Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-07-10
NAB TRAIN ROBBERS.
WERE ONLY 20 MILES FROM THE
SCENE OF HoLDUP WHEN MET
BY LA GRANDE OFFICER.
CHARLIE MANNING, LEADER OF GANG
He Was Fatally Shot During the Rob.
berry and Two Pals Who Escaped
Now Confess and Give up
Their Plumber.

Pendleton, Ore.-Albert Meadows
and Clarence Stoner, two of the three
train robbers who held up O.-W. r. &
N. train No. 5 near Mecham July 2,
were arrested Sunday by Deputy Sher-
if S. A. Batcheler of La Grande.
The leader of the gang, who was
shot and killed by Deputy Sheriff Geo.
McDuffee at the time of the holdup
is Charley Manning, a professional
gambler, and not Hugh Whitney, the
notorious outlaw.
All three robbers were from Coke.
vile, Wyo. Manning has a wife and
four children in Cokeville. He was
close personal friend of both Hugh
and Charley Whitney. Stoner is a
cousin Of the Whitney boys.
Diamond Hidden.
When arrested the two train rob-
bers were walking along the railroad
track in the direction of La Grande
and less than 20 miles from the scene
of the holdup. Neither was armed,
and offered no resistance when placed
under arrest. They had $3.50 in cash
and the 500 diamond ring taken from
H. B. Boyce, the Walla Walla brewer
who was passenger on the train, but
the diamond was hidden when they
were arrested. It was recovered later.
In conjunction with other officers
Batcheler has been : watching the
railroad track in the vicinity of La
Grande ever since the holdup. When
he saw these two men coming down
the track he stopped them, and not
being satisfied with their explanation,
took them into La Grande.
Robbers Confess.
Soon after their arrival Sheriff
Taylor secured complete confession
and promise from the men that they
would lead him and Wood to the point
where they had thrown away the ring,
and also to the place in the mountains
where they had cached their guns
and the valuables taken from the pas
sengers on the train.
According to the confession made
by Meadows the men are shepherd
ers, while Manning was a professional
gambler. They say Manning was the
leader, and the man who first sug-
gested the crime.
"GIad to Come In"
Il am mighty glad to come in and
have 1t all over WITH" said Albert
Meadows.
THAT Is exactly the way l feel
about it," agreed Clarence Stoner
when the two men were seen at the
county Jail. Continuing. Stoner said:
"This is the first time either Of US
was ever in trouble of this kind, and
the first time either of US was ever
under arrest"
Meadows says both his parents are
dead. Stoner says his mother and sis
ter are living at Asotin, Wash. Both
men spent the entire day in the noun.
tains with Sheriff Taylor and Agent
Wood picking up the loot taken from
the train at the time of the robbery.
All the Plumber Recovered.
When arrested the two men had in
their possession $685. and two diamond
rings. One Of these was valued at
$500 by the owner. H. B. Boyce, Wal
la Walla brewer.
After they we're halted by the dep
uty sheriff at Hilgard, II miles from
the scene of the robbery, Meadows
went down to the creek to get a drink
and placed the large diamond under a
stone in the water. Later, when he
found the officer was going to take
them into La Grande, he dropped the
smaller ring along the railroad track.
These two rings, the guns. and all the
plumber taken from the express car
and from the passengers we're recov-
cred and are now in the office Of Sher-
III Taylor. The articles were hidden
In four places several miles apart so
that the work of recovering them re-
Quired the entire day.