The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-07-22
BANDIT R0BS HIS
GUARDS, ESCAPES
Railroad Raffles Looks Like
Movie Hero-ChivalrOus
Boaster.

San Francisco, July 16.-'Nou u
hear from me pretty soon. I'LL pull
a big job that everyone will hear
about"
Postal authorities, federal end To-
cal peace officers thruout the west
are today anxiou5ly weighing TINS
boast of Roy Gardner bandit, made
TO dcputies from whom he escaped
while being taken to Mcneil Island,
Wash, under fifty years sentence lot
mail robbries.
The threat, considered in the light
of his past performances and his meh-
tal makeup. was being accepted at
full face value while word was await
ed from posses on his trail in the
Northwest.
Gardner. twice captured for postal
robberieg. has twice escaped after a
hooking taunt that he couldn't be
held.
Makes Crime History.
Not since the days of the Daltons
ald the Starr gang has q desperate
come up so spectacularly from the
ruck OF highway robbery, nor has
there been one with more evident
pride of criminal craft
There is nothing furtiVe about
Gardner. He looks like a stage
cowboy-hand9ome smiling, healthy
and happy, even when things are go
ing badly. He has nerve equal to
any Undertaking SO his outwtted
guardians describe the man. Also he
has 2 Rafflcs-like chivalry, as exem-
plified in his statement that one rob-
berry was staged to aid his wife and
in returning breakfast money to
his victims.
How he will attempt to execute his
promised big job" if he cludes cap
ture, officers are trying to surmise
from his past ventures. He has con-
fined himself to mail robberies, for
which he seems to have a penchant.
His care and daring in carrying out
crimes have only been equaled by his
facility in escaping after capture.
The inordinate vanity of the man
suggests to officers that he will again
attempt mail robbery since by his
own Boosting assertion he is not thru
with crime but will venture capture
or death again in the big job"
That this may be risked without
use of a gun is considered likely,
since Gardner prides himself rather
on success by wit than terror.
Says He Won't Kill.
III never use a gun to kill" has
been another of his vauntings.
This is hardly borne out, however,
by the story told by H. NJ. PyrOn,
fellow prisoner, who leaped from the
train after they had handcuffed the
deputies to the coach, and who was
recaptured by a posse at Kenosha,
Wash
Gardner" said Pyron, threatened
to kill me if | surrendered without
night. He kept two of the officers
pistols and gave me one when we
separated just before my capture"
Gardner's exaggerated conceit was
once more revealed when he told the
discomfited deputies just how he had
managed to wear the gun which got
him his liberty.
Precautions being taken by mail
authorities concede the fear that
Gardner will attempt at least one
other desperate venture to make good
his final boast in series of threats
fulfilled.
Even RObS CaptOrS.
In April, 1920, he held up mail
wagon in San Diego, Cal, and broke
away from officers. He was again
apprehended at Newcastle, Cal,
shortly after Southern Pacific train
had been robbed of $4,000 in regis
tered mail.
He said he would escape again.
by managing to secure and strap
Il gun on his abdomen so cleverly as
TO escape detection in the Sacrament
to jail, he caught deputy U. S. mar
shals off their guard on the train.
took their pistols and purses and
made a clean get-aWaV