MAIL VAN HELD UP

Southland Times, Issue 20002, 16 October 1926, Page 7

MAIL VAN HELD UP

BANDITS KILL POLICEMAN. 160,000 DOLLARS SECURED. New York, October 14. A message from Elizabeth (New Jersey) states that, bandits to-day held up a mail truck in the heart of the business district, although it was under police escort, one of whom was killed. The bandits escaped with the pay-roll of 160,000 dollars.—A. &. N.Z. HORRIBLY BRUTAL CRIME. TRUCK DRIVEN OVER WOUNDED MAN. DRUG FIENDS RESPONSIBLE. (Rec. 9.55 p.m.) New York, October 14. Drug-crazed bandits are believed to have been responsible for an amazingly coldblooded crime in Elizabeth, New Jersey, which has shocked the whole countryside. They attacked a United States mail waggon in the busiest part of the town, and shot the driver and two escorts. The driver fell in the street with a bullet in the leg, whereupon one of the robbers climbed into the vehicle, backed up the truck and deliberately drove it back and forth over the wounded man’s body, causing fatal injuries. The bandits then seized the mail bags, the value of the contents (which included pay rolls) being estimated at 200,000 dollars, and escaped in two automobiles. They were armed with magazine rifles such as were recently used in the Chicago gang warn. The police believe James Cuniffe, a desperate criminal known as “The Killer,” and drug-erazed followers, committed the crime. Because of its ruthless nature it is believed the same gang were responsible for the recent killing of a motorist and his son in the same vicinity in order to steal their car.—A. & N.Z.