Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-11-15
BOLD ROBBERY 0F
IOWA MAIL TRAIN
THIEVES TAKE TEN SACKS OF
VALUABLE MAIL At
COUNCIL BLUFFS.
CONTAINED CURRENCY
EN- ROUTE TO FRISCO
Thieves Board Car While Il is Being
Transferred in Yards-Lock Out
Clerks and Work at Leisure-Sacks
Believed to Have Contained Money
to the Amount of Many Thousands

of registered mail, containing cur
rency to total which railroad Off
Gals said probably would be thou
sands OF dollars, were taken from the
eastbound Burlington mail train Sat
urday night between I and s o'clock
while it was moving from the Union
Pacific transfer to the Burlington
station on Main street.
While railroad and postal officials
refused to talk about the robbery, 1t
en- route from San Francisco to New
York. At no time during the night
did officials give out anything for
publication on the robbery, and 1T
was we'll nigh morning when an Off
cial told Captain J. c. Shafer of the
local police department that the ten
sacks contained currency.
Federal officers were working thru
out the night in an effort to locate
the mail thieves. but while some
clues had been received no definite re-
suits had been shown and no arrests
had been made by the police at an
early hour this morning. lis
The daring and nervy attempt to
rob the mail car was made after the
train, consisting Of four mail cars
and the storage car upon which the
registered mail was carried. had been
made up in the transfer yard here,
before it reached the Burlington city
station. The mail had reached the
city on Union Pacific train No. 6. ar
irving Saturday afternoon from
Cheyenne and points west. 1t Is be-
lieved the missing mail had all come
from San Francisco and other Pa
cifc coast points.
It was in charge Of Mail Agent
Carter. Of Charlton. who dis
covered after climbing aboard the
train that the glass window in the
door of the mail car had been broken
and the door chained shut to prevent
the mail agents from sntering the
car and interfering with the worksof
the robbery, who we're thought to be
in the car at that time.
The train was stopped hear Four
iteenth street and Eleventh avenue,
Just after 1t had crossed Indian
creek, and the mailmen. who, were
riding the rear end Of the train, dis
covered upon running back that one
OF the small registered sacks Of mail
was lying along the track. Another
sack was found a few hours later q
little nearer the transfer, and Is be-
.leved to have come from the ST.
Louis train on the Wabash.
Reports were made at once to the
office OF i. II. Worley, superintend-
emit OF mails at the transfer depot and
from there to the police headquarters.
and Capt j. c. Shafer, j. c. Rauter-
kus. Detective T. F. Callaghan, Ray
Brown and wv. H. Brown rushed to
the scene in the police automobile.
Several of the federal officers who
CHANGED to be in the city, Joined with
them, but hours Of work were put
on the case without affecting q cap
ture.
Arrests Duo Soon.
Out OF the tumble Of wild rumors
and claims concerning development
in the mail car robbery, upon which
dozen government officials labored
all Of last night, it can be said that
no arrests had been made up to 10
o'clock this morning. Several men,
one Of them an employe Of the rail-
road. have been questioned, and there
was a constant going and coming to
the government building here all last
night Of government officials. deputy
United States marshals and other
detectives. Several arrests are ex-
pected today. It is believed that the
government has found the solution
Of the robbery. The number Of reg
istered sacks stolen has been definite
ly fixed at ten. Any statement re-
garding the sum stolen, said one gov
correct. No one can tell yet as to
that, he said.