Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-22
Six Bandits Board Car at
Ohio Coal Stop and Hold
Up Those on Board.
$1,000 IN CASH AND GEMS
TAKEN FROM TRAVELLERS
Wounded Man Fired Upon as He
Shouted From Fright Caused
by Nightmare.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio, January
22.-Working with quiet but grim pre-
cision, six train bandits routed sleeping
Florida bound passengers from Their
berths as Big Four train neared here
early today, shot one man and made
away with cash and jewelry estimated
at $4,000
Evidently timing the hold-up we'll ir
advance, the gunner, all masked ano
armed, invaded the next to the last
Pullman of the No. train, en- route
from Detroit TO Cincinnati. One man
who shouted in alarm was shot and
critically wounded and the remaining
six passengers here marshaled in the
drawing room with the porter and a
brakeman
One robber stood guard while the
rest went through the car, snatchinp
money and valuables. AS the train
slowed down for Bellefontaine, they
Ieaped from the rear car and disap-
peared into the darkness. The time
between their leap and the arrival OF
the train was sufficient for them TO
make good their escape despite the
vigllant search by deputy sheriffs, police
and railroad detectives.
Victim Seriously Wounded.
The man shot was Edwin x. Nelson,
Jr., of Tampa, Fla. He shouted when
aroused and was ordered to keep
quiet" He shouted again and was shot,
the bullet piercing his right arm and
Hh6GF ~ nrsA
today with a punctured lung.
While the robbers leisurely went
through the car Brakeman Morris came
through and Immediately joined the
prisoners.
The robbery occupied about an hour
while the train proceeded from Carey,
about 45 miles north of here, to Belle
fontaine. They disturbed no other car.
Railroad detectives thought the robbers
probably climbed aboard while halt
was made at Carey for coal
Passengers and the crew made
meager reports when the train arrived
here at am. An immediate search
was made, but there was no clue. on
Gals surmised the men had an auto
mobile waiting for them here.
Five of the victims did not file indi-
vidual reports of the losses or leave
their names here, but they estimated
their total loss at $4,000. After an
hours delay the train went on to Gin
cinnati, where the robbed car was
routed on to Florida.
Was Having Nightmare.
Big Four surgeons who attended Nell
son at the Mary Rutan Hospital here
said that his condition was so critical
that recovery is doubtful. The bullet
went clear through his body and was
found on the mattress of his Pullman
bunk. The wound in the right lung
caused profuse bleeding which added
TO the danger of his condition, the sur
geons said
Nelson later said he was having a
terrible dream-in fact. nightmare
just at the moment the robbery &C.
CURED. He said he was in the second
berth from the end of the car and had
just reached the point in his dream
where he was screaming at the top of
his voice when one bandit pulled his
curtain aside and shouted "Shut upl"
Nelson, still asleep, continued to yell
and the next instant the robber shot
him twice
Victims of the robbery had excited
stories to tell upon arrival at Gin
cinnati
Mrs. L. D. bearing. Chattanooga,
4CHIl., SdlQ LlldG Tie IlTSC llLlIldLlOU
that anything unusual was happening
was when she heard loud talking fol-
lowed by the shot that wounded Nelson.
She thought then that two men were
fighting, until man poked his head
into her berth and told her to get out
in the aisle. saying What have you
got on you?" She Immediately slipped
a diamond ring into her stocking and
was herded into the parlor car with
the other passengers. where the robbers
took a $4,000 ring from her.
Kept Pearls and Rings.
Mrs. E. c. Zacharias, Atlanta, Ga,
said that she heard the robbers asking
other passengers for their valuables be-
fore they came to her berth. She was
terribly frightened, she said, and de-
cided to give them everything she had
to prevent violence. When one robber
stuck his head between the curtains
she handed him her purse, which con-
tanned $50 in cash and a $500 watch.
She also thought that she had put
a small pocketbook in her purse that
contained a string of pearls and sew
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