Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-07-06
NERVE OF OFFICER
STOPPEDROBBERS
ON OREGON TRAIN
Portland Man Tells of the
Holding Up of West
Bound Passenger Train on
the O.-W. r. & N.

That it was due entirely to the nerve
and wit of Deputy Sheriff George NC
Duffey that the robbers who on Thurs
day hid up west bound train No.
on the O.-W. r. & n. did not succeed
in getting through all the coaches and
making a big haul, is the report made
of the affair by James Mulch OF Port
land, representing the Mcbride Whole
sale Tailoring company who is in the
city and who was on the relief trai-
that took the body of the dead train
robber and the passengers to PendlS-
ton.
Mr.. Mulch assisted in getting the
picture of the dead train robber, whom
II was believed at first was Hugh
Whitney. Mr.. Mulch did not believe
the robber was the noted bandit as ne
had observed pictures Of Whitney
closely before. Mr.. Mulch tells
graphic story Of the train robbery
which he gathered from talking with
different passengers.
After stopping the train he said
two of the robbers got on from the
rear and marched all the train crew,
even to the porters, through the
coaches to the express car, where they
disarmed the express agent and secured
a small box from the safe without dy-
namiting it, although they had nitro
glycerin for that purpose had they
needed 1t. The express car and the
engine were then uncoupled and run
about a quarter of a mile from the
main train while two OF the robbers re-
turned and began going through the
coaches. beginning with the smoking
car. number of the passengers who
had noticed the robbers 60 through
the train knew what was up and had
cached their valuables, but others were
asleep and handed out all they had
when awakened.
Pretended to Be Asleep.
Some Of the passengers were entirely
passed up by the robbers, which YVES
the case with Deputy Sheriff McDuffey,
who pretended to be asleep. No sooner
had the robbers, one Of whom was
walking backward and holding the sack
for valuables while the other held two
guns on the passengers walking close
to the first, passed him than he
whipped out his revolver and when
they were in the Vestibule where the
passengers were safe he opened fire,
shooting one OF the robbers twice in
the back and once in the head bringing
him down. AS he fell the other still
holding the loot grabbed one OF the
guns and returned the fire Of the
deputy The bullet went straight for
the officers breast. but. striking a
number of lead pencils and other OBJ
stacles in the deputy's vest pocket,
glanced and made a flesh wound The
car was so filed with smoke from the
black powder revolver that further
shooting was useless and the one rob
Der escaped and ran to the engine, CIV
i,Ig the alarm.
The bandit killed had two modern
AS Colt automatic revolvers. while the
deputy sheriff had only an old fash
toned black powder gun or he would
have likely gotten both men. The
deputy had been at Canon City, Colo,
testifying in a case and was en- route
10 his home when the hold-up occurred
and Just happened to be on the train"
Mr. Mulch states that all on the
train were greatly excited when the re-
lief train with the deputies on board
arrived. But few of them had heard
about or recognized the name of Hugh
Whitney, but the deputies who at first
thought he was the man killed felt
highly elated. Mr.. Mulch stated today,
however, that he was not surprised to
learn that the fellow was not the noted
bandit.