The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-14
Ex-MAIL CLERK
KILLED IN DUEL
WITH OFFICERS
Held Up Mail Force on Train
to Get Loot.
Battle With Police Forced Him
to Drop s50O,OOO.
C0RNERED IN OWN ROOMS
One Policeman Dies of Wounds,
Another in Hospital.
Had Planned Wholesale Rob.
berry of Mail Trains.


Chicago, May 14.-Wholesale hold
ups of crack passenger trains were
planned by Horace T. Walton, ANA
teur bandit. shot to death when
trapped in his room by fifty police
men following his sticking up" the
New Orleans limited on the Iuincis
Central, police believed today.
Scores of railroad time tables Show
ing schedules of fast trains CARRYING
mail were found in his room. He also
had postoffice list containing the
schedule of various mail trains, known
as a number IS schedule"
Ut bore the issue date of February.
1870, and some of the mail trains were
marked.
Was His First Job.
Police believed this to have been
Waiton's first holdup. A possible ac-
complice was sought in an unidenti-
lied man who called on Walton several
times.
Patrolman William A. Roberts. xbo
was shot in the head when he tried
TO halt Walton. died today.
Posed as Postal Inspector
Walton boarded the train at KarLa.
kee at midnight. Posing as a postal
inspector, he gained admittance 10 the
man car. He held five railway mail
clerks at revolvers point for two
nours while the train was running TO
Chicago. "
Suspicion was directed at wai.or
when two policemen saw him aiipht
from moving train with heavy ba q
IN ms hand. on the outskirts OF the
city; Patrolman Roberts was Injured.
Walton. e"s@seo
The bandit was pursued to his
apartment a mile away where he bar
ricaded himself. Fifty policemen
stormed the building. The neighbor-
mood was terrorized by the battle
which followed and lasted half an
hour Chief of Detectives Moonev
emptied his revolver thru the door to
the room. There was no response.
Poiice found Walton lying on a
lounge with gun in his hand when
they broke thru the door. He had
peen shot thru the heart by a bullet
from Moneys weapon.
IN the course of the battle between
police and Walton. the latter shouted:
Wanted To XIII -Four.
Are there any coppers shot?"
reply;
Fine. want two more" said wall
James P. Walker. Chicago, who was
IN charge of the car. described the
holdup.
There were four other men in the
car besides myself" said Walker.
They were: F. s. Harris of Carbon
dale, Ill. A. B. Bloomquist of Neora.
Ill; L. E. Stassen of Peotone, Ill. the
fourth man was a new man by the
name Of Parks.
The train had Just pulled out of
kankakee when the robber entered
the rear end. I challenged his en-
trance and he replied that he was a
postai inspector. Harris started to
question him when the robber drew a
revolver
He then called to Parks and or
dered the rest of us to@lie face down
on the floor and. motioning to some
twine. commanded Parks to tie our
hands behind u.s. Parks hesitated but
the gun was threatening and he COM
piled. After he had finished Walton
ordered him to get down and he tied
Parks.
THE robber, mentioning that he
had plenty of time, walked slowly to
the front end and selected a Decatur
pouch. There were four smaller bags
within the larger one.
This stuff is easy when you have
/ inside information Walton told u.s.
During the run to Chicago, Walton
simply sat on chair and guarded us.
He assured us that he would get away
and left the train at the first stop,
Woodlawn.
Was $4,000 In Parcel Taken.
1.-The twine was SO tightly bound
around all but Stassen that the circu-
lation of blood was cut off from our
hands. Walton had watched Parks
closely when he was tying US up.
After leaving Woodlawn. Stassen man
aged to kick his feet free and getting
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