The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-07-30
MANHAT
LIMITED IS
HELD UP
Train Leaving Chicago Last
Nights Looted Near Altoona
This Morning

I'm ENNAitGkAL NEWS sEFAtNE
ALTOONA, Pa. July 3o.-The Man
haitian limited fastest train on the
Pennsylvania railroad between Nv
York and Chicago was held up ana
robbed by several masked bandits
early today at an islated spot in the
Businesses OF the Allegheny noun
tains. about so miles west Of this
city. Letters were rifed Of an un-
known sum in the mail car and one
mail clerk was shot and slightly
wouned during an argument with one
of the robbers.
The robbery OF the crack Manhattan
Ltd. was the most daring exploit Of
the kind in the history of the east.
ranking with some Of the bold deeds
Of Jessie James, but never before has
one of the two finest trains in the
country been molested. Other trains
have been held UP and some robbed
at points east OF Chicago but today's
attack was the nerviest of all.
The robbers who had been riding
the rods OF the mail car emerged from
their concealment after the train had
got in motion again after it had cut
off a helper engine at Gallitzin While
passing through a Ions tunnel clerks
in the mail car had left door open
and it had not been closed when the
bandits swung UP onto the platform
and stealthily stalked into the mai
car and covered the seven men no
were sorting mail.
Every robber carried gun.
Threats were made a. Xiii all the mail
clerks if they attempted any resist
ance. While the seven men usre
backed UP against wall with tnelr
pointed at their hearts. other robbers
hastily went through all the mail that
was suspected OF containing anyth
of value. One sack OF registered. >, Hs
was thrown from the train and In
federate srifed it before state II
ers and railroad detectives found ~
There is reason to believe that &
sum obtained was a large one as thu
train carries only high class mail said
TO frequently contain bonds, cash anu
other securities shipped by New York
and eastern banks to Chicago and
western clients. Government officials
declare there is no way to ascertain
how much the loot will be at present
and it will take weeks to determine
just what letters were stolen and
what they contained.
The Manhattan Ltd. is the crack
train on the Pennsylvania railroad be-
tween New York and Chicago The
train left New York at sos last night
and was due here at 4:30 this morning
1t carries no day coaches and makes
but few stops.
After passing through the Gallitzin
tunnel, west of Altoona, the train was
stopped and the helper engine cut off
The bandits had been riding the rods
and after the flyer had got under way
again the bandits. risking their dives
crawled from under the mail car and
crept through an open door Of the mall
car without attracting th attention
of the seven mail clerks who were
sorting mail. rery clerk was quick
ly covered.
Taken unawares. the clerks COM
Piled and one of the bandits demand
ed the registered mail. An argument
followed with one of the clerks who
had declared that there was no reg
istered mail. One of the bandits then
fred I'VE times and =. J. Lantz. 50. OF
Thompsontown. Pa. was shot. The
other clerks were told they would
also be shot if they offered further re-
sistance.
A minute later. gun in hand. one OF
the bandits crept over the tender OF
the engine and forced the engineer 20
apply the emergency brakes When
the train came TO a stop near Cas-
sandra east of Johnston. the bandits
jumped off and fed. The train tnen
started for Johnstown and mail clerk
Lantz was taken TO a hospital where
II Is said his injuries were not serious.
Before the train left the scene =.
the hold up the conductor ran r.
nearby railroad telephone and notified
the railroad offices at Altoona and
every bit OF Pennsylvania railroad ana
Blair county police machinery was set
in motion TO trail the bandits.