Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-05-15
CAPTURE EXPECTED
DURING THE DAY
Late Report Says That Bandits
Are Surrounded by Deputies In
Rugged Country In Eastern
COlfdx COunty--Are Heading
for CimdrrOn Country.

Trinidad, Colo, May 15.-Definite
Information received here says that
the bandits who robbed the Wells
Fargo safe of $4,000 at French. N.
NJ, yesterday afternoon. were seen
this morning near Emery Gap station
on the Colorado & Southern, sixty
miles south of here, headed for the
Cimarron country.
Posses are pressing the robbers
closely and their capture is confident
ly expected today.
Las Vegas, N. M, May 15.-Five
posses are on the trail of the three
bandits who held up a Wells Fargo
guard and the station agent at the
little town of French yesterday after
noon, ana escaped with about $35, 900
consigned from the First National
Bank of Albuquerque to the FL Paso
and Southwestern Coal company at
Dawson.
1t is believed that the bandits are
| surrounded in a densely wooded tract
IN the eastern part of Colfax coanty
and the tract will be thoroughly
searched through COMPRISING the
circle of deputies. The country is
rugged and the work will necessarily
be slow and hard.
The holdup was one OF the most
| daring ever attempted In the west
| French is the junction point of the
| Santa Fe with the Dawson branch
Of the FL Paso and Southwestern rail-
| road The money was shipped from
Albuquerque on No. 10 yesterday
morning and was in charge of Archie
Hilton, guard, who was armed with
| the type of sawed off shotgun usually
| carried by the express guards.
The money was in one of the iron
safes of the express company, which
| is secured with a combination lock.
| When the train arrived at French,
| Hilton carried the safe into the depot
| When the train pulled out the agent
entered the building and he with Hill
ton and a passenger named Farr,
we're the only occupants.
| They were suddenly confronted by
three masked men, all of whom car
ried Winchester rifles and revolvers
| While two of the bandits kept the
| three men covered the third bound
| and gagged them. They then tried
twice to blow open the safe with nj
| troglycerin but both attempts failed
They then unbound Farr, the passen-
ger from Dawson and made him
break open the safe with sledge
hammer.
During this time several citizens
| approached the depot and each time
they were driven back by shots. No
one returned the fire until the robbers
were departing. The three men coll
lected and divided the money. leaving
| some silver coin which was too heavy
| for them to carry conveniently. and
| then mounted their horses and rode
| rapidly away, leaving the three men
bound and gagged In the depot. Hill
ton, Farr and the agent were released
| by citizens of the town.
The bandits rode eastward and as
they left the depot some one fired a
! shot at them. They did not return
| the fire, but urged their horses at
! rapid speed and quickly disappeared
! from sight.
As soon as the news was wired to
! Superintendent James Kurn of the
! Santa Fe here. a special train was
| made ready and a posse organized of
! tA lkbuBH lNllttS anu tON DpS > Htdu-
! ed by Sheriff Clefo Romero. They
| boarded the special train which was
! given the right of way. The peniten-
| tiary was also notified and another
| posse with the bloodhOunds kept at
| the penitentiary was at once started
| Ration contributed another posse and
| later "a second posse was started from
this place.
The posses followed the trail OF the
three bandits all night and today and
this afternoon word was received
here that 1: is thought the robbers
are surrounded and will be caught.
One Of the men is described as be-
ing tall and dark complexioned. The
other two were small and light COM
plrNioned. one OF the small men had
a front tooth missing, All three wore
black masks and We're dressed in
duck clothing.
A report from Ration says that the
men were seen seven miles south of
Ration last night.
Had Confederate Here?
II Is believed here that the men
who robbed the Wells Fargo Express