The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-08
TWO TRAINS ARE HELD UP AND ROBBED BY BANDIT
New Orleans Limited of the Illinois Central Looted of
 All Registered Mail, While Passengers on Idaho Train Are Robbed of VaIuabIeS
RN AssocInted Prcaa

Paxton, H., November 7.-Thc New Orleans Limited passenger train of the Illinois Central railroad was held up tonight by armed rob bers south of Paxton and footed of all registered mail and the contents of the safe, which was blown open after the bandits had forced the engineer and fireman to disconnect the mail and baggage car and run them to bridge crossing a stream farther south.
 The engineer and fireman at first hesitated to comply with he demands of the robbers, who crept over the tendsr and into the cab. but when pistols were thrust Into their faces and one of the thugs had hit the fireman over the head with a pistol. the trainmen complied and es- capped further injury.
 While disconnecting the cars, The conductor put his head out of ves- tibule window to see what was wrong. but quickly drew back when a bullet whizzed past his head.
 In dynamiting the safe the robbers set fire to the interior of the mali car. After the bandits ha ' fled in a waiting automobile, the engine crew returned to the rest of their train, cut out the flaming mail car and proceeded to Champagne, the next division point
 The all-steel train left Chicago loaded with passengers at 6;S0 to- night, and passing through Paxton at high speed, had gone some two miles when the fireman saw masked men sliding down the coal pile in the glare from the open firebox door. He stepped back hurriedly. dropping his shovel The noise attracted the att tention of the engineer. who took his eyes from the rails a moment to as- certain what was the matter.
 Ordered to stop
 "Stop the traln,'' shouted one of the masked men, holding pistol to- ward the engineer, while another bandit covered the fireman. The en- gineer closed the throttle, but hesi- tated to apply the brakes until the robber, stepping closer. poked the barrel of his revolver in the griiny face Of the driver and commanded, Give her the air quick"
 The engineer brought the train 0 a stop. The bandits then commanded he fireman to uncouple the mail and baggage cars. As soon as these cars were disconnected the bandits E. corted the fireman back to the cab and ordered the engineer to proceed.
 mile south of the hold-up ihe robbers commanded the engine crew to stop. While one of the men kept the engineer and fireman guarded in the cab the other robbers entered the mail car and blew open the safe. All the registered mail and all the valua- bles In the safe were placed in a bag. The robbers t1en carried their loot to an automobile waiting near by, wafed goodnight to the trainmen and dashed away in the car.
 Released from the commanding muzzles of the bandits pistols, the engineer and fireman, although they could see smoke and flames coming from the door of the mall car, quick ly backed up to the rest of their train.
 The passengers were roaming the tracks in condemnation. trying to ascertain what had happened, us the robbery had required about an hour. The burning mail car was switched off the main tTck as quickly as possible and the locomotive and bag gage car were connected to the pas seigef coaches.
 The train then proceeded to Cham paign. 20 miles south, s'here a new engine crew picked up the train and proceeded toward New Orleans.