The new era., 1909-06-17
BREAKING UP OF
CANON CITY GANG
RosBERlEs, RURGLARIEs, POST.
OFFICE THEFTS AND PLOT TO
DYNAMITE HOUSES.
SUSPECTS PUT in JAIL
A BOYS CONFESSION REVEALS
STRANGE RECORD OF UNsUS-
PECTED CRIMINALS.

Denver-A Canon City special to
The Republican Tuesday says: That
the officers here have succeeded in
breaking up one of the worst gangs OF
criminals that ever infested commun-
ity in Colorado, was made evident today
by sensational developments at the
county Jail, where R. d. McClelland and
his confederates, Charles Crowder.
Charles Stevens and other members of
the gang, are confined on various
charges
For two days Postoffice Inspector
Gregg of Denver, Sheriff Esser and
District Attorney Locke have put the
prisoners through such a severe sweat
ing process that enough evidence has
been secured to fix the positive guilt
of the parties, not only as to numerous
robberies and burglaries. but also In
the looting of the postoffice here OF
valuable letters.
A confession was also made of a
plot to dynamite the homes of prom
inent citizens here through revenge.
That R. d. McClelland, former
school teacher and well known and
prosperous ranchman, should have
been the instigator OF the crimes
charged against this gang, seems al
most incredible, and that Charles
Crowder, an eighteen-year-old boy well
known here, should have SO black
criminal record, seems equally impos-
sible. The apprehension and convic-
| ton of these men grew out of a series
of circumstances almost identical in
their character, and the fifteen-year-
old girl, Nellie Hart, was the means
of bringing about their downfall.
Crowder is now under conviction
for perjury and McClelland for subor-
dination of perjury, the former under
sentence to the reformatory, and the
latter to the penitentiary.
A few days ago Crowder made
confession to Sheriff Esser, implicat-
ing McClelland and others in whole
sale robberies, and among other things
the robbery of letters from the post
office February Goth last, especially
duplicating Charles Stevens, half
breed Mexican, at that time cook in
a restaurant here, but more recently
at Salida.
Crowder told of the opening of about
a dozen of these letters in McClel-
/ lands home and the finding of numer-
Gus checks, valuable papers and some
| money. The letters were mailed by
prominent business men here who had
complained of the loss to the postal au-
| thorities, but no clue was obtained un-
til Crowder's confession. The letters
were mailed through a narrow slit in
the front of the postoffice lobby, late
at night, after the office was closed,
and were extracted from the inside of
the office by using thin piece of
wood, upon the end of which honey
was smeared and to which the letters
adhered, so that they were easily
pulled out by the thieves.
Postmaster Lewis, upon learning of
the confession, notified the inspector
in charge at Denver and Inspector
| Gregg was sent here, arriving yester-
day and an investigation was immedi-
ately begun.
| Shteriff Esser went to Salida and ar
rested Stevens whom he brought heNe
and who was today accused by the
| postoffice inspector, the district at
torney and the sheriff of robbing the
| United States mail.
Stevens became furiously angry and
denied his own guilt, but implicated
McClelland in the matter and further
stated that McClelland had planned
the dynamiting Of the home of Dis
trict Attorney ]. T. Locke, County
Judge j. l.. Cooper, Undersheriff John
| Chetelat and Pure Food Inspector
Richard Houle. Stevens vas to
do the work and McClelland fur
nished him with the explosives and
went with him at night to the various
homes. where survey of the premises
was made. Stevens claims that he re-
fused at the last moment to carry out
the plans.
To partially corroborate Stevens
story Sheriff Esser found in Stevens
purse memorandum in McClelland's
own handwriting, with the name and
| street number of each of the parties
mentioned.
The trustees of Westminster Univer-
sity at Denver have elected the follow