The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-11-18
ROBBERY OF TRAIN IS. BIGGEST

Bandits Break Into Treasury Car on
C. B. & O. Railway and Get Away
With More Than $1O,OOO.OOO.
Omaha, Neb. 14.-Efforts were
being made tonight to recover be-
tween five and twelve million dollars
stolen by train bandits when they
broke into a mail car on the Chicago
Burlington and Quincy railway, be-
tween here and Council Bluffs, early
today. Scores of secret service men
postoffice inspectors and details OF
police worked throughout the day
searching for the robbers and their
loot.
A portion Of the loot was treas.
ury shipment of gold from the Unit
| ed States mint in San Francisco to
the United States treasury In Wash
ington, 1t was reported. Besides the
gold there was vast quantity OF cur
rency, bonds and registered mail.
| Biggest Train ROBBERY.
There is no use to deny 1t was the
biggest train robbery in rs years, II
not in the whole history Of the coun-
try,n said Captain Charles Shafer OF
the Council Bluffs police tonight. He
had worked on the case all day.
Mr.. Eberstein, captain Of police OF
Omaha, charged the robbery was
committed by persons familiar with
the governments method Of shipping
gold.
Somebody connected with the de-
partment, somebody on the inside,
was In the plot" he said. He had
heard unofficially the shipment ex-
ceeded $10,000,000.
Officials Make No Statement.
Government officials working on
the case would make no statement.
They said the amount Of loot secured
might not be known for 80 days. The
car was made up in San Francisco
last Wednesday and consisted OF a
shipment Of money, stocks and bonds
from many different California towns
and cities. 1t was addressed to banks
in numerous cities on the Atlantic
Eseaboard. 1t was understood there
was heavy shipment for Chicago
and another for New York, in addi-
tfon to great gold shipment from
the San Francisco mint to the treas
ury department in Washington.
Until complaints Of the shipper
and consignee have been. received,
postal officials said, the department
has no way Of checking UP all the
different shipments and the amount
The treasury shipment Of gold was
contained in number Of strong
boxes. @
Came Into Omaha.
The treasury car came into Omaha
on Union Pacific train and was
transferred to the Burlington at this
place. 1t was put in the center Of the
Burlington's fast mail to Chicago
When the car left Omaha 1t was Be-
curely locked and bolted. At the Un-
! ion Pacific transfer, between Omaha
and Council Bluffs, the train stopped
At that time the treasure car was
still intact.
Half an hour after leaving Omaha
the train drew up at the Council
Bluffs depot. A postal clerk attempt
ed to pass the treasure car but found
the door locked from the inside. Sus-
pecting robbery he summoned other
postal clerks. The door was broken
down. The interior Of the car was in
disorder. Instead Of being half filled
with registered sacks Of mail, it was
almost empty; boxes Of gold from the
mint that were said to be in the car
could not be found.
A Window Broken.
A window on one side of the cal
had been broken. The gold and mail
bags were thrown through the win
dow while the train was in motion,
The robbers were supposed to have
leaped from the window after COM
pleting the robbery. Passing between
the transfer and the city depot the
rain runs at not more than five
miles an hour.
An hour was required to organize
a posse and search the line the train
had travelled. There was evidence OF
the loot having been loaded in wait,
ing automobiles.
"The plot was we'll organized and
executed" said Chief Eberstein. "It
was the work of professionals, as
sisted by someone on the inside. The
bandits knew just what they were
looking for. They knew which Of the
! six cars carried registered mail and
wasted no time On cars carrying on
lily ordinary mall
Postal inspectors had lead" up
on which they were working late
tonight, but no arrests have beer
made.
More than 500 officials and news
paper men were working feverishl!
on the case tonight.
Garages are being searched through
out Omaha and Council Bluffs
Guards have been placed on all roao
crossings and close watch on incom
ing and outgoing freight and passen
ger trains is being maintained.
A report that the treasure hat
been taken nv automObile TO the Mis-