European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 2, 1959, Darmstadt, Hesse Ithe greatest of All train robberies by Walter Monfried in the Milwaukee journal new Book recalls the Story of an eight Man gang led by a trusted postal inspector who got away with $2 million but not for Long. The greatest of All train robberies was not engineered by Jesse Jameson any of his fellow madmen on the wild West Frontier. No it occurred in the Roar ing gang infested 1920 a just 53 Miles South of Milwaukee on the rails of the Milwaukee Road. The master mind turned out to be a watch Dag assigned to guard the sheep a postal inspector whose Job was to protect the mails and catch train robbers a total of $2,050,000 was stolen the place was the Hamlet of Rondout betwee Highland Park and Libertyville 111. It was hardly a perfect crime. Two of the conspirators acted stupidly at critical periods and the result was that All eight criminals went to prison and almost All of the pilfered cargo was recovered. William j. Fahy who was 50 at the time exactly 35 years ago was the chief Vil lain. Dead for 16 years he remains theone traitor in Long prideful history of -theu.s. Postal inspection service. The Rondout Holdup makes a thrilling. Chapter in a new Button Book the silent investigators by John n. Makris. The service opened its confidential files to him for this episodic history of crimes against the mails. Fahy in the Early 1920 a proved himself an especially Able inspector and Crook Catcher. In line of duty he made Many contacts with the underworld and the men and women on its fringe. With such assistance he solved Many robberies. After the death of his wife to whom he was deeply attached he began to associate with flashy women to drink heavily and to spend More than his $3,500 salary permitted. Nevertheless in Early 1924 he was considered the top Sleuth of the Chicago Midwest Headquarters. V at that time a gang of six unsavoury characters from Arkansas Missouri an Texas drifted into Chicago All with wives or unhallowed help meets. They were Bren Glasscock the Leader a Bandit Herb hol Liday All around Crook and the Newto Brothers Jess Joe Willis and Willy Bank robbers. They got in touch with James Murray a Fence a tipster on Likely jobs and a Stool Pigeon for Fahy. Glasscock immediately told Murray that he wanted to grab a lot of Money not a. Puny $100,000. So Murray called a Confer ence of Glasscock Fahy and two of the newtons. Fahy told the robbers that their Best bet was no. 57, a rapid eight car mail train that left Chicago for Milwaukee at 9 pm daily. Ill make All the plans you la take All orders from me Fahy said Curtly. Fahy kept his word too. He quizzed the staff of no. 57 on where the valuable mail was kept and How it was handled. Then he took Glasscock and a Newton to the station and pointed out the third car which carried the registered packages. Have four stolen cars at Buckley of Rondout he ordered and instructed them in Many other details. At 9 pm june 12, 1924, Holliday and Willis Newton sneaked in Between the tender and first car of no. 57 As it started. They Rode there until they neared rond out. Then they climbed into the engine cab flashed their pistols at the engine Rand fireman and ordered slow Down. When you see a red Light a half Mil Down the track Stop the the orders were followed. No. 57, halted in an open area. No one lived within Miles of the and the three other bandits were on the spot with a car parked on each Side of the tracks. The robbers began shooting at the bulletproof mail cars to quell the clerks and then concentrated on the Rich third one. Come on out Glasscock shouted As he battered a door but the clerks refused. So the foresighted gunmen tossed some Poison Gas bombs through a broken win Dow and the. Clerks were driven out. Sunday August 2, 1959 p
