Arizona republican., 1921-11-08
TRAINMEN BATTLE BANDITS IN MAIL CAR TILL FLAMES FORCE SURRENDER
PISTOLS, SHOTGUNS AND DYNAMITE BOMBS USED IN HOLDUP OF ILLI- NOLS CENTRAL PASSENGER TRAIN BY DOZEN BANDITS
TRepublIcan A. p. Leased wlre1

PAXTON, Ills, Nov. 7- A dozen bandits armed with pistols, shotguns and bombs, which they used freely wounding several trainmen and mail clerks. held up the New Orleans linn tied train on the Illinois Central rail- road tonight and with true wild west tactics footed the mail car of all the registered mail and the yaluables in the safe and then escaped in waiting automobiles, which were stationed two miles south of Paxton
 The train was first stopped on bridge over a small stream by three bandits on the train, who crept to the engine cab over the tender and held up the engineer and fireman, made the fireman disconnect the mail car and the baggage car and drive further south, where the rest of the desperadoes helped in the bombing, dynamiting and firing of the mail car before it could be entered and footed.
 Those who were injured: H. Banks, fireman, Chicago, shot in shoulder while helping defend the mail car.
 Thomas Baker, carbonda1e, H.. mail clerk, beaten with revolver in mail car.
 B. Bovinette, Nation, mail clerk, shot through wrist and shoulder, not serious.
 Arthur Moon, colored porter, Chi cago, shot in chest and groin.
 K H. Knowlton. student, Univer- sity of Illinois, shot through coat three times, skin grazed.
 The engineer and fireman at first hesitated to comply with the de- mands or the robbers who crept over the tender into the cab but when pistols were thrust into their faces, the trainmen compiled and escaped injury. In dynamiting the safe the desperadoes set fire to the interior of the steel mail car. After the ban dits had fled in a waiting automobile. the engine crew returned to the rest of their train, cut out the flaming mail car and proceeded to Cham paign, the next division point. The all steel train left Chicago loaded with passenegsr at 6;30 tonight, and crashing through Paxton at high speed, had gone some two miles when the fireman turning to take scoop ful of coal saw masked men sliding down the coal pit in the glare from the open fire box door. He stepped back hurriedly, dropping his shoVei. The noise attracted the attention ol the engineer, who took his eyes from the rails a moment to ascertain what was the matter.
 He saw the fireman facing the tender with his hands partly raised as though hesitatfng whether to Iea.- at two armed men who were vislole just beyond him.
 Get back there," he heard one of the men command the fireman. The stoker still hesitated and the fore most bandit struck him on the head with a pistol. The fireman staggered back toward his side of the cab and the second robber advanced toward the engineer with two revolvers aimed at him.
 A third Tobber followed. stop the train,'' shouted the masked men, while one of them covered the fireman. The engineer closed the throttle but hesi- tated to apply the air brakes until the robber. stepping closer pol1ed the barrel of his revolver in the grimy face of the driver and commanded "glve her the air, quick"
 The engineer soon brought the trair to a stop. The bandits then com manded the fireman to uncoupfe the mail and baggage cars, covering hin constantly with their weapons. As soon as these coaches were discon- nected the bandits escorted the fire, man back to the cab and ordered tht engineer to proceed.
 As the headlight flashed on the rail ing of the bridge over the creek {
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