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Mug Shots of the de Autremont Brothers

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Western Americana Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 150.00 USD
Mug Shots of the de Autremont Brothers
SOLD
200.00USD+ (48.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2017 Apr 30 @ 15:00UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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In 1923 the de Autremont Brothers held up a train and killed four men. Four years later they were captured in Steubenville, Ohio. The note on back says, "...finally been captured and are under heavy guard prior to being arraigned." Photos are 5x7". Includes the book "All for Nothing: The True Story of the Last Great American Train Robbery" by Sturholm and Howard.



Their unsuccessful robbery of Southern Pacific Railroad express train and the murder of four crew members, known as the Siskiyou massacre, was subject to one of the largest and most extensive investigations in the region. The brothers were eventually identified with the assistance of forensic scientist Edward Heinrich, and were captured after a four-year nationwide manhunt.



Roy's statement after his arrest tells it all, "Roy gave the detonator a push and the mouth of the tunnel was rocked by a tremendous explosion. It was far stronger than we had planned. In fact, the blast was so severe that the mail clerk was blown to bits.[3] I then took the fireman and started back down the track to uncouple the mail car. But the gassy and smoky air was too thick so I called for the fireman. The fireman and engineer were then marched to the car. In a few seconds I saw someone coming with a red lantern from the passenger cars still in the tunnel. I shot at the man, who was a conductor, with my shotgun and at the same time Hugh shot him with his .45 Colt. The man staggered and I could see he was dying. Hugh walked over to him and shot him again, in cold blood. The engineer was put back into the cab and Hugh told him to pull the main car up ahead. He attempted to do this a number of times, but the engine wheels merely spun and the cars failed to move. Hugh then put the engineer back on the ground side next to the fireman while Ray and I looked the thing over to see what could be done about uncoupling the mail car and engine. But there was nothing we could do.

So we walked back to the mail car and entered through the blown out front end. Our flashlights could not cut the steam and smoke so we left the mail car. Hugh in the meantime had ordered the engineer back into the cab. The fireman was standing alongside the engine with his arms in the air. Ray and I had a brief consultation as to what we should do. We decided to kill the fireman. Ray shot him twice with the Colt. Hugh had the engineer covered and I shouted at him to bump him off and then we would clear out. We didn't want any witnesses. Hugh quickly shot the man in the head with his shotgun. We then fled to our cache which was between two and three miles northeast of the south entrance of the tunnel." State:Oregon City:Siskiyou Date:1923 ID#46923