Westmoreland-Allegheny-Fayette County PA Archives News.....Train Bandits Rob P.&L.E. Express June 17, 1922 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Dan Cupper cupper@att.net March 22, 2011, 11:42 pm Monessen (Pa.) Daily Independent June 17, 1922 TRAIN BANDITS ROB P. & L.E. EXPRESS TWO MEN BIND AND GAG BAGGAGE MASTER AND MES- SENGER AND ESCAPE WITH LOOT A daring train robbery was committed this morning on the P. & L. E. passenger train known as the Fairmont Express which arrives in this city at 10:10 (Standard Time) from Fairmont. Full particulars of the bold robbery were not available at the time of going to press, but it was learned that two men had entered the baggage car on the train after it had left this city and at the point of revolvers, bound and gagged the baggage master, Michael Amber, and the express messenger whose name could not be learned. After they had been bound, one of the robbers took the keys from the pocket of the express messenger and rifled the safe in the car. When the train arrived at Webster a few minutes after, leaving Monessen. The station agent, Mr. Jack H. Staib noticed that the door of the baggage car on the side facing the station was closed, whereas it should have been opened. He rapped on the door and, not receiving any response, then realized that something unusual was wrong. He opened the door and found the messenger lying in a corner bound and gagged, while the baggage master, Mike Amber, had just released himself from the ropes which he had been bound with. Mr. Staib promptly notified the trainmen and the messenger was released and the story of the holdup told. Reports reaching this office are to the effect that the two bandits were seated in the smoking car when the train left Monessen. After it left this city both men arose and slowly walked out of the smoking car. No suspicion was aroused among the passengers and no one was aware that the robbery had taken place until the alarm was given when the train reached Webster. About the same time the passenger train arrived in Webster, two men were seen jumping from the baggage car on the river side of the tracks. They hurried up an alley to the main road leading from this city to Webster and entered a waiting automobile in which two other men were seated. Before the alarm could be given the quartette had sped away, going up Turkey Hollow. Persons who witnessed the flight of the bandits described the car as being a seven- passenger Buick. No estimate of the amount of loot secured by the bandits could be learned, but it is estimated that they secured a large in the amount of cash and other important registered mail, as the train is known to carry large amounts of money at various times. Railroad detectives and county officials were notified and started in pursuit of the bandits. When the train arrived in Monessen everything was alright and both express messenger and the baggage master were in their car and attending to their respective duties. After some delay, the train continued on its way to Pittsburgh. Additional Comments: Published on Page 1 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 3.4 Kb