Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-13
BANDITS DYNAMITE
TRAIN IN 4 TUNNEL
AND KILL 40F CREW
Posses Searching for Des-
peradoes Who Held Up
Flyer in Oregon Score of
Passengers Are Injured

REDDING, Cal, Oct. 1.-THE
wooded peaks of the Siskiyous, on
the border between Oregon and Cali.
fornia, are believed to sheltr today
q little group of men wro yesterday
afternoon held up Southern Pacific
train No. IS, killed three trainmen
and the mail clerk and caused in
iuries to about a score of passen.
gers through an explosion whereby
they forced their way into the mail
car.
They got no loot.
Posses from Oregon and Califor-
MIA counties are seeking them.
Among the possemen are Oregon
national guardsmen.
From all available information,
the trainmen were shot down in cold
blood because they recognized the
robbers, whom officials believe are
former railroad employees or men
familiar with the operation of trains
and with the county around Tunnel
Is, seventeen miles south of Ash.
land, Ore, where the holdup took
place.
The mail clerk never had chance
for his life. He barricaded himself
in his car and the robbers threw a
fused explosive through a window
or set off a blast at the door in an
effort to gain entrance. The car
was wrecked, mail pouches burst
and torn and stove inside over.
turned. Fire followed. Whether
the mail clerk was burned to death
or died of the shock of the explo-
sion cannot be determined. His
body was charred beyond recogni.
ton. All the mali In the car was
destroyed.
Blast Skaters Windows
The conclusion of the blast shat
tered windows in the cars farther
back in the train and the f1ying
glass was responsible for the passen.
gers injuries.
The train emerged from the inn.
mel running slowly. Because a
bridge crew was at work in the
nelghborhood, trainmen at the rear
Of the train felt no apprehension
When the train slowed down even
more. Then several shots wers
heard. A moment or two later
came the explosion. The draft
through the tunnel sucked RI .
fumes of dynamite back into the
tunnel and they seeped into the
cars. making more horrible situa
ton which already had thrown pas.
sengers In some coaches into
something very near panic.
Conductor G. G.. Merritt, in charge
OF the train, attempted to quiet the
frightened passengers and thea
rush toward the engine, accom-
panied by another trainn1ar. they
found S. L. Bates, 55, of DunsnIuil'
Cal, the engineer, and Marvin
Seng, %, of Ashland, Ore, the fire
man. lying beside the engine cab
Each had been shot through the
head and apparently had died in
stantly. Near theil bodies lay
Coyle o. Johnson, 40, of Ashland, Il
brakeman, not on duty, who nae
been riding on the train Appar,
entity he had rushed to the engine
ahead of the two trainmen and had
been shot. He died from the effects
OF four bullet wounds in his
stomach.
Nf
e. Dougherty, So. of Ashland, was
In the burning mail car.
Trailed to Mountains
Authorities at Redding, Yreka,
Siskiyou, Cal, and Ashland, Ore.
Immediately were notified and
posses were hastily formed, under
Sheriff Andrew Calkins, of Yreka;
Sheriff Terrell of Jackson county.
Ore. The footprints of three men,
believed to be the bandits, were
found leading away from the scene
and the possemen last night were
trailing them over the mountainous
territOr yin the vicinity. A guard
was established over the Pacific
highway and other roads near
Siskiyou.
Shortly after the holdup an auto.
iuoul1e was 1CpOAl Su 10 nave passed.
through Ashland travelling north al
a high rate of speed. The machine
is said to have contained two men
who authorities believe may have
been the bandits. Railroad men at
Siskiyou recalled having seen two
men aboard the. tender of the Ell.
CINE at that place before the train
entered the tunnel and their dc.
scriptions have been given 10 the
authorities. The tunnel was cleared
at $50 o'clock and traffic resumed