NEWS BY MAIL

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1920, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL

TRAIN BANDIT AT BAY. FIGHT WITH 10U POLICE. £IOO,OOO IN A DITCH. NEW YOKE, May 14. A battle resembling in many respects ths historic “ battle ” of Sidney street in Stepney (England), was fought to-day it Chicago, where a train bandit kept 100 policemen at bay for more .than an lour until he fell riddled with shot. The fight was a sequel to a robbery ot lie Illinois Central express, into which .lie bandit, who later was identified as iorace Walton, a Post Office cleric, climbed early this morning at Kankakee, Illinois. Posing as Inspector Walton, ■be made his way t<> the mail van. where five messengers guarded four registered mail bags containing £IOO,OOO in currency. Covering the messengers with a revolver the bandit forced them to pack the money in a pouch be carried. As the train sped towards Chicago lie maintained a running fire of conversation, chuckling over the plight of the messengers and shouting: •* You’ll have'to kill me if you want your money. Anbody who tries to get near me will get cracked.” On the outskirts of Chicago the train slowed down and Walton leaped to the ground and ran hapidly away, followed by a fusilade of shots from the police. In bis flight ho hurled his pouch into a ditch and scattered its contents, consisting of bank notes for £IOO each, then he returned the fire of the police, wounding fatally a constable,named Roberts. Walton made bis way to a flat in a building a mile distant from the train. Within half nn hour the building was surrounded by more than 100 policemen, who bombarded the windows and the doorways, while the tenants sought safety by lying on the floors. Walton replied vigorously to bis pursuers, wounding one policeman, and finally fell dead behind his window from a bullet in the brain. Letters found on the body showed that lie worked at St. Joseph’s, Missouri, and was aged 30. For the last two weeks he had lived in a fashionable Chicago hotel. FRENCH CONTROL OF POTASH. STRASBOURG, May 11. The proposed purchase hv the breach Government of the Alsace Potash mines, which Germany renounced in the treaty, is important to Great Hritain. The possession of the mines by Germany enabled her to monopolise practically the whole of the world’s potash supplies before and during the war, ’to the detriment of British agriculture, potash being a valuable manure. The mines, which are valued at £3,000,000, produce at present about 3.000 tons daily, which is not enough for France’s or the world’s needs. It is claimed that only by State purchase could the necessary capital be raised to develop the mines and sell the potash cheaply enough to compete with thb potash mines still owned hv Germany in Snxonv.