The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-07-01
Edward Oscar Heinrich Of
University of California Is
Super.Detective w h O s e
Work Brought About Ar
rest Of Men Who Bombed
Mail Train, killing Four

Sam Francisco. July L. (NEA) -
A quiet, studious instructor in
chemistry at the University of Cali
fOrnia-thc last person in the world
one would have picked as relent-
less man understands revealed to-
day as the super-detective whose
work brought about the arrest of the
| three D'Autremont brothers, who
! bombed mail train and killed four
| men in the Oregon mountains in the
fall Of 1928.
The man is Professor Edward Os-
car Heinrich. In real life he did
work that rivals the tabled exploits
of Sherlock Holmes.
Hugh, Ray and Roy D'Autremont
fled into the Siskiyou mountains after
blowing up a mail car and killing
four men. No man had seen them.
Behind them they left only four very
| slender clues-a revolver, a knapsack
| containing overshocs, pair Of
greasy overalls and magnetic which
had set off the explosive that
wrecked the mail car.
Told the Whole Story
Inspectors Of the postal service
took these clues to Professor Helm
Mich. He examined them infinitely
and then, in true Sherlock Holmes
fashion, announccd:
That one Of the killers was brown
haired, left-handed, about rs years
old, FIVE feet eight inches tall, heavy
set, neat in his personal habits, and
former worker in the lumber camps
of Oregon and Washington.
The overshoes, soaked in creosote,
had been worn to throw bloOdh0unds
off the track. In the knapsack that
contained them were found several
grains of rock salt. Professor Helm
rich pointed out that this indicated
the bandits had used cattleman's
cabin as a rendezvous. The inspec-
tors looked for such a building near
the scene of the crime.
They found one, five miles away.
In the cabin was towel. Professor
Heinrich examined this under the
microscope. He found short bits Of
hair clinging to it. The man had
used it after shaving. Examination
of the hair proved that three men
had taken part in the holdup.
What the Overalls Told
He had gained his knowledge Of
the physical aspects of one of the
robbers from the size and cut of the
overalls; pitch from pine trees had
been sticking to part of this gar
ment, and this had told him the man
had been a lumberman. Other marks
on the overalls had shown that the
man stood habitually with his right
side toward the trees, welding his
axe in left-handed manner. Micro
scopic examination of bits Of hair
clinging to the 0veralls, compared
with table of hair conditions at
different ages, indicated his age.
Then, deep in an overall pocket,
was found crumplcd, faded bit Of
paper. Professor Heinrich put this
under the microscope and found it
was a postal money order receipt.
He was able to make out its number
and postal inspectors, tracing it,
found 1t had been issued to one Of
the D'Autremonts.
With all Of these facts at their
disposal. the postal inspectors had
something to 60 on in their hunt.
They promptly began to 60 through
the north woods lumber camps, ques-
tioning foremen and gang bosses.
Presently their search was re-
warded. Near Eugene, Ore. they
found q camp from which three
brothers, known as radicals, had dis
appeared shortly before the holdup.
These three were the brothers
D'Autremont. The inspectors soon
were in possession Of photographs
and complete descriptions Of them.
But still the hunt had only
started. Although the inspectors
were fairly sure Of the identity Of
the slayers, they had not the faint
est idea Of where they were.
!: Thorough Work
Now comes revelation Of the
thoroughpess with which postal
authorities run dSwn 4 fugitive.
Two and half million circulars
containing photographs and complete
descriptions Of the fueitives wsre
printed and mai1ed Throughout the
world. Every postoffice in the
United States displayed these posters.
Dentists were sent chafts describine
the Filings in the D,Autroanonts'
tsslh; optometyists were sent de-
fe