The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-11-25
IuU MUTE nrlD
IN BURLINGTON
TRAIN ROBBERY.
Poffenberger's Father a n d
Brother Arrested-Ex-Avi
tor Drove Loot Away-Dia-
monds Also Stolen.

Council Bluffs, Ia, Nov. 22.-An-
other climax In the series of seusa-
tonal episodes occurring since the
night of November 10. when the spec
tacular $4,000, 900 robbery of a mail
car on he Burlington transcontinen-
tai flyer in Council Bluffs occurred,
resulted with the arrest Of two more
men and the recovery Of $4,000 more
OF the money stolen from the
registered sacks, 10 of which were
taken from the mail car. At the
same time government officials let it
be known that a nation wide search
is being made for Keith Collins, avi-
ator in the United States army dur
ing the world war, for an alleged part
in the robbery. 1t is said he drove the
loot away in an automobile.
The men arrested Sunday were:
Fred A. Poffenberger, 63, father of
Fred 3. Poffenberger, who has been
held In the case several days, and
Fred At offenbeTsefs son,- iyae-
Poffenberger, 26, a Burlington SWITCH
man. Their arrests followed admis-
sions made by Fred A. Poffenberger.-
Recover $1,000; Was Hidden.
Several hours after his arrest
Clyde Poffenberger confessed that on
Monday following the robbery he re-
ce1ved from his brother Fred, $1,000,
said to have been a part of the loot.
He told where he hid the money and
1T was recovered by federal officers
III a private vault in the home of Mrs..
Ollie Jacobson, his motherinlaw, ac-
cording to police.
The elder Poffenberger, who had
been arrested earlier in the week and
released afr severe grilling, admitted
early Sunday that he had $1,000 his
son Fred had given him and said he
had buried it in a cornfield neal his
home. h money was also recov-
cred by government officials.
An important part which those I'M
der arrest declare was played is that
the former aviator drove the automo-
bile in which the mail sacks were car
ried away from the scene of the rob-
berry after the sacks had been thrown
from the train by Orville Phillips and
Fred Poffenberger. Merle Phillips en-
gagged the enginemen in conversation
to divert tehir attention from the men
on the mail car, according to detec-
tives.
Youths Plan Robbery?
Orville Phillips and Fred Poffen-
berger, neither yet 20, planned the
robbery, according to confessions
they have made to Postoffice inspec-
tor Claude Glenn of Council Bluffs.
Merle Phillips told of having seen
among the stolen securities three
drafts, n for $40, 600, n for $25,0O0
and one for $4,000, and said these
We're burned with other securities
according to w. NOEL, p%ostoffice in
spector, with headquarters in st.
Louis.
Formal charges have been filed
against three youths, two men and
one woman held in the case, as fol-
lows:
Merle Phillips, Orville Phillips and
Fred Poffenberger. Fred E. Poffen-
berger with breaking, entering and
robbing a United States mai train
of registered mail; Mr.. and Mrs. T..
A. DAILY and Hugh Reed, with hiding
stolen government property and aid
ing in the secretion Of
securities.
Diamond Brooches Are Returned.
Federal officers said they had re-
ceived through the mail three dia-
mond brooches, part of the loot.
Merle Philips when arrested, ac-
cording to police, turned over to the
government two bonds, one issued by
the city of Bordeaux, France, for 500
and one $50 Liberty bond.
Postoffice Inspector Glenn has de-
MED that he made a statement that
the bonds and securities burned were
valued at more than SIS, 900, 900, it was
announced here Sunday night. Glenn
is said to have declared that he and
other postal inspectors estimate the
loss probably will total approximately
$4,000, 600 and that while it is not
known how many bonds and securi-
ties were burned the value Of those
destroyed in this hammer probably
will total several hundred thousand
dollars.
Federal agents declare that only
$4,000 in bonds n securities has
actually been recovered.
Case Far From Being Cleared.
Fred p. Poffenberger, who was said
to have burned up more than $500, 900
worth of bonds and securities in the
kitchen stove in his home, declared
Sunday he did not know how many
bonds he destroyed, but thai the
value was enormous, according to po-
lice.
Postal inspectors said they expected
it would be at least a month before all
the mysteries of the case are cleared
up and the persons guilty Of part in
the robbery are under arrest.