Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-09
British I rain Robbery Loot
Nearing 81 Million Mark

greatest train robbery APP
preached the 81 million mark
today. Scotland Yard and po-
lice Of IA counties hunted the
gang that ambushed the Glas-
gow-London mail.
As bank after bank reported
on the cash shipments seized
by bandits at a rural junction
Thursday, the total climbed
to f2.472,000 ($6,921 ,0O0).
Unofficial estimates placed
the loot at q staggering e.
million ($8.4 million).
Loot Mostly BanknOtes
Most Of the loot in the hold
UP near Cheddington, 40 miles
northwest of London, COM
prised used banknotes. British
paper currency. The currency,
still negotiable, was bieng
shipped by banks to London
to be destroyed.
The Midland Bank said its
loss ran around 100000 ($1.4
million). The National Com
mercial Bank Of Edinburgh es-
timated its loss at $500, 900
e$996.O0O).
The National Provincial Bank
said 1t had 100000 pounds
($2,979, 1000 In the second
coach. Barclays announced it
lost $4,000 pounds ($1 ,439, 000).
A spokesman said ut may be a
little more but we are insured"
Three other banks reported
smaller losses. They were the
Linen Bank, $4,000 pounds
($154, 00O); the Bank of Scot
land, 1880 pounds ($32, 1000,
and the Royal Bank Of Scot
land, $500 pounds 1921, 000).
Several British newspapers
said the total may reach 3 mil
Hon pounds.
Reward Reaches S16S,000
Rewards offered by the post
office, insurance companies and
banks for apprehension Of the
robbers climbed to a total Of
10000 pounds ($168.O00).
The gang of about IS masked
bandits halted the 10-coach
''traveling post office" before
dawn on q lonely stretch Of
countryside 40 miles northwest
Of London. The bandits over
powered the two train crew.
men in the locomotive, held
postal sorters in the first two
coaches at bay, and escaped
with 100 bags of registered
mail, including gems and
quantities Of negotiable bank
notes.
at was q brilliantly planned
operation" said q senior police
officer.
It was the first successful
robbery of a mail train In the
125 years the travelling post
offices have been in operation.
Had Inside Help
Police were convinced that
the gang had been told when
and where to strike by an en-
ploye of either the post office
or the government operated
railroads. The rest Of the train
containing some 70 unarmed
postal sorters - was ignored.
The richest haul came from
the second coach which to-
gether with the coach ahead
and the locomotive was I'M
coupled and moved a mile down
the track to be unloaded.
The coup carried out in is
minutes with split second tim
ing, probably based on months
of stop watch planning and
spying on the line. Only after
wards did people living in the
nearby village of Cheddington
remember men who came to
take movies Of the trains
rafting by.
In every one Of the IA coun-
ties along the line from Scot
land, police stepped up in
quiries. A special watch was
ordered on race courses and
gambling spots where &c asy
money" might show up.
The train engiener, Jack
Mills, So, was recovering in a
hospital with eight stitches in
his scalp. Two of the masked
men jumped into his cab.
dubbed him with iron bars and
handcuffed him to the fire
man. Dave Whitby.
Pickaxes Smashed Coaches
Dave and I were ordered to
lie face down in the grass as
hbout is other men swarmed
aboard the train and smashed
bpen the two coaches with
pickaxes." Mr.. Mills said.
Two Of the gang stood guard
over Dave and I and said II
we tried to make a move we
would get another beating"
Most London newspapers car
tied editorials demanding an
overhaul of railroad security
measures. Some suggested that
mail trains carry armed guards.
None do at present.
The Daily Sketch called for
The reorganization Of police
forces how administered by