Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1909-12-18
CONFESSEDTOCRIME
MAIL CLERK TELLS HOW MAIL
CAR WAS ROBBED.
Tom L. Gordon says G. D. Howell Was
Coached by Him in Mail-Car Holdup
-Robber got on car at Boomers Ferry,
Representing Himself to be an Inspec-
tor-Left Train at Spokane.

Branding Charles d. Howell, formerly
postmaster at Havre, Mont, as the dar~
ing bandit who, ON March IS, 1908, in
the guise of a postal inspector, held up
and robbed the mail car of the Great
Northern Oriental Limited at Boomers
Ferry, Idaho, Thomas l.. Gordon, rail-
way mail clerk of E1013 Thirteenth av--
enue, Spokane, has made a written con-
fession to United States officials and.
Special Agent John s. Delaney of the
Great Northern secret service with head
quarters at Spokane.
Howell is now in the King county Jail
on charge of being the Boomers Ferry
bandit and also of being the thug who,
on October 10, 1909, held up the Great
Northern express Office in Seattle and
made away with $4,000 loot.
Starting with the slender clue of the
mere mention of Gordon Is name in a,
letter written by Mrs. lowell to her
husband in Seattle last September,
Special Agent Delaney, with the as
sistance of Postoffce Inspector c. b.
Welter, attached to the Spokane Of
fee, worked the case up to the climax
which was reached when, according to
these officers, Gordon wrote down in
black and white that Howell was in
structed by him how TO carry the role
of postofice inspector, what clerks
were on the mailcar of the Oriental
Limited and where to look for those
pieces of mail which were likely TO con-
tain money. Howell, wrote Gordon,
afterward admitted to the latter that
he perpetrated the Boomers Ferry hold
up and that il neeeted him almost moth
ing HIS spectacular work gave him
about $40, according to United States
officers.
Begged to Keep Wife Ignorant.
Immediately after the confession
Gordon was arraigned before United
States Commissioner w. III. Hare and
bound over to the federal grand jury,
which convenes April 2 Bail wac
fixed at $4,000. Gordon was then
locked up ia the county Jail, charged
with being an accessory after the fact.
Shortly before the steel doors swung
behind him he begged the officers not
10 len his wife know Of his disgrace.
Since his Incarceration al Seattle
Howell has been identified positively By
four men as the bonners Ferry ban
dit These men are W. j. Aysteun and
Benjamin A. stump, mail clerks, who
We're on the car when ID Nas held upi
james hoagland, formerly q hoiel man
al Boomers ferTy and John Peterson.
. cook, who testified "a Howell ; pIeiim
mary bearing in Seattle thaf pa tAe day
of tAe konnelf feuy mail robbery pa
sass hoHel pacing ~ and down tAe pa
poi platform ~ bonnerf feIy caUying
flle ANAL saek and posioiiee Inspector =
bag Which pa threw into tbe Gag jpsi
before M boarded IN Jefferson testified
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fieles info iae mal car lAf intpeeiQl y
fi Naf stolen. wa tle mall saeh ile
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maIi
4le hoppsly
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