Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-11-08


tied train which was held up near
Paxton last night and the only mem
Der of the train crew who took part In
the ARRAY and escaped uninjured, told
of how the bullets flew past him, how
he saw two of his companions shot
and his ether experiences, here this /
morning.
THE first intimation | had of the
robbery came shortly after ! had lett
Paxton" he said. Il was reaching
down to pick up a glove when | heard +
a grunt. turned around, a masked !
man clambered down beside me ana
thrust revolver against my ribs
Another had the fireman covered.
"Stick EN- up he shouted,
nBefore | could reply he had me
SLOW down and run down on the
bridge across the Vermilion river .
4 "'How many mail coaches are
there? he said.
II told him there were four ana ne
made me take them down. tie Aao
d bunch Of men waiting at the river
and had me flash the headlight twice
to let them know all was we'll with
him The bandit allowed me to.
send a man back to flag other trains
Then he forced me to climb down
and go back to the mail car. In front
Of me the mail clerks ordered us 10
halt They were armed One ban
dit his revolver still sticking in my
ribs, pushed fash light into my
hands
show them who you are, he com
manded.
"The hashight felt like fire in my
hand as | pushed the button
Don't shoot. I'm the engineer
cried out
dThe mail clerks slammed the door
shut. The bandits waited snort
time, then they placed stick OF dyn'
amite under the mail car. 1t WASH
strong enough to wreck the car, Dut
another opened the door
"A moment later one OF the hlau
% clerks was lying to one side with
cash in his head and the other was
" standing with his arms high III the
air alongside of the car. Two OF
z Them blew the safe The fireman
and I were forced to lay fiat on the
( bottom of the car While the bandits
worked.
'By this time the passengers were
firing in our direction From the cars
4 in front armed guards poured a
stream of bullets toward the man
car flames from gasoline or waste
ipnited bv the explosions began TO
light up the interior OF the car
, They made us throw out pouches
something had to be done.
. looked at Banks, the fireman. VINO
/ was living a short distance from ne
He signalled to jump and we both
ran for the engine. He was shct as
we ran but | was untouched.
crawled beneath the pilot of the en-
CINE. Banks and another man doh
! know was with me.
.Under there we were partly pro
tected from the bandits, but the
stray bullets fred by passengers
nartlv endangered us. AS the light
from the burning fire mounted, the
bandits. either frightened or salts
fed with what they had found, slow
" hacked to the end of the bridge
and leaped into the darkness. Ihei
). heard an automobile start and the.
we're gone.
Check Un Loss.
Chicago, Nov. S.--Postal authorities
were today checking up the loss IN
yolyed by the robbery Of the Illinois
Central New Orleans limited last
night near Paxton, ILL.,
Division Superintendent j. ' HEY
ron, who made the frs. official report
and local officials of the railroad stat
ed that they had no idea as tc the
value of the contents OF the maj
pouches. The entire contents OF thS
car are probably lost as the ROBBERS
burned what they did not take. The
robbery appeared TO have been plan
ned by men experienced i'll railroad
ing and who had given careful con
sideration to their plans because OF
the way in which the whole aifalr was
executed. They apparently wanted
only the contents of the mail ship
ment as no attempt was made to ron
the passengers. A complete checl
q the loss was expected ny tohlBh'
Lone bandit In Idaho.
Boise, Ida, Nov S,-With a revolver
in each hand, a masked bandit hel'
/ ND the west bound Oregon Washing
ton limited on the OregonShort Line
railroad six miles west of American
Falls last night, robbing the passengers
b of the observation car Of S43fo0 ane
I considerable jewelry. Working to
ward the front Of the train he TOOK
money and valuables from the fright
ened passengers. Where he boarded
the train no one could tell AS he
stepped into the yestibule from the
! observation car he met the conductor
! emerging from the car ahead tVl
Gently fearing opposition from Inc
conductor the bandit made no furthe
effort to advance but forced the rea
4 brakeman to stop the limited. Jump
\ ing from the train he made off, disap
j pearing in the direction OF Coolidge
liza at