New-York tribune., 1920-11-22
$5,000,000 Is
New Estimate
OF Train Loot
100000 in Treasure, on
Way to Chicago in 3 Ship
ments, Added to Spoils in
Robbery of Fast Mail
Crime Carefully Planned
Postoffice Inspector Gives
Chronological Story of
the Hold-Up and Escape
Special Dispatch to The Tribune

OMAHA, Neb., Nov. 21.-Three big
shipments Of treasure totaling more
thar $600000 are known to have been
part of the loot taken from the treasure
car of the transcontinenta1 fast mail in
the robbery of a week ago. A half
million dollars of this amount has not
previously figured in the story of the
robbery. in when the total loss may
amount to S5,000,000.
These shipments were sent from San
Francisco and Portland, Ore, banks to
Chicago banks. The $5O000O were in
Liberty bonds and were in one of the
pouches which have not been recovered.
AS announced here to-day, the ship
ments were as follows:
Fifty packages of $1,000 each, all $40
bills, shipped by the Anglo-L London Paris
National Bank of San Francisco to the
Continental and Commercial National
Bank of Chicago, totaling $4,000.
Fifty $4,000 temporary Fourth Lib
erty Loan bonds, consigned by the same
Western bank to the same Chicago bank,
totaling S5Q0,000.
A consignment of S61, 900 in bank
notes sent by the Ladd and Tillon Bank.
Portland, to the First National Bank,
Chicago.
100000 in Bonds Missing
The S50,000 cash shipment is believed
to be the $4,000 which the robbers di
vided among themselves and $4,000 of
which was recovered in the T. A. Dalv
chicken house
A former aviation lieutenant, for
wnom the authorities are searching, is
believed to have fled with the other
$4,000 and the 100000 in Liberty
bonds. These bonds had no connection
with the SS00,00O in bonds which Poffen-
barger and Orville Phillips, two of the
robbers, confessed to having burned
A representative of the San Fran
cisco bank will reach Omaha tonight
or tomorrow and will attempt to es
tablish ownership of the $4,000 in SO
bllls which were recovered.
Postoffice Inspector Noah. in charge
OF the investigation, has given out the
following chronological account of the
robbery.
Robbery of the mail car planned for
October 26 by the Phillips boys and
Poffenbarger.
Robbery delayed until cold weather,
so that doors between cars would be
closed.
PotFenbarger took upon himself to
get automobile to carry loot away and
rented the machine in advance under
an assumed name.
Met at Daly's home frequently until
the evening of the robbery and re-
hearsed every detail of the plan; also
rehearsed confessions to be made if
arreste
Planned to throw blame on mys-
ferrous Omaha man if arrested.
= Day of robbery-Chauffeu of bandit
car, believed to be former officer in the
Air Service, took Phillips boys and
Poiicnbarger to Union Pacific transfer
Merl Phillips got in locomotive with
engineer, telling him he wanted to ride
to the depot with him.
Orvolle Phillips and Poffenbarger got
on to the steps of the mail car. The
automobile followed the road
Robbery and Escape
AS the train Travelled slowly toward
the depot Poffenba.ger smashed the
window of the door with a gun He
untastened the door and he and Or
VILE got into the car, and as the train
slowed down for the Rock Island cross
ing they threw out the first ten sacks
they could get.
The chauffeur Of the automobile
picked UP the sacks, the two boys
Jumped out of the mail car and were
joined by Mearl Phillips, and all three
10 oned the chauffeur.
The chauffeur placed five of the sacks
in his automobile and drove away, leav-
ing the three astonished boys standing
there with the other five sacks
The Ph Hips boys hurried away with
three sacks. Poffenbarger, in the ex-
element, got one sack and the remain
ing sack was left by the railroad tracks.
The robbery was done in four min