Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-09-26
CLEAN SHOES SAVE
HARROUN'S PARTY
Former Racing Champion and
Friends Suspected of Postoffice
Robbery in Nevada.
WERE ON CRoss.COUNTRY TRIP

Neither Ray Harroun nor any member
bile engineers had set foot on the muddy
highway that led them one night into
washburn. New. As a result. their shoes
were clean and the former worlds race
champion and famous motor car de-
signer as well as his party are still at
large and were enabled to finish their
transcontinental trip without being i'm
prisoncd.
Harroun and his party reached Wash
burn toward evening OF a long day =
run through the rain. They secured
rooms at the only hotel In town-a one
story structure garaged the two Max
well cars they We're using I'm the test
run, and went straight to bed where
they slept the sleep of the typical motor
tourist.
Twenty OF thirty feet from the suite
occupied by the Maxwell party stands
the village postoffice, and only a vacant
lot lies between. While the engineers
slumbered bandits broke into the post
office, blew open the safe, and escaped
with about $500 in cash and stamps.
Early in the morning, Harroun was
awakened by a heavy pounding on his
door which. when opened. disclosed a
burly, red-whlskered individual on whose
hip rested a young cannon and on whose
breast hung a brilliant star. proclaim
ing him the sheriff other belted and
starred minions of the law followed the
sheriff into the room. They demanded
to see the Maxwell mans shoes and these
were producted-a pair of tan oxfords,
clean and of exceedingly small size. The
sheriff shook his head and passed on to
similarly inspect the footwear OF each
other member OF the party.
Orr Under suspicion.
All save Tom Orr former race driver
and holder of the worlds nve-mlle
record made at Omaha last July. passed
muster at glance. One man stayed to
watch Orr; tho others took his shoes and
compared them with footprints in the
mud outside the postoffice window.
orr's shoes were large but not hob
nailed; also they were clear of mud and
actually dusty.
After a further inspection by the
sheriff, in which the baggage of the
party was subjected to detailed scrutiny,
the Maxwell men were allowed to leave,
congratulating themselves on their lucky
escape from the only difficulty of any
kind experienced on their whole trip
Harroun was greatly pleased with the
result Of his test trip in the new Max
wells. across two mountain ranges and
three deserts Elaborate tests of the
new cooling system were success full. The
new Maxwell clutch. running in oil,
proved itself a complete Success, greatly
Increasing the comfort of the passengers
and relieving the rear axle of all sud-
den strains.
I'VE met and overlook scores Of cars
on the transcontinental," said Harroun
Most of them were getting along all
% right, though at Kearney's Ranch there
were five hung up with rear system
trouble. None OF these were Maxwells
however. Rear system and clearance diff
ficulties are the ones which seem COM
monest in the rough country. 1t is hard
to believe that there are cars I'm which
the flywheel or the rear axle housing
hang lower than the front axle point OF
contact, but there are many OF them
Such cars have their troubles in the bad
lands west Of Salt Lake