The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1922-09-15
CAPTURE THREE OF
BAD BANDIT GANG
ALLEGED POSTOFFICE ROBBERS
BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN
WORKING OVER STATE.
One Is Shot in Head While in Act of
Breaking Postoffice Safe at Supe-
rior and Escapes, But is Later Ar
rested With His Companions and
Is Held for Trial.

Recent capture of three men caugh
in the act of robbing the safe in tn
postoffice at Superior, Mont, ma.
lead to the breaking up of what il
believed to be by postal officials al
organized band of postoffice robbers
who during the last two months an(
a half are accused of burglarizing al
most a dozen postal safes. They are
believed to have maintained theil
headquarters in Butte and operated
on statewide basis.
An ex-convict from Butte is 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 we're 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.
80 Makes His Escape.
1t 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
a 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 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 Der Lodge.
The capture of the three men at
Superior followed 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 a lookout inside the
armed with a double-barrel
shotgun. The date for the supposed
robbery was on the night of August
49, 1t was early in the morning
when the guard detected man enter
ing the building while two guards
stood outside to sound a-warning of
any danger.
I, ,,~I ~ h. on 4 Ia
lark form bending over in front of
he safe and then fired directly at his
lead. The charge took effect in the
'orehead, but the burglar staggered
outside where his companions are
laid to have aided him to escape.
Ray, who is now under heavy |
guard in hospital at Missoula, ap-
is about so years old. The |
POSTAL authorities declare their in
ormation is to the effect that his |
lame is Cole. Positive identification
me way or the other will not be
established until his prison record
nd finger prints have been looked
p.
Almost a Fortune.
The report that this man is George
ole serves to recall the attempted
o1dup on the Northern Pacific more
han 20 years ago when a group of
andits had large fortune almost in
heir grasp before fate interviewed and
ley were compelled to escape with
My 20 cents, which they took from
brakeman
The robbers had received word of
1ar h ir,ro nj Of n 4
orthern Pacific and forthwith set
leir plans to hold up the train, dyna-
lite the safe and escape with their
,ot.
The names of the four men were
ocko Furlong, better known among {
as "Jocko the Kid; Long s
om' Williams, George Cole and I
gorge Howard. 7
Their plans as it was afterward !
were we'll laid and would 2
-obably have worked had it not been
II an unexpected delay in the train +
rvice. Cole and Howard proceeded :
point on the railroad track just !
Dove the old Country club while n
urlong and Williams rode the ten ,
IT and were to stick up the engineer !
|
gnalled the train to stop. r
Unfortunately for the robbers, the
ain for which they were waiting i
as late and the Burlington passen- +
II pulled out ahead of the Northern +
acific. Ignorant of the change the .
70 bandits stopped the Burlington G
scovering their mistake too late +
ey we're compelled to take to the "
lis.
Holdrp Fails.
Furlong and Williams in the mean v
ne were riding the Northern Pa n
'ic out of Butte and at the desig- r
ted spot they attempted the hold &
/. They stuck up the fireman and
gineer and compelled them to I'M h
uple the express and baggage cars q
I'M the main part of the train and Is
oceed around nearby curve where II
ey attempted to dynamite the safe.
Again luck was against them for 8,
their ignorance of dynamite they "
iced the charge which was meant Fl
wreck the safe on top of it without r.
King the precaution of weighing it h
wn. The first, second and third h,
blossoms which they set off served n