The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-03-30

900. This he took and got away
quickly.
So daring has been the robbery
that the authorities recognized the
imperative necessity of capturing its
perpetrator. The Dominion Govern
ment offered a reward of $4,000 for
him. This was increased to S12,-
500 by the railroad and provinica'
authorities. There was no doubt as
to the identity of the masked bandit.
His methods and his cool daring
identified him as non other than
"Old Bill" Miner.
With a small fortune offered as
price on his head, Miner vanished.
PIentifully supplied with money as
a result of his two train robberies,
it was not difficult for him to live.
Less than two years later, on May
I1O,l9G6, at II o'clock in the night,
as the transcontinental express of
the Canadian Pacific Railroad was
pulling up the heavy grade just east
of Durrer, British Columb bia, the en-
gineer was startled by the command
Hands up!" Looking around he
saw a small masked man climbing
over the tender, keeping him covered
in the mean time with revolver.
The engineer did not parley.
Obeying the command, he uncoup-
led the express car and took it mile
up the road. The masked robb II,
who was none other than "Old Bill"
Miner, kept him, the fireman and the
express messenger. covered with two
revolYers, while two pals broke open
the car and rifed it of it's contents.
A posse organized to pursue the
bandits soon found Miners compan-
| ions near the scene of the robbery.
Miner himself escaped to the islands
of the coast, but was hunted down.
They found him we'll entrenched. He
fought as long as there was a chance
for escape, then, finding himself sur
rounded, he surrendered.
The trial was a mem morabie one in
British Columbia The evidence was
conclusive. Although Miner claimed
his name was Edwards, the Pinker-
tons quickly established his identity,
and upon his conviction he was SEN
fenced to life Imprisonment.
"Old Bill Miner was sixty when
he became No. $50 and was enrolled
as lifer on the books Of the peni-
tentiary at New Westminster. Lie
apparently held little more in store
for him. The authorities believed
that at last he had run his race.
Little did they reckon on Miners
E.stuteness. With two companions
who with him were employed in the
brickyard of the prison he began to
plan for escape almost on the first
day of his incarcertion. Patiently
and persistently the three worked,
aud on August s, 1907, the three es-
lcaped through tunnel they had dug
beneath the wall surrounding the
brickyard. '..
] Rewards were offered for Miner.
His description was sent broadcast.
His photograph adorned the walls Of
every police station and detective Of
flee in the country. Neither pains
nor expense were spared In the
search for him, but all efforts were
unavailing.
"Old Bill" Miner disappeared for
more than three years. How he en-
ployed these years is not known. He
was heard from first last February.
It was but poor description the
engineer and conductor of the South
! ern railroad train that was held up
in Georgia could give of the men who
had participated in the hold-up. All
but one of the men. the trian men
declared, were obviously young, but
this one seemed to be older. He be-
haved as if he was the head of the
gang. He was about feet 8 inches
in height, weight about 1876 pounds,
had gray hair and a perceptible
squint.
The warning to look out for such
man went into the police head
quarters of many cities. When It
reached the Offices of the P!nker-
tons the same words were uttered
without a moments hesitation.
Its old Bill Miner"
And it was. Three days after the
hold-up a posse Of police came upon
three of the bandits camped in the
woods near Gainesville. The arrival
of the police took the outlaws cuih
pletely by surprise, and before they
could offer any resistance they were
manacled.
British Columbia has asked Geor-
gia to give up Miner in order that
he may be taken back to Canada to
serve out his life sentence. Georgia.,
however, is more likely to hold Its
prisoner. Justice there will be the
same as in British Columbia. "Old
Bill" Miner is doomed to be sentenc-
ed to spend the rest Of his days in
jail. To keep him there till the end
o. his days will be more difficult
matter
Now that his career Is about to
close, many stories of the methods
Miner employed during all the years
he was an outlaw are being told.
Daring as he was, utterly devoid or
nerves as he seemed to be, desperate
| in a pinch, ready to fight whenever