New-York tribune., 1921-07-31
Bandits Rob
Crack Flyer
Near. Altoona
Hold Up z Mail Clerks and
Shoot One i'm Wild West
Style or Pennsylvania
Lines Manhattan Limited
Get No Loot for Pains
Masked Men Escape After
Daring Exploit Will,
Only Ordinary Letters

PITTSBURGH. July so. - In true
wild-west style four masked and armed
men early this morning, in the noun
tains near Altoona, held up seven
postal clerks in a mail car attached to
passenger train No. 27, known as the
Manhattan Limited, crack flyer on
the Pennsylvania Railroad, due here at
4:S2 o'clock. After riAing the govern
ment coach they escaped with several
bags of ordinary mail.
John A. Lantz, a mail clerk, of
Thompson Town. was shot in both legs
when he resisted. He was taken TO a
Johnstown Hospital.
The clerks were taken by surprise
and disarmed, Notwithstanding that
two of them had revolvers in their
hip pockets. They asserted, when in
terviewed by postal inspectors, rail-
road policemen and county detectives,
that they were covered" by the BAN
dts pistols as soon as the intruders'
presence in the car was known to the
mail sorters.
The hold-up and robbery occurred
at q point near Cassandra Station, be-
tween Gallitzin and Lilly. The first
intimation by members of the train
crew that something was wrong was
when George Jackson, the engineer,
while peering out of the cab of the
locomotive watching the road ahead,
was touched lightly on the shoulder
and told to "shut down" When Jack
son turned around and realized that
the barrel of revolver was within
several inches of his face, he obeyed
immediately, bringing the train to a
quick stop by applying the emergency
brakes.
Escapes as Train Stops
AS the engine came to standstill
two bandits leaped from the steps of
the tender and waved their hands as
parting salute. jackson and his
fireman walked back to the mail car,
where they found the mail clerks obey
ing the bandits final instructions not
to emerge until let out by some other
person.
The train was speeded to the near
est station and word of the robbery
was telegraphed to Altoona Railroad
policemen went to the scene in a spe
cial train and arrived in time to thwart
an attempt of the bandits to recover
a mail bag dropped during their flight.
The officers failed to capture the men.
The train left New York City at sos
o'clock last night, arriving at Altoona
at :37 o'clock this morning.
A helping engine to aid in the noun
tain climb was attached to the huge
locomotive hauling the train, and after
passing through the Gallitzin tunnel
the train was stopped and the helper
detached. At this point, it is believed
= the bandits crawled under the mail car
and lay on iron rods beneath the coach
floor.
When the "helper" had been switched
to another track Engineer Jackson
started his train. AS the speed was
increased the bandits, risking their
lives, crawled from under the mail car
through the open door without attract
ing the attention of seven mail clerks
busy sorting mail.
In the car the bandits, each with an
automatic pistol. covered the mail
clerks and ordered them to throw up
their hands.
Demands Registered Mail
The clerks complied and one of the
bandits demanded the registered mail.
A clerk replied that there was no regis