Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-04
PosToFFIcE INSPECTOR LED
FORCES WHICH ROUNDED
UP BLUFFS MAIL ROBBERS.
GIVES DUE CREDIT TO
co-WoRkERs AND OTHERS
Federal Officials Ably Assisted by
Railroad Observation-Disclosures Gives
First Tip Which Led to Arrest of
Entire Gane-DevsIopnn ents Came
Fast aneI Overwhelmingly.
pecial to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Council Bluffs, Dec. Federal
agents who succeeded SO successfully
in rounding up the members OF the
gang which carried out the spectacu-
lar mail train robbery in this city the
night OF Nov. Is. declared by all to
have been the largest theft In the
history of the country, and exceeding
SS,600,000 have come in for much
favorable public comment. and the
work which Postoffice Inspector c.
II. Glenn, OF this city, did In the first
twenty-folr hours after the robbery
was committed provided a lead which
all worked upon with final success.
Much Of the credit for the entire job
is given to Inspector Glenn. Mr..
Glenn, however, is modest and is
generous in his praise OF his CO.
workers.
Newspaper men. however. who
Were assigned to the big story, and
who were on the case until the men
were turned over to the department
of justice, are of the opinion that In
spector Glenn deserves credit for
having accomplished most of the
hard work in securing information
which led to the arrests, as he was
alone in directing the work until all
of the really important clues had
been obtained. In his office in the
federal building here today Inspec-
tor Glenn, speaking reminiscentiy of
the bis robbery and OF the amazing
story which developed, said:
we are all tired but satisfied with
the outcome of our Dig case. The ar
rest OF all the principals in the rob-
bery and the recovery OF most OF the
loot, hinged upon the information
given by Olga Kruse and Nelson C.
Newberry. Kruse and Newberry are
in the habit of riding trains even
ings to shorten the way to their
homes, and on the evening OF the
18th were on the rear of the train
which was robbed and discovered
one of the stolen pouches of mall
lying along the track. Their prompt
ness IN notifying B. e. Carter. clerk
In charge OF the mall crew, was the,
first important act in the locating
and arrest OF the robbers. Gilbert
Morley, superintendent OF mails at
the Union Pacific transfer, was noti-
fled and we were on the lob about
twenty minutes after the robbery
was committed, Federal Agent sum
ner Knox being with me.
Engineer Gives First Clue.
information brought to us by
burlington Special Agent Burke from
Creston. which had been given to
him by Engineer Lon Quinby, OF the
robbed train. who reported the
strange actions Of Merl Phillips in
boarding the engine cab In this CITY.
proved valuable and led to the ar
rest of Phillips. From them on un-
til Keith Collins was arrested things
happened fast and we had to work
night and day to keep up.
There is small possibility that we
might have taken Keith Collins a
little sooner than we did, but we
had nothing definite to work upon
Or connect him with the crime until
the confession of Fred Pofrenbarger.
We had a vague rumor. that Collins
was connected with the robbery but
there We're at that time so few OF
us on the Job and we were SO busy
with other phases Of the Job that we
lost some time. Moreover, Merl Phil
Lips and Fred Poffenbarger skilfully
led us away from Collins end of the
job. Fortunately the delay was not
fatal.
We are indebted to the special
agents of the Burlington and Union
Pacific railroads for their work. They
are trained detectives. None better.
and no clue, however small, escapes
their notice or attention. Matthews.
ierman, johnson, Underwood, Burke
and Lee Of the Burlington and Bend
Urn and Russell Of the Union PACT
lie gave their rntiring services freely.
Mr.. Lee was called here from Casper,
Wyo. These men, with U. 9. Mar
shall Fred Shoemaker, Federal Agent
sumner Knox, U. S. Commissioner w.
Buyers, Postmaster George Hughes
were on the JOB every minute. The in
spection services send Mr.. ]. M.
Diedrict on Monday and r. A. Nor
nal on Tuesday. On Thursday W. L.
Noah and W. M. Coble and J. w.
Adamson Joined the force. Joe P.
Johnson, Inspector in charge Of the
Kansas division was here for a time
is was also Mr.. Fahey.
The work Of securing the first few
clues was the hardest part of the
entire job. The others came in regular
sequence. Results go to show what
united effort can accomplish"