Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-01-17
CURRY GANG
IS SUSPECTED
Of Completely in the Union Pacific
Train Robbery in June
Of Last Year.
OFFICERS ARE AFTER THEM
They Have Suddenly Disappeared
From Harlem After Passing
Some Stolen Money.

Fort Benton. Jan. l2-The sudden disappear
ance of Louis. generally known as "Loney,"
and Robert E. Curry from their home at Har-
lem makes public much of the mystery which
has surrounded the robbery of a Union Pacific
mail train between Wilcox and Rock Creek.
Wyo., on June 2. 1899. The circumstances of
robbery will be remembered by all. The train
was held up at night, the express safe blown
open and an amount estimated at from $4,000
to $4,000 taken. The hurried flight of the six
robbers through Wyoming for the Hole in
the Wall" in the Big Horn basin, their desper-
ate encounters with sheriffs posses and railroad
detectives, the death of one sheriff at their
hands. and their final escape are familiar TO all
So far as known. the first clue TO the robbers
was secured about December lst. when the
Stockmens National bank of Fort Benton re-
ceived from Loney Curry five 800 bills Of the
First National bank Of Portland, to be forward
ed for redemption. The bills, which were
numbered seriatim. lacked the signatures Of
the president and cashier and the lower right
hand corner of each had been torn off. They
were forwarded in the usual course of business
to the bank of issue. There it was found that
they were part of large shipment from the
United States treasury which had been stolen
from the Pacific Express oompany's car during
the robbery mentioned. The hetxpress company
was notified and put Pinkertons on the trail of
the Currys, who were in the saloon business at
Harlem and had no apparent connection with
the Wyoming robbery. In the meantime the
Cascade bank of Great Falls had got another of
the same series of notes. giving draft for IT,
The suspects, somehow got wind of the pro-
ceedings and last Saturday took a supply Of
provisions and wagon and "hf the breeze"
They have a very fair chance of escape, as
Harlem is the center Of one Of the very few
larg/ areas of wild. unsettled country left in
the United States.
It is worth while, in this connection. to look
back at the record of this family. The boys
were raised by respectable old uncle who
lived on the Missouri south of the Little Rock
les. and during his life they behaved pretty
well. The boys came from southern Missouri
about 1884 or lsSj. and II is commonly believed
had trace Of negro blood in their veins. In
fact. bitter taunt TO this effec, was one of the
causes Of the ieud which resulted in the shoot.
ing of Pike Landusky by Harvey Curry in
December, 1894 After Hank Cuuy's death
they moved to the vicinity Of Landusky and
made very good start in the cattle and horse
business. This WIS speedily disspated as they
became wilder ard had to pay lawyers fees,
etc. Johnny Curry had a shooting scrape In
which he lost an arm then Harvey killed Pike
la Idnsky in Jew Jakes" store at Landusky.
and Loney Curry and his cousin, Lee Self
we're implicated for standing off the crowd
while the trouble was going on. Then Loney
was arrested for hammering shorty" Parker
in Charles Peuy's store on the Belknap reser-
walton. but. as the case against him was not
strong, was released on his promise to leave
the country. With all this was mingled an