El Nuevo mexicano., 1918-01-17
Detective Tells Vivid
Story of Niger Arkansas
and Famous Robbery
(El Paso Morning Tlmesl

~@NACbI
One of the most sensational robberies
In the history of this district has been re-
called to 81 Pasonans in the confession of
Arkansas Humphreys. onetime Texas bad
man. made recently at Ration, N. M, when
the bandit testified that he took part in
the hold-up at French, N. NJ, in 1908, as
sisted in relieving a station agent Of
$35, 900, escaped. was later arrested,
brought to New Mexico, tried and acquit-
ted. The confession was made when the
former Texan sought to recover a part OF
the loot. Aa
Ben Williams, a Deceive, residing in this
city, was put to work on the case, and
among those arrested was Humphreys.
Friday Mr.. williams recalled the Incidents
of the case when he heard of the Ration
confession. He said:
Money for Dawson Company.
ION May IA, 1908, $4,000 was delivered
to Wells Fargo Express company at AL
buquerque by the First National bank Of
Albuquerque to be delivered to the Daw-
son Fuel company, in Colfax county, N.
M. The shipment left Albuquerque on q
Santa Fe train and arrived at French, a
junction point on the Santa Fe & FL Paso
oOuIAW CotCA W dbOut ~ nlACo lAOHl DdWoObs
where the safe containing the money was
delivered to the Santa Fe agent to be held
for the train going to Dawson, which would
arrive in the course of an hom \ SO.
shortly after the Santa Fe tran pulled
out = or French, two masked men, armed
with rifles. came out from under the de-
pot and covered the agent and a passeng-
er, who had gotten off the train They
compelled the passenger to break open
the safe, or stronghold, and took the money
and placed it in bags and then took the
station agent and passenger with them up
the track, about a quarter Of a mile, cross
ed the arroyo and went to where their
horses were being held by a third man,
and made their escape for the time being.
Run Down Bandits
Accompanied by Capt. Fred Fornoff of
the New Mexico mounted police, | went to
French to make an investigation. We
found tracks of the two men under the
depot, which showed that the men who
committed the robbery had been conceal
ed there and had had eatables and water
in a bottle, and that through a hole in
the platform they could see everything
that was going on on the outside; and
COhA0 DOOh AhC tAO DoLC &OhbuAAAAh5 etA"
money was taken off the train.
From French we went tc Springer, N.
NJ, and obtained information which con.
WINGED us that a man who had been stop.
ping there for several weeks under the
name of Arkansas, was one of the robbers.
From the information obtained at Springer,
and from a picture furnished by Capt John
u IIt,ohno ne tho fnavoc Dnpyare Arlkanada
was identified as being Burke Humphreys,
a noted desperate of western Texas, and
with whom the rangers had had several
fights. AS q result of the investigation,
warrants were issued for Burke Hum
phreys, a passenger who helped to break
open the box, and another citizen of Col
fax county. Burke Humphreys was ar.
rested in Wichita and brought back by
Capt. Dodge of the Wells Fargo detective
force, and about $1,000, which had been
given a woman in Wichita, was recovered.
This three men indicted were brought
to trial in Ration, N. M, and were found
not guilty by a jury Of that county.
Confirms Williams story
Humphreys confession to the Ration
grand jury confirms Mr.. Williams story
in detail. But adds that he was asked to
Join in the robbery by Ed---,whoso
relatives stifl live in. the west. AL Eds
suggestion, Humphreys brought two race
horses and took them to a ranch, where
they were trained for long running. on
the appointed day Ed appeared with a
third man, well mounted, and the three
rode to French. One remained with the
horses and the other two got under the
station platform, and assisted by the pas
senger, took the money and rode back TO
the ranch The $4,000 was split four
ways and Humphreys left his share at the
ranch with a woman while he returned to
Texas and got into a fight with the rang.
ers. J. h. Hughes was captain and Ed
Bryant, now chief deputy sheriff, were in
the fight.
The reason for the confession was Hum
phreys' inability to recover his money
from the woman. She gave him only
$1,000.
Captain Hughes and other old.timers on
the border remember Humphreys we'll.
After telling his story to the Ration
grand Jury, he has disappeared complete
".