The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-06-03
CAPTURE
OF TRAIN ROBBERS

Omaha, Neb., June Fired Torten-
sen and w. D.. Woods were last night
identified by Engineer Mickeljohn and
Firemen Prawl as the men who crawled
over the tender Of their engine last
Saturday night and forced them to stop
the Union Pacific Overland Limited.
The enginemen arrived in the city last
evening and were at one given an
opportunity to look the suspects over.
Engineer Mickeljohn was especially
sure Of Tortensen because of several
peculiarities in his physical makeup.
He also declared that he was equally
sure about Woods. Several school chill
dren also identified the prisoners as
men they had seen in the vicinity Of
Brown park school Sunday and Mon
day.
A laborer living near the scene OF
the holdup identified W Of the sus-
poets as men he had seen examining the
ground in that vicinity a day or two
before h robbery. The police found
IN the school house attic near the mail
pouches a small souvenir mirror on
the reverse side Of which was a pic
ture of the Spokane union station.
Ihis leads the p~ostof1ce people to be-
tieve that h same men might have
held up the Great Northern train near
that city.
Following the arrest in the vicinity
Of the school Of three suspect as they
were approaching a point where they
had hidden revolvers and other ma
tertal, 100 secret service men, private
and city detectives early in the day
began to search the locality for fur
ther evidence. The principal and teach
ers of Brown park school were thrown
into a small panic when they learned
what had occurred during the night
and an open basement window which
had been discovered during the morn
Ing formed the basis of an inyestiga-
ton.
Looted Pouches Found.
teachers, noticed that a ladder used for
reaching the attic of the building, and
which IS usually suspended from the
ceiling by a rope, had been displaced.
and the janitors were called. Lanterns
were produced and two men crawled
into the attic. They were astonished
to find eight registered mail sacks, two
raincoats, a long top coat and a pair
OF overalls. The police authorities were
notified and made a hurried trip to the
school building. Examination Of the
contents of the packages showed thai
every letter and package had beer torn
open and the contents of value re-
moved. In c case the letters were
stuck back into the envelopes, the rob
bers having satisfied themselves with
removing of money and other vaIu-
ables. There We're several jewelry
pdChd6eS, tHe contents OF which had
been taken by the robbers. There is
every indication that the robbers took
the mail pouches to near the school
Saturday night and removed them to
the school house attic Sunday night.
They secured entrance through the
basement, went up the stairway to the
main corridor and into the attic by
means Of the ladder. They were secure
from detection in the attic, which is
dark, and were able to examine the
contents of the pouches at their leisure.
The postof1ce authorities rail-
road officials are fully convinced that
in the arrest of Woods, Gordon and
T~ortensen they have secured the right
men. The chain of evidence already
secured is, in the minds Of the police.
sufficient to convict the men, and Chief
Briggs believes he will be able to se-
cure q confession from one of the trio.
The only regret is that the fourth man
should have made his escape. There
were but two officers to attempt four
arrests, and their work was made diff
fcult since the men kept scattered out
instead OF going in a body to the point
where the revolvers and other para
phernalia were hidden.
Omaha, Neb., June 1.-Woods. Tor
censor and Gordon, the men charged
with the Union Pacific train robbery of
May %. were arraigned this morning
before United States Commissioner An
derson. On motion of the government
the hearing was postponed until June Q