The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-05-01
ROBBED UNCLE SAM
Rancher Ruddock in Jail at
Portland.
SHOT THE POSTMASTER
And Got Away With 5000 of
the Funds.
SHOT THE POSTMASTER

The daring robber who, on the
evening of January Is, held up
Postmaster johnson, of Pendleton,
at the muzzle of q revolver, and
compelled him to hand over about
$500 of postal and money order
funds, has been arrested and was
Friday lodged in the Multnomah
county Jail, His name is Isaac
Ruddock, and he has a stock ranch
near Wilbur,in the Blue mountains
80 miles from Pendleton, and, on
the day the robbery was committed,
he rode on horseback from his place
to Pendleton.
Ruddock arrived in Portland
Friday morning in charge OF
United States Marshal II. D..
Grady, and Deputy Marshal ]. M.
Bentley. who arrested him at his
place Thursday morning. He was
near the station when they alighted
from the train, and, when told he
was a prisoner, offered no resist
ance.
The CRIME committed, was a
most daring one, as Deputy Mar.
shall Bentley was in the postoffice
while he was hanging around, it is
supposed, waiting for a chance to
commit the robbery, and within
two minutes after the officers de-
parture the robber had secured the
Office funds, shot the postmaster
through the hand and made his
escape:
The account given Of the affair
by Postmaster Johnson at the time
was as follows:
"At 7:15 o'clock, after my clerks
had gone home, and when was
alone in the office counting money,
/ heard rap on the Office door and
same one called out, johnson give
me my mail; | am in an awful
hurry | opened the door and
was confronted by a man, who,
thrusting revolver in my face,
said: I want your money He
compelled me to walk to my desk,
on which about $3.50 was stacked
up, He made me take the govern
ment money sack and put the coin
into it. That is all have / said.
Well, then, we will look in the
safe he responded. Telling me to
hurry, he flourishing the gun in my
face and made me empty the postal
and money order funds into the
sack. When he was satisfied there
was no more money, he said, 4 will
go out the back door, He COM
PEELED me to lead the way and open
the door. AS | opened the door, !
noticed his revolver was pointed
toward the ground, and | at once
seized it with my left hand and
grabbed him with my right. While
we were struggling the gun went
off and the ball passed through my
left hand. I then tripped over a
mail sack and he ran out Of the
door,"
johnson described the robber as
of medium height and build, and
about $50 pounds in weight. He
wore full black beard, evidently
false. Over his face was hand
kerchief, with eyeholes in it. His
voice was peculiar and Johnson
said he would recognize him by his
manner of talking.
On his arrival in Portland Rud-
dock was kept IN charge of the
officers and taken to a hotel and
afterward to the marshal's Office,
and from the vigilance Of the
officers and the secrecy maintained
IN regard to their prisoner, it was
evident that they considered they
had made most important cap
ture, and thought they possessed
conclusive evidence Of bis guilt.
He waived examination, and was
held to await the action of the
grand jury. his bonds being placed
at the extreme limit Of $4,000.
In speaking Of the robbery
Deputy Bentley said:
with the exception of the rob-
ber, | was the last man in the post
Office that evening. Ihad business
with Johnson in connection with
two arrests / had made, and at Z
p. N. was in conversation with
him. That is the hour for closing
the delivery window, and, as he
drew down the shutter, told him
would go over to the courthouse,
three and half blocks away, and
see if Sheriff Houser had made arr
raDgements to receive the two men
/ had arrested. Johnson asked me
to stay, saying bis clerk would be
back in a moment, and he did not
care to be alone in the Office. /
offered some words of declination,
and started on to the Office.