The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-07-30
GUNMEN ROB
FAST PENNSY
MAIL TRAIN
Cover Engineer With Revol-
yer at Town 90 Miles East
of Pittsburgh-Escapew with
Registered Letters.
SHOOT CLERK IN LEGS
CIV Associated Press,

PITTSBURGH, July 30.-Four band
its boarded the Manhattan Limited,
westbound, on the Pennsylvania rail-
road at Cassandra, 80 miles east of
Pittsburgh this morning at 2:45
o'clock, and after wounding A. ].
Lantz, mail clerk, rifled the mail
car and escaped.
A bandit boarded the train at Cass-
andra and covered the engineer with
a revolver. At about the same time
the mail car was robbed Train Off
cials are in doubt whether it was the
work of single bandit who covered
the engineer and later entered the
mail car, or whether there was an ac-
complice
The bandit or bandits made their
escape.
Train In Motion
The robbery occurred between Gal
litzen and Cassandra while the train
was in motion, two robbers having
boarded the train when it stopped to
drop the helper" an engine which
assists heavy passenger trains over
mountain grades.
They climbed down over the coal in
the tender and while the other two
the engineer to stop the train This
he did and at almost the same moment.
series of shots sounded from the
mail car which was hitched just back
of the engine.
Shoot Clerk In Legs.
Two of the bandits upon boarding
the car ordered the seven clerks at
work there, to throw up their hands.
They quickly complied, and the band
its selecting Lantz, demanded to know
from him where the valuable mail was
kept.
Lantz told them there was no val
liable mail on board, at which one of
the bandits opened fire on him shoot
ing him through both legs.
The gunmen kept the clerks covered
while the other robbers made a quick
search of the car. Selecting a bag
containing foreign registered mail he
, backed toward the door, and calling to
his companion prepared to leave.
Meantime, the pair on the engine had
done their work, and as the train
pulled into the little station at Cas-
sandra they all dropped to the ground
and disappeared in the darkness.
Search For Bandits
The conductor and brakeman. run
ming toward the engine to ascertain.
the cause of the sudden stop, encoun-
tered mail clerks pouring out of the
car. They gave Lantz such aid as was
possible and then took the train to
Johnstown. where Lantz was removed
to hospital. Physicians there said
ms injuries were not serious.
Federal and county authorities were
quickly notified, and fastened to Cas-
sandra where search is being made
for the bandits.
They were joined later by a detail
of the state police, and a thorough
search is being made of the noun
tains in the vicinity of Cassandra.
Soon after daylight they found a mail
bag, evidently one stolen from the car.
1t had been slit open and the contents
removed
First Theft on Division.
Officials of the PENNSYLVANIA rail.
road here said that the robbery is the
first of mail train in the long his
tory of the Pittsburgh division.
The Manhattan Limited, which is
one of the crack passenger trains be-
| tween New York and Chicago, left
New York last night at sos O'Clock.
and arrived here % minutes late this
morning. 1t was in charge of Conduc-
tor James Thorne, and Engineer G. 4.
Jackson.
Postoffice authorities said that
Lantz, the wounded clerk, resided at
Thompsontown, Pa. near Altoona.