Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-11-08

trainmen and mail clerks, Mon
leans limited train on the Illil
mail car Of all the registered m
and then escaped in automob
miles south of Paxton.
The train was first stopped on a
bridge over 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 and bag
gage 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 looted.
The injured
Those injured are:
II. Banks. fireman. Chicago. shot in
shoulder while helping defend the mail
car.
Thomas Baker, Carbondale, ILL.,. mail
clerk, beaten with revolver in mail car.
B. Bivinette. Mattoon, mail clerk,
shot through wrist and shoulder, not
Arfhns Moon. eolorsd. porter, Chi
cago. shot in chest and groin.
K. FL. Knowlten, student university
of Illonis, shot through coat three
time. skin grazed.
The all-steel train left Chicago load
ed with passengers at 6:3O Monday
night and had gone two miles past Pax
ton when the fireman saw masked men
sliding down the coal pile. He stepped
back hurriedly. dropping his shovel.
The noise attracted the attention of
the engineer, who took his eyes from
the rails moment to ascertain what
was the matter.
Orders Train Stopped
He saw the fireman facing the ten
der with his hands partly raised as
though hesitating whether to leap OF
two armed men who were visible just
beyond him.
Get back there he heard one of
the men command the fireman. The
stoker hesitated and the foremost ban
dit struck him on the head with a
pistol. The fireman staggered back to-
ward his side of the cab and the sec
ond robber advanced toward the engi-
neer, with two revolvers aimed at him
A third robber followed. stop the
train shouted the masked men, while
one of them covered the fireman.
The engineer closed the throttle but
hesitated to apply the brakes until the
robber, stepping closer. poked the bar
rel of his revolver in the grimy face
of the driver and commanded:
Give her the air, quick.
Run Mail Cars Ahead.
The engineer soon brought the train
to stop. The bandits then commanded
the fireman to uncouple the mail and
the baggage cars. As soon as these
coaches were disconnected, the bandits
escorted the fireman back to the cab
and ordered the engineer to proceed.
AS the headlight flashed on the rail- |
ing of the bridge over creek mile
south of the hcldup, the robbers COM
nanded the engine crew to stop, While |
one of the men kept the engineer and |
fireman guarded in the cab, the other |
robbers who were said to number seven
,r eight, entered the mail car after the |
nail clerks, locked inside, had resisted |
he demands to open the door foy some |
.ime |
The mail clerks were armed with |
arge caiibre revolvers. The bandits told
he engine crew to ask the clerk in the
,teel mail car to open the door on
he pretex Of borrowing wrench. The
rainmen did as commanded under
luress, but the clerks refused. The
'ODDerS Lhen SHOu(cU through the uOOF
# the steel mail car that the engineer
md fireman would be shot unless the
loor was open.
Shut Robbers Out.
The clerks, under this threat. open
d the door couple of feet and the
rgineer and fireman climbed aboard.
70 sooner were the trainmen in the
anil car than they slammed the door
a the face Of the robbers.
Repeated demands from the gang
hat the door be opened were re-
used, and the thugs placed charge I,
{ dynamite under the front truck of
he car. The explosion failed to damage
he heavy steel coach and the tletona-
ion also failed to scare those inside
ato surrendering their fortress.
The robbers then fired with revoIy-
rs and sawed-off shotguns Mt the steel
ides of the coach, but the rattle Of
uckshot and bullets still failed to
ring a surrender.
After a consultation, the bandits
laced a charge of dynamite alongside
he door Of the mail car.
The explosion wrenched off the door,
he mail clerks and the engine crew
Tho had barricaded themselves within
ne car. fired at the bandits but the at
ackers were too far below the floor
the car to be hit. Il
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