The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-21
100000 JOB
RECALLS OTHER
TRAIN HOLDUPS
Robberies of This Kind Not
#Going Out of Style, as
Supposed.
NOT SO PICTURESQUE
Day When BlO0dh0unds
Pursued Bandits to- Hills
Is Past.
MOTOR CARS USED NOW
Profession Always Dangerous
and Few Lasted Long in
Practice.

lifs In the United Seste2 whS have
asserted within recent years that the
profession of train 'robbing was of the
vanishing ones had to revise some of
their pronouncements last Monday
when a railway mail clerk arrested in
connection with a train robbery near
Council Bluffs. Iowa, confessed share
in the crime and stated that he be-
lieved the value of the loot taken to be
$4,000. 900. tx.
The confession, In forceful contra
dictIon OF the critics who have thought
they could see the profession falling
ntoSdesuetude, had in three respects
the quality OF exceptional interest
The first was that booty to the value of
three cool millions had been taken: the
second that a mail clerk had had a
hand in the crime. The third was that
the confession, sent to the newspapers
in FULL was cut to the limitations OF
half column almost all across the
United States. Thus were the critics
left abashed before their believers.
For $4,000. 900 represents the high
water mark in the history of trains
held up, and although it has been
suspected in few instances that mail
clerks and express messengers have
possessed guilty knowledge they have
as class resisted train bandits
valiantly and many of them have died
gun in hand.
To foreigners it has been explained
many times that trains Will be looted in
the United States as long as so much
of the country remains unpeopled and
the trains must pass through miles of
lonely forest and plain. But the rob-
berry Of last Monday took place at
point half way between good sized
city and n railway junction less than
mile outside of II, and was all accom-
plished ten minutes after the first rob-
Der appeared alongside the engine cab.
No BIoodhounds Now.
The robbers. OF whom there were two
visible In that character, escaped in
touring car. The picturesque side OF
train robbery has lost something 10 one
respect, Cor now that robbers ride by
motor ear IL is no longer necessary to
roLt out the bloodhsunds and soour the
hills for them. Tratn robbery. ito critics
will probably say, - less decade-s than
deteriorant. With IN the romance gone
out of It 1t Is bus.Hsss now and not
profession at all.
The mail clerk who came acr.ss In
Council Bluffs was an efficiency fiend.
He admitted that he had mapped the
course and planned the strategy and
had figured TO a matter OF small change
the value of the nine valuable pouches
which in due time the robbers took
always He even stated that he had eN-
Af, -Aar Of tha Ire ~
the. automobile. Az THIS point gloom
claimed him utterly and he owned up
that business man as he was, his CO.
partners had double crossed him by TAX
ing his share of the unearned increment
when they faded away.
In sharp contrast 10 his recital is the
roll OF honor and bravery in the story
OF stopping and iooting trains as 1t has
been told for forty years. In the last
decade the next highest value TO that
taken in Iowa six days ago was that
drawn down by the outfit which held
up baltimore and Ohio express at
place called Central in West Virginia.
'rhe robbery occurred in October. 1915.
The bandits got away with registered
maiig and currency to the tune OF
100000, but they overlooked, or rather
the train guard concealed from them,
the sum OF 81 100000 in the express
car, all In gold coin OF the realm.
Mail Clerk Proved Faithful.
The robbery was one OF those which
IS worked by masked men mounting the
engine and forcing its crew to uncouple
engine from cars and withdraw II a
mile or so down the line OF track While
the robbers were In argument with the
engineer and fireman the mail clerks
and express messengers covered the gold
they had with empty mail sacks In the
- nnrra mo
in presently kicked the bags around n
bit but did not penetrate TO the nucleus
OF the pile, and az soon az they came
upon the registered mail and other cur
repcy tossed il to confcderates outside
and made all haste away.
Two months before all this happened
Il became apparent 20 the authorities
concerned with such matters that train
robbery was growing scientific The
New York-New Orleans Limited or the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad was
held up near Greenville In Alabama and
. pouch in transit from a bank at Hous-
ton, Texas, and with $4,000 in 1t, taken
from. the express car.
The bandits made no attempt 70 con-
ceal the fact that they knew all about
the specie shipment. Produce that
houston pouch, and be pretty damned
quick about IL ~ YOU don't want your
heads blown off" was the salutation Of
the leader OF tho robbers as he came in
and leveled his guns.
The chief mail clerk Charles j. Mills
Of New Orleans, insisted with n revolver
pressed against his abdomen that there
wassno such pouch aboard. And he stood
there and insisted again and again while
q search was made OF every corner and
crevice In the car. Finally the bandits
found what they wanted. and adding
some cash and jewelry 20 ~. bound tho
car crew hand and foot and merged them
selves into tho dark landscape outside.
In February OF the preceding year Ala
banrn had another train robbery in
which 10000 was stolen from the mail
car or an express train on the Queen and
Crescent Railroad. The train was full
Of people going from various cities In the
gouth 10 the Mardi Gras festivities at
New Orleane. but these merrymakers.
when the train was robbed we're sum-
berlng in their berths and were not dis
turbed.
The robbers. who had come aboard at
Birmingham. having covered the cngi-
neer and fireman, uncoupled the engine
and mail car from the rest Of tho train
and taking them 60 a point two miles
away, where country road crossed the