placid
look. though firmly set jaw might
confirm the surmise that there is a pow
err and a cunning in his makeup
Six feet and 165 pounds add weight tc
this hypothesis of physical strength
But, in the delivery of Jeff" Harri-
sons gang of train robbers, brain pow
er was more important.
CAUGHT BY RUBBER STAMP
The cause of Jeff Harrisons appre-
hension was a rubber stamp. The un-
adorned assertion is scantly informing
but coupled with the explanation OF
the observant inspector, the thread OF
the narrative runs on smoothly to the
close of the coup that sent seven des-
peradoes to the penitentiary and forced
the sole surviving member of the band
Grady Webb, into the thick, mystify-
ing woods of Alabama.
ION October s, 1915, the Baltimore
and Ohio train, near Central Station
West Virginia, was visited by three
masked men," Inspector Kimel stated
in matter of fact tone at the out
set. "Bys climbing upon the tender OF
the engine at the water tank, the three
highwaymen gained access to the en-
gine After the trained had steamed
few miles from the station, the en-
gineer, at the point of a pistol, was in
duced to stop the train After o6e OF
his confederates had covered the fire.
man, and was conducting him back
toward the mail car, the third of the
bandits raped upon the door of the
express car and covered the mail crew
The fireman cut the mail car off from
the succeeding passenger coaches and
the bandits sped down the tracks
Speedily, but with system, the rob-
bers shot down the tracks with the
booty, for the clerks had been put off
after the highwaymen had located theil
loot of national bank notes. In due
time the bandits opened the package
Of $100,650 of unsigned national cur
rency and divided it among them
selves After making sure of their spoils
the gang cut off the mail carr The en-
CINE was driven on a few miles and
then the robbers descended from the
cab, but allowed the engine to proceed
on it's wild run under its own motive
power, but without pilot.
HEARD NEWS IN TEXAS
Intelligence of the successful haul
was soon spread over the country
Away out in Austin, Tex, I was &C
uuainted with the news of the trair
delivery. Despite the fact that the
sum of the haul was large and the hold
up cleverly conceived and executed, the
government agents were determined to
run the criminals to EARTH Posses
secured the mountains of West Virginia
in search of the bandits. And after
a week or so had passed, the agents ad-
mitted that the case had baffled them
as each clue proved vain. The rain
bow chases continued and the Central
Station robbery was added to the list
Of hold-ups. now swelled to nine. II
seemed that the band of crooks could
not be apprehended, despite the fac,
that the currency was unsigned and
the numbers of the mint issues were
known broadcast.
1.-THE first dawn of hope came nearly
two months later. on December 7. One
of the unsigned $40 bills was passed
through the money order window al
the postoffice in San Antonio. The
watchful eye of the clerk caught thu