Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1907-11-09
G. N. ROBBERS GIVE THEM
SELVES AWAY WITH BOOZE.
Were Suspected Because They Spent
Money Like Water-Were Going to
Spokane When They Were Captured
by officers Who Had Been Advised
They Had Nearly $4,000 in Bills.

point of drawn revOlverS and sur
rounded by squad of stern-faced de-
tectives, two rough-looking, shabbily
dressed men, believed to be the ban
dts whe held up the Great Northern
Oriental Limited train near Rondo
siding, Mont, in the early morn OF
September 10, 1907, and secured $40,-
900 in greenbacks, threw up their
hands amid the luxurious surroundings
of the diner attached to Great Nor
thern westbound train just within the
city limits at Spokane last Friday.
Steel manacles were snapped on their
wrists and they were safely locked in
strong cells in the city jail. They
were held under the technical charge
of fugitive.
When searched at the police station
$14100 in bills was taken from their
clothing. The descriptions given of
the highwaymen exactly fit the pair
On the paper wrappers about the pack
ages Of greenbacks was the stamp of
the Commercial National bank of Chi
cago, with the date September Z,
1907, the date on which the money
is thought to have been expressed by
the Chicago bank. The suspects
gave their names as G. e. Mcdonald,
43 years old, and Ed Smith, SO years
old. They said they were miners. In
the possee that captured the supposed
highwaymen were Detective Aleck
Macdonald, Sergeant D. D. McPhee,
Detective R. T. Briley and Claim
Agents Michael E. Ryan and Tim
othy P. Enright of the Great Northern
company.
Boarding the train at Hillyard on
telegraphic information furnished the
railroad company by Jesse E. Howe,
liveryman, and Thomas Riley,
dance hall proprietor, both of Bon
ners Ferry Idaho, who were star fig
ures in the apprehension of the sus
poets, the squad of sleuths waited
until the train had entered the city
limits before they made their drama
tic entrance into the diner Entering
the detectives saw the suspected rob-
bers with Howe and Riley sitting at
one of the tables. Detective Mac
donald his hand clenching his revolv-
er, which he had concealed in his
coat pocket, was at the head of the
posse
Throw up your hands, all of you
I'll kill the first man who makes
move for his pocket" commanded
Mcdonald, suddenly flashing his re-
volver and covering the quartet. With
a look of intense surprise on their
faces, Mcdonald and Smith arose 81
multaneously with the decoys, Howe
and Riley, and in an instant they were
handcuffed
The posse. with the prisoners, went
Immediately to the police station as
soon as the train pulled into the depot
Then, while an amazed crowd of spec
tators stood looking on almost stupe-
fed, package after package of green
backs was taken from the clothing of
the captured men by Jailer Wallace
and Sergeant McPhee, who searched
them. Each package contained $500,
the denominations being IS, $40 and
500 bills
When the work of searching them
was finished they were taken to the
Jail under a strong guard and locked
up separately in two of the strongest
cells in the bastile. The detectives
then went to the Great Northern depot
and gained possession of the baggage
Of the suspects, consisting of two
grips, which were thoroughly search
ed. No discriminating evidence was
found in them
Their Amusement.
Lining up bottles containing 500
worth of wine or beer on the bar of
the dance hall at Boomers Ferry, Ida
no, and then with one sweep of an
other bottle breaking all into many
pieces was one of the pleasantries in
dulged in by c. R. Mcdonald and Ed
Smith, arrested upon suspicion of be-
ing the Great Northern bandits who
held up the train at Rexford, Mont,
September H. securing $4,000 con-
signed to the Old National bank of
Spokane from the Commercial Ma
tional bank of Chicago The $14,350
found upon the two has been identi-
fed as part of the booty secured by
the bandits.
Such was the story related by
Thomas Riley, the proprietor Of the
dance hall, who with Jesse E. Howe
liveryman of Bonners Ferry, Idaho
came to Spokane with the two men
with the purpose Of surrenderine
them to the police, so they declare
mo sooner would they sweep away
20 bottles OF beer or four bottles O.
champagne than they would call fol