The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-20
First Authentic Interview with
Tacoma Bank Robber.
he ExoNERATEs HIS COUSIN.
Stolen Money Spent for Fast Horses
and Extrayagant Living.
r. b. Albertson in court-suIiivan Com
plains Of Dull Times-A Seattle sa-
loon-Keeper Bunkoed by Italians
Grimes of Portland RumselIers.

Company of about $4,000 in cash and
100000 in securities and fed the city
August % last, was interviewed tonight
for the first time since the crime was COM
smitted. All previous alleged interviews
he brands as false. He arrived this even
Ing IN charge of Deputies Daggett and Pat
terson from Gardiner. Or. where he was
captured and shot. To the correspondent
Of the PosT-INTELLIGENcER he talked freely,
saying:
Before leaving Tacoma on the night of the
robbery wrote r. B. Albertson, of Seattle, stat
ing that was in trouble; that / was going
away. lido not know just why I wrote but
wanted to write to somebody, and he had drawn
the triplicate agreement for us, so wrote to
him. wish to state that r B. Albertson knew
nothing of the plans of myself and my accom-
plice, Chandler, and he was innocently led into
drawing the agreement, thinking he was serv-
ing friend. We did not think that an
agreement drawn by us would be worth
anything, and In casting about to
get some one TO draw 1t for US thought of my
cousin, X. B. Albertson. ! knew If he knew
my predicament he would have nothing TO do
with it, SO invented the story which Chandler
tod him under the name OF Ross, which was
that ii was dear friend who wished this ser
vice. and that the agreement was desired by
very sorry my cousin was involved. It 10 too
bad; he 10 perfectly innocent
This seemed to grieve Albertson much.
As to why he had the agreement drawn
up, knowing it to be illegal, he said:
was in a scrape. wanted to get out of It,
and thought it could be done that way. I
thought it might be done without my going
away.
He intimated to an officer that the advice
of Chandler was effective in bringing him
to decision in making the final steal of
81 900 and in taking the securities, also
that he was sorry that he did not go to the
bank officials. state the circumstances and
rely upon their mercy, thinking that
would have been better. As to how he be-
came involved he said:
Fast horses caused my ruin. I had several
fast horses in Council Bluffs, and the debt in
Cured caused me to raise all the money here
that could, and in trying to pay off the debts /
became involved here. There 10 absolutely no
truth in the story that / spent the money on
fast women, diamonds, gambling or horse rae
ing. I never spent dollar that way in my life.
1t was while running fast horses at
Council Bluffs that he made the acquaint-
ance of Chandler, and he says he and
Chandler are positively the only ones con-
cerned in the robbery, his brother-in-law
and r. B. Albertson having nothing to do
with it in any way. In addition to the
debtr caused by fast horses in Council
Bluffs, he said:
The expense in keeping my family in accord
ance with customs and in condition similar to
that of others of my standing also helped on my
trouble.
He learned for the first time on arriving
here that his wife had gone back to Coun-
Gil Bluffs without seeing him, and the fact
seemed to worry him. He writhed about
when reference was made to her departure,
and he seemed about to break down. The
subject was quickly turned to his depart
ure from the city, and he was asked to tell
where he went.
From Tacoma went to Puyallup where
LETT Chandler to go to Browns Point to meet
President Wallace of the bank. Invent then to
Portland, Eugene aud Florence. Later met
Chandler at Hale, fourteen miles from Gardiner,
when he took 5000 to Seattle and tried to get
r. B. Albertson to take it to the bank and effect
compromise. Mr.. Albertson refusing to have
anything to do with ii, Chandler returned and
we remained about Florence until we decided
to go into the mountains, where we expected to
remain until the proposition for a compromise
had been accepted or our appearance was SO
changed tuaI we COuiu get AWAY.
Why did Chandler mail the copy of the tripli-
cate agreement to Ticket Agent woodmansee at
Tacoma?
He did that after going to Seattle with the
5000 He learned that officers were after him.
and at once mailed copy to Woodmansee and
another to me under my assumed name of E.
Howard Johnson, Empire City. This letter the
postmistress would not deliver, so never got il
The other agreement we kept, and q Sullivan
nradf writ ripu nd n;,
bought the day before went away, that being
the only iewelry bought here. Chandler's OBJ
ject in mailing the agreement was to preserve
it, and thus have It to defend himself in case
anything should happen to him.
Regarding the capture and shooting.
Albertson said:
did not hear the command to throw nm INV
hands. If ! had I should have done so. Il
would have been absurd for me to try to get
away with four guns pointed at me- OF course
was startled when / saw my captors, but did
not back of. nor did try to get my revolver. I
did not step back more than one step. and he
fore could do or say anything was shot down
by a 1850 Marlin rife in the hands of the man
Moore. When they shouted / had my hands
up over my left abdomen, and as they shouted
/ let them drop limp by my side. All of our
captors shouted at once, and no one could tell
what they were saying. The bullet tore hole
through my side as big as hens egg and il
partly paraivzed the nerves on that side. and
the condition of these nerves now hurts me
more than the wound. For five days could
scarcely move without causing great pain.
have been carefully and kindly cared for NV
Sheriff Prices men and DR.. Mackey, whom
credit with doing much to pull me through.
He said the man, John Garmier. who
was to take them into the mountains. be-
! trayed them. He was halt-breed. but
they did not learn that until after thew
were captured. He was paid s25 by Chand-
Ter and Albertson for plotting them to a
chain of lakes in the Coast range. He ac-
cepted 500 from Sullivan's men for he
traying them.
Albertson said he thought his trouble
could be fixed up with the bank bv the tri-
plicate agreement. hence he did not try to
get away with more money, nor did he try
to cause the bank trouble by
locking the vaults and Changing
the combinations, which he could
have done. In fact, he could have gotten
away with about everything the bank
possessed. He thought when he returned
the combination and securities he would
be let off This. he said, was the first mis-
take of his life, and that he has time TO
make amends and will do so. sIf were
a free man today" he said, 'sI would turn
over q new leaf. That expect to do. I
shall plead guilty TO the charge of grand
larceny and trust 10 the mercy of the
court"
Albertson says the bank will suffer no
loss except what it cost In hunting him