The San Francisco call., 1903-09-25
ROBBERS ELUDE
THEIR PURSURERS
Oregon Desperadoes
Cannot Be Found by
the Posses.
Special Dispatch to The Cali.

PORTLAND, Or, Sept. A.-The three
companions of the captured and wounded
bandit. who gives his name as Jim Con-
ners, have apparently made their escape
from the scene of the Oregon Railroad
and Navigation hold-up LAST night. Of
ficers returned late tonight from scour-
ing the brush in the neighborhood of the
twenty-one mile post, but found nothing
that would be acceptable as a clew to
their whereabouts.
Thus far the officers have not been able
to find any ground for doubling theory
that the men escaped along the railroad
track, either to Portland or to a rem
devious near by.
The police early to-day arrested Harry
Cole, young man who was found prowl-
ing about the railroad yards. He acted
in a suspicious manner previous to his
arrest and attempted to escape from the
officers. w. J. Fruelock of Troutdale
was arrested by Bert Biesecker, Sheriff
of Clark County, and turned over to the
Sheriff tonight. The Clark County Off
cial was returning in a buggy from
Washougal when he met Fruelock. The
latter was invited to accompany the
Sheriff in his buggy, and when the officer
learned that he was a Troutdale laborer
he notified the Portland officers.
The leader of the party. who calls him
self Conners who was originally reported
as killed, but who proved to be wounded.
lies at the Good Samaritan Hospital. 1t
is not clear that he is even desperately
wounded, for the mans apparent lack of
interest in life and his eagerness to die
has the effect of making his condition
seem worse than 1T is.
LA GRANDE, Or, Sept. A.-EXpress
Messenger Fred Korner's story of the at
tempted hold-up OF the Oregon Railroad
and Navigation train at Corbett last
night told upon the arrival of the train
here to-day, is as follows:
when the three masked robbers who
had climbed on the engine at Troutdale
compelled Engineer Barrett and Fireman
Stevenson to stop the train mile ana a
half from Corbett l saw them and told
Click, my helper, to turn out the lights
Just then Stevenson came running to see
what was the matter, when as he neared
the express car one of the robbers shot at
him and, cursing, ordered him back.
saw what was coming and took my stand
in the rear end of the car, and already
having my shotgun in my hand, waited
while Click lay the floor in the for
ward end. 1 slid the cage door on the side
of the car back and watched the robbers.
| Soon there was knock at the side door
on the forward end and the request,
Don't shoot, it is the engineer.
Il did not reply and soon the bandits
prepared the powder. They had it ready
in half a minute and seeing that it was
| lighted l took chances and waited
''The explosion did little damage, but
without hesitating l slid the door open
to get my shoulder out and took aim at
one of the masked men. The gun did not
work. Throwing out the defective shell,
L fired, knocking my man down. At the
same time the engineer yelled that he
was hit
THE robbers ran and as they went over
the bank l shot at one, but apparently
missed him. 1 helped the engineer, who
/ was hit by one stray buckshot, back to
! the engine and the train proceeded with
/ but twenty minutes delay.