The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-09-22

headquarters in Butte and operated
on . statewide basis.
An ex-convict from Butte 10 re-
ported by postal authorities to be the
leader Of the gang which since June
Is has secured loot that will total
several hundreds Of dollars. The
three men were captured at Superior
after one Of their number had been
shot through the head. The wounded
man gave the name Of Charles Ray.
His companions say they are Frank
Dupree and william Smith.
Makes His Escape.
It was Ray who received the charge
Of buckshot. and although he was
desperately wounded he succeeded in
escaping with his companions for the
time being. Later the trio were ar
rested and taken to Missoula.
Postal Inspector Tennyson Jeffer-
son Of Butte has charge Of the case.
The efforts Of the postal authorities
are now being directed toward the
work Of running down the remainder
Of the band which is believed to have
been. composed of more than half
q dozen men.
The federal authorities say they
have received information that may
lead to the Identification Of Ray, who,
under the name Of George Cole, took
part in q train robbery near Home
stake more than 20 years ago. At
that time Cole and his four pals were
captured and Cole was sentenced to
serve 81 years in the state peniten-
tiary at Deer Lodge.
The capture of the three men at
Superior followed a tip received by
the postmaster at that point that the
safe was to be broken into on a GER
tain night.
Guard Is Armed.
Accordingly a special guard was
placed ON duty in lookout inside the
building, armed with double-barrel
shotgun. The date for the supposed
robbery was ON the night of August
20. It was early in the morning
when the guard detected a man enter
ing the building while two guards
stood outside to sound a warning of
any danger.
The guard waited until he saw the
dark form bending over in front of
the safe and then fired directly at his
head. The charge took effect in the
forehead, but the burglar staggered
outside where his companions are
said to have aided him to escape.
Ray, who is now under heavy
guard in q hospital at Missoula, ap-
parently is about so years old. The
postal authorities declare their in
formation is to the effect that his
name is Cole. Positive Identification
one way or the other will not be
established until his prison record
and finger prints have been looked
up.
Almost . Fortune.
The report that this man is George
Cole serves to recall the attempted
holdup on the Northern Pacific more
than 20 years ago when q group Of
bandits had large fortune almost in
their grasp before fate interviewed and
they were compelled to escape with
only 20 cents, which they took from
q brakeman.
The robbers had received word Of
large shipment Of money over the
Northern Pacific and forthwith set
their plans to hold up the train, dyna-
mite the safe and escape with their
loot.
The names of the four men were
Jocko Furlong, better known among
gamblers as "Jocko the Kid; Long
Tom" Williams. George Cole and
George Howard.
Their plans as It was afterward
learned were we'll laid and would
probably have worked had it not been
for an unexpected delay in the train
service. Cole and Howard proceeded
to q point ON the railroad track just
above the old Country club while
Furlong and Williams rode the ten
der and were to stick up the engineer
and fireman after the others had
signalled the train to stop.
Unfortunately for the robbers, the
train for which they were waiting
was late and the Burlington passen-
ger pulled out ahead of the Northern
Pacific. Ignorant Of the change the
two bandits stopped the Burlington.
Discovering their mistake too late
they were compelled to take to the
hills.
Holdup Fails.
Furlong and Williams in the mean
time were riding the Northern Pa
cific out of Butte and at the desig-
mated spot they attempted the hold
up. They stuck up the fireman and
engineer and compelled them to un-
couple the express and baggage cars
from the main part of the train and
proceed around q nearby curve where
they attempted to dynamite the safe.
Again luck was against them for
In their ignorance Of dynamite they
placed the charge which was meant
to wreck the safe on top Of It without
taking the precaution of weighing It
down. The first. second and third
explosions which they set off served
A NEW OIL LAMP FREE