The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-07-12
BEARMouTH HoLDuPs UNDER
ARREST in CHICAGO.
TELL LOCATION Of CACHE
Money Buried Near Indiana Town
One Of Prisoners Seriously
Wounded by Officers.

telegrapneQ from CnlCagO laSL SaCuT-
day the men who recently robbed a
Northern Pacific train at Bearmouth
have been caught. Press dispatches
said that complete confessions had
been made by the prisoners. NOtwith-
standing this, the sheriff at Missoula,
in whose county the robbery was COM
mitted, expressed himself as doubt
ing the truth of the alleged confess
sions and was free in saying that the
men were not what they purported to
be, although it was possible that they
were the ones who robbed train at
the same place two years ago and
killed the engineer
Has Much Money Buried.
One of the prisoners, who gave his
name as Truman Wilkinson, was sup
posed to be dying as the result OF
a wound he received after he and his
two companions had "held up" and
shot j. c. Miller, secretary of labor
union. Wilkinson is said to have told
the police that he and William Irwin
and Charles Plonien robbed the train
and also to have declared that had
buried $4,000 near Rensselaer,, Ind,
the proceeds of several large safe and
other robberies committed in the
northwest. Plonien and Irwin were
surprised in room and when con-
fronted with the confession of Will
kinson are said to have weakened and
told all about the train robbery. They
said nothing about the killing of an
engineer while robbing the train, but
admitted that they shot Chicago
policeman last spring. In addition
Wilkinson is also credited with hav-
ing confessed that he had shot two
men and broken Jail in Indiana, in
addition to his depredations committed
| in the west. The fellows called them
selves "the original automatic trio"
Plonien is charged with being de.
serter from the army, having escaped
from the guard at Fort Douglas, Utah,
five years ago, while under arrest and
that he was wounded while escaping.
1t is claimed that he made his way
Into California, where he was nursed
to health by woman, whom he is
said to- have married.
May Be the Men.
In the press dispatches mention is
made of the fact that the engineer OF
the train robbed recently at Bearmouth
was shot and killed by the robbers.
This is thought to have arisen from
a confusion caused by bogus dis.
|patch sent out from Butte at the time
in which it was stated that the engi-
neer was killed. Because Of this it is
taken as accounting for the fact that
the men said nothing about kill.
ing in connection with the robbery,
for none actually occurred.
/ While the sheriff is quoted as dis
crediting the confessions, other Off
GERS are said to be inclined to take
them as Deing really recitals of the
robbery, having no reason for doubt
ing them. The names of Truman VIII
kinson and William Irwin sounded
familiar to some of the railroad men
at Missoula, although they were un
able to place the men bearing them un
til something more definite concern
ing them was learned
In view of the definiteness of the
Chicago dispatches, the opinion at Mis-
soula was general that the three mer
under arrest were the robbers who
June / shattered the express car o.
the North Coast Limited and ther
blew open the safe and made way witt
a large amount of money, the exac1
sum of which has never been divulgef
by the express company. e