The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-15
HELPER HOLO-UP
IN FULL DETAIL
Bandits Were After the Railway
Company Pay Car.
MISSED BY NARROW MARGIN
SIX MEN WERE ENGAGED III
TIE ROBBERY.
BY NARROW MARGIN

n RICE, Utah, May 1.-THE six high
waymen. two masked and four un-
masked. who visited the saloon Of
James Rooney at Helper last night
got away with about $1,SOO, Sl,4O0
OF the amount belonging to Rooney.
The other $500 was taken from patrons
Of the house. out Of the slot machines
aud in checks Of the railroad company,
the latter being payable to bearer The
men were by no means amateurs al
the business. William Everett, pat
ron Of the house, was shot in the right
side.
We're Six Robbers.
There were six Of the robbers in ali.
The two masked ones stood at the rear
doors of the house with towels over
their faces. Thew were in the house
all told about thirty minutes. and all
as cool as -cucumbers. Through with
the job, they went out the front way,
mounted their horses and came in the
direction Of Price. There were seven
persons in the house when the robbers
entered. AS others dropped in they
Were. covered with guns and stood up
against the wall.
We're After the Pay Car.
1t is the belief that they went there
to hold up the pay car of the railroad
,
$4,000. but changed their plan for some
reason and concluded to rob Rooney
as last resort. 1t is not believed six
men would have gone to ROoney's for
robbery originally with so little in
sight. A less number of men could
have done the work as easily. With
six the divy is small
Sheriff Wilcox was at Castle Gate
last night with the pay car and has
been notified. Unless the robbers have
left the main travelled road from Helper
this way it would be difficult to follow
their trail as the roads are dry and
the dust light and deep.
Precautions Taken.
Two months ago Pavmaster- Ira r.
Lewis and other officials of the Titan
Fuel company and the Pleasant. Valley
Coal company had tips that a robbery
was to be pulled off, and since then !
the coal companies especially have
been taking extra precautions in guard
ing their money. All payments are
made at the coal camps in coin and
currency, while the railroad employees
are given checks. But when the checks /
are sent out about $4,000 comes. to the
railroad agent by express to cash the
checks with.
Tt is thought the robbery of last night
was intended to be that of the railroad
station, bur the pay car came along
before night, and by the time the
highwaymen were ready for business :
after dark most of the. checks had been
met and very little cash was in the
agents possession. Realizing this the :
robbers took in Rooney for what they
GOULD get. although the sum is small /
III comparison with what they might /
have had if their original plans had /
worked right.
Suspicious Characters.
For two weeks or more the Utah Fuei /
company at Sunnyside has had its Sc l
cret service men watching four sUs-
piciOus characters camped below that /
town, and when these men disappeared /
a few days ago the fact was at once /
made known at headquarters at Salt !
Lake City. There is good reason /
10 believe that the four men under sur /
VIGILANCE picked up two companions for /
this work, and that the two were the /
men who wore the masks.
After the three men had completed
the meal at the restaurant. two of
them sauntered over 10 the depot and /
took in the situation there while the I
checks were being Cashed for the train
men, They fingered a considerable time
under the pretext Of waiting for a train
and made numerous inquiries.
Missed Big Haul.
The pay car of the coal companies
ana the EdllEOdO company IS the same,
and since getting wind of a prOba bic
hOld-up the paymaster changed his
usual schedule Had he gone through
the usual routine it would have brought
him into Helper last night about the
right time for the highwaymen to have
gotten in their work. He was also
yesterday accompanied by a stronger
guard than usual His men are all
nerVy, can be depended upon. and are
every one a sure shot
This pay car at times carries as high
as S50000 in coin. mostly gold. with
which TO pay off three mines. those at I
Clear Greek. Winter Quarters and SEQ
field The car was at Castle Gate yes
terday. and had the hold-ups gone there
instead of at Helper a rich haul might
have been made It was here that ex-
PaymasteT Carpenter was held I'D and
robbed of $4,000 about six years ago.
Cassidy and Lay are supposed to
have had hand in that affair. 4
posse went after this bunch and two
Of them rest now just outside the lin
its of the Price cemetery. the people
here at that time Directing to their be-
ing inferred inside the cemetery. They
had previously held up d son of Sen
atOr George 4. WhitmOre Of Nephi
who has cattle on this range. Whit
more and friends organized a posse and