METHODICAL TRAIN ROBBER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15563, 21 March 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

METHODICAL TRAIN ROBBER.

PORTERS FORCED TO HELP. PASSENGERS LOSE PROPERTY. A hold-up, or rather something which might better be termed a robbery de luxe, occurred recently in America, when a well-dressed bandit, with a revolver snd a convincing personality, got aboard tha last sleeping-car of the Detroit special, bound for Chicago. He entered the train, and after directing an orderly collection of funds made by two frightened porters asked oner of them please to pull the air brake, and he got off with about £60 and a quantity of the passengers' ieweilery. One of the porters was the first man to see the robber. The train had just left a station when a man wearing a light suit and a golf cap well over his eyes stepped out of the smoking-room and placed the end of a revolver on the amazed porter's chin. "I am a robber," he said, "and one of the reasons why I will let you live is that I need you. Just hustle around to the- different berths and tell the passengers that there's a Tobber aboard who wants their money. Be quick, quiet, and obedient, if you don't want to be dead." Then the robber handed him a bag or a hat, and hs set out with the tidings to the occupants of the berths. Within a few moments it was common gossip behind the curtains that something unfortunate was going on. The robber walked .to the rear of the car, levelled the revolver at another porter, who had wandered into the car, and directed their operations. When all of the passengers had been awakened and had contributed, the robber called softly to the porter to bring all the loot to him. He had the porter place everything that he and his companion had collected into a single bag and then asked him to pall the, slowed down he ordered a signal to go ahead and stepped off as the teain gathered speed. I