Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-14
NIGHT MAIL ROBBED
Of TWO M|LL|ONAT
LONELY CROSSING
Hidden Bandits, Working on
Careful Plan, Plumber
Heavily Guarded Cars

CHICAGO, June 13.-In one of the
biggest and most daring robberies ir
railroad history, four automobile
loads of bandits last night held up 6
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul all
mail and express train and escaped
with loot valued at close to $1,000
000
The train, en- route from Chicago
to st. Paul, was stopped at Rondout
ILL.,, thirty-two miles north of Chi
cago. The train, carrying eight mail
coaches and two express cars, left
Chicago at 8 o'clock central stand
ard time. Fifty minutes later the
bandits took possession of the train
In So minutes more they gathered
between forty-two and forty-five
pouches of registered mail and sped
away into the darkness.
Only one man was shot He was
a member Of the robber gang mis-
taken by one Of his fellows for a
member of the train crew.
Although the train carried more
than seventy mail clerks and guards
all armed, only those in three
NOASiiSo WSIC SOlilPOllCL W ldSO Lie
guns of the robbers. These coaches
mail.
Launch Gas Attack
The robbers forced their way into
the cars by breaking the coach wiz
dows and throwing bombs filled with
chlorine gas. The clerks and guards,
nearly overcome by the deadly
fumes, were forced to open the doors
and allow the robbers to enter.
Officials are certain that the hold
up had been arranged by a group of
men thoroughly familiar with rail.
road and railroad mail clerks work.
At least two of the robbers con.
cealed themselves aboard the mail
special before it left Chicago.
Making 60 Miles an Hour
The train had just gone through
Rondout and was travelling close to
sixty miles an hour. Two men, car
rying flashsticks and revolvers, came
from their hiding place between the
tender and the first coach, crawled
across the swaying coal tender and
into the engine cab.
The muzzle of one weapon was
pushed against the neck of Engineer
S. r. Waite, of Milwaukee. The
other bandit covered the fireman, E..
j. Dibble, also Of Milwaukee.
"A half mile down the track you'll
see red light flashed on the west
side of the tracks," the man back
of the engineer said. when you see
that light, you'll stop the train. If
you don't you're done"
Air Line Pipe Cut
The train roared on but with
slackening speed as the bandit had
ordered a slow application of the
brakes. Just where the Buckley
road, a popular auto route between
Chicago and Libertyville, cut the
track, a red light flared close to the
west rail.
Now jerk it, the bandit yelled
into the engineers ear.
The engineer did. Before the train
came to a full stop third bandit
cut the air line pipe.
Of the eight cars on the train, one
in the center contained the register
ed mail. The bandits evidently were
aware of this, for the one covering
the engineer directed that the train
be slowly backed so that the middle
car be stopped across the auto road.
The clerks in the middle car, look
ing out of the car windows saw two
parked on the east side
of the train and two on the west
side. Sensing that something was
wrong and according to their orders,
they eXtinguished all lights in the
coach.
Pistols Intellectual
The bandits ordered them to open
the doors and when they refused
the bandits hurled several bombs of
gas through the window. This coach
was in charge of Luis Phillips, of
Minneapolis, chief of all postal clerks
on the train. Some one from inside
the car fired and was answered by
another gas bomb. Then the re-
sistance of Phillips and his men did
not last. Against the deadly fumes
pistols were Intellectual.
They got a door open and fell
outside. They were lined up beside
the engineer and fireman, conductor
and f1agman. The latter two We're
caught by the bandits as they step
ped from the rear of the train when
it stopped.
The car next to the middle one,
also containing registered mail, was
likewise bombed with gas and its oc-
cupants forced out with their hands
above their heads Another group of
bandits used the same methods on
the trailing coach, capturing the
mail clerks as they came out for
air.
Thn ,on,1nhnr III
were found only in the middle coach.
The leader of the robbers, a stocky
fellow wearing a gray suit, donned
a gas mask and forced one on Phil
lips. Before he had done this, how
instruction.
Il want the federal reserve ship
ments," he announced
Phillips said he could not dis
tinguish one pouch from the other.
well, you'll help me find the
pouches 1 want or I'll kill you"
the leader said.
Jokes As He Threatens
II want the federal reserve ship
ments to Milwaukee. Minneapolis,
st. Paul, Helena, Butte, Seattle and
Spokane. / also want. for my own
special purposes, a sack you have
on board consigned to Roundup
Montana"
lie chuckled as he said this. Then
he adjusted his and Phillips gas
masks and forced the chief mai.
clerk to lead the way.
The pouches sought were obtain
ed, even to the mystery bag la
belled Roundup, Mont
AS the bandit leader and Phillips
flung the pouches to the ground.
the other bandits forced the mai
clerks to carry them TO the waiting
automobiles where they were care.
fully stacked in the cars.