Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-03-24
.DESPERADOES
WORKED IN TRIO
Grimes, Hart and Miller Re-
sponsible for Chain of
Robberies
TIRED OUT THE BLOODHOUNDS
But GIimes's Thirst for Beer Led
to His Arrest in Ogden,
Utah.

Thrilling, indeed, is the history OF
i James Grimes and Dennis Hart, who
lately escaped from he jail in Albu-
querque just as they were about to
start for Roswell to be tried in the L.
S. court for safe blowing and burg
q larry. Working with George Miller,
they formed a well-drilled trio" sing
ing to the accompaniment of dynamit
explosions on a circuit which en-.
braced the Southwest.
The records of Grimes, Hart and
Miller are clearly written, perhaps
only in part, in the office here of the
territorial mounted police; but their
cleverness in arranging robberies and
safe blowing, their daring in attack,
ing government as well as private pro-
perty and their wonderful skill and
endurance in making their escapes
may be never fully known.
Certain it is that Grimes possessed
a dominant personality and appears to
have been able to get the sympathy
of his fellow convicts at the local pen
itentiary here to such an extent that
they helped him to hide himself in I
carload of brick and thus be wheeled
out of the city and county in a rapid
and safe manner
: Their History.
: Taken individually, or as trio,
4 Grimes, Hart and Miller seem to have
been busy in chain Of robberes but
: it does not appear that they made any
stupendous nauls of cash in any one
instance, though at the Belen robbery
they played hard luck" and missed
$4,000 which might have been theirs
"a had they known which safe to blow up.
Each is said to have made 50, 400, how
ever, since June, 1910, which would in
dicate that safe-blowing "a deux" or
"a trois" is fairly profitable busi-
: ness,
Mr.. Grimes.
= James Grimes was sent to the ter.
= ritorial penitentiary December %,
:. 1904, for blowing a safe at Magdalena.
, N. NJ, with Tony F. Bauer. On May
/, 8. 1906, Grimes escaped in a carload
v of brick that was shipped from the
q penitentiary. Blood hounds followed
# him but their feet got sore before
? they got scent of Mr.. Grimes.
al Grimes was next heard of when he
J. was captured about a year afterwards
at Clay Center, Kansas, where he had
figured in a safe-blowing episode. He
J. was brought back to the penitentiary
r here and served his time and was
7 released in June, 1910.
n Mr.. Hart.
'eI Dennis Hart, who also escaped from
Is the prison in the Duke City, was
y prisoner at the penitentiary during
ir the time Grimes was incarcerated and
m formed friendship for Grimes. Hart
n IS young man of 90 years and is a
If native of Las Vegas, N. NJ. He was
er considered incorrigble and was sent
T. to the penitentiary to serve time for
A burglary 1t is natural, and to be sup
n posed, that he admired Grimes ability
ly as safe-blower. Hart was released
Id December 1, 1909.
n Mr.. Miller.
ty George Miller, the third member of
III thls trio, was taken to Los Lunas
at last week, and where he plead guilty
IT, to blowing the safe of Becker Brothers
IT, in Belen with Grimes and Hart and re.
- celved three years sentence and was
Do taken to the penitentiary March 13.
q Miller was in the penitentiary with
" Hart and Grimes, having been senten.
ced for burglary in April, 1908, and
= was released in January. 1910.
- Hart and Miller blew the safe at
II Coors lumber yard at Las Vegas last
IT. fall and then Hart and Grimes blew
ay the safe in the postoffice at Dawson
III getting about $500 to 5000. Then
Ill they followed up their chain of safe
III blowing, next showing up at Trinidad
III blowing the safe of the Denver and
Rio Grande, but receiving only SCI
&C. for their trouble
iu They then turned trick in Amaril
II" 10, Texas, but it is not thought thai
'n- they got much money. Proceedins
De from there to their old haunts in New
% Mexico they showed up at Texico anc
'e blew the postofice safe getting owe,
re 5000.
GU But they were not yet tired of thei,
w. business. They went to Fort Sum
ns ner N. M. and blew the postoffice saft
hs and got $400
~ AS a Trio.
About four weeks afterwards Mile
had Joined Grimes and Hart formin,
>, vigorous trio and this trio blew tn
~ safe of Becker Brothers at Belen get
e ting $3.50, and lot of watches an,
ort rings. They missed large sum O
his money, however, which was conceal
,od ed in the Becker vault, having broke
- the wrong door.
lie. Hart is Caught.
,ad Hart was caught the following da,
me or train No. at Las Vegas. Abou
Me month afterwards Miller and Crime
,go were also caught in Ogden; Utah.
ist. Wanted Beer.
asst Grimes had been arrested as a sus
ap- pected safe-blower, for he is said t
is have looked the part Miller a