The DeAutremont Brothers Page 4

  In Manila a statement was released to the media saying that, “On April 22, 1924 James C. Price enlisted in the United States Army in Chicago was detailed to foreign service. He arrived in the Philippines early in 1925, being assigned to Company B, 31 st Infantry. Yesterday Price was positively identified as Hugh DeAutremont at Los Banos by an Inspector of the U.S. Post Office Department aided by army authorities.”

  When Paul was questioned by the media, he stated the suspect arrested could not be his son as, “It isn"t in our makeup. We are not that kind of people.” He went on to say that, “Hugh was just out of high school and was too green to make his escape with all the police in the world looking for him and with the three boys together escape would have been still more impossible. I never expect to see my boys alive again. I have helped the authorities look for the boys as I am just as anxious as they to have my boys" names cleared as it was my lifework rearing them to manhood.” It was Paul"s firm belief that the boys were killed by the bandits and their clothes had been abandoned near the crime scene. The fact that the bloodhounds were never able to locate the boys only bolstered that fact for Paul.

  The U.S. Postal authorities were elated that after more than three years of searching they did indeed have “their man.” They told reporters they were just about to send investigators to Germany and New Zealand to follow up on tips that had come in recently. They quickly made arrangements for Hugh to return to America to face the music. There was no time to wait for copies of the Federal Court indictments and bench warrants to be sent to Manila so the U.S. Army said they would send Hugh back to the U.S. as an army prisoner aboard the U.S. Army transport, Thomas. Corporal Reynolds received $5300 for his part in bringing Hugh to justice.

  Back in the U.S. there was much wrangling as to whether the state or the Federal government would try the case. The state of Oregon had six indictments but the Federal government had also brought in a grand jury that had returned secret indictment(s) against the DeAutremonts. The indictments were presumed to be assault and robbery of the U.S. mail.

  The San Francisco bay area is known for its thick fog that can cast a dreary spell over an otherwise vibrant city. It can roll in anytime of the year and linger for days. On March 17, 1927 the U.S. Army transport Thomas made its last leg of a long journey from the Philippines arriving in San Francisco. The fog hung over the city in a dark and gloomy manner that was perhaps a premonition of things to come for Hugh, not the least of which was that he was to be held on Alcatraz Island. The fog shrouded Alcatraz as though it refused to let any warmth or sunshine on to the dreaded island. The wind howled relentlessly across the island as if trying to tell a dark and foreboding story. The Thomas was met by a tugboat and Hugh was brought to the island. The heavily manacled young soldier walked up the steep stairs, his leg irons clanging as he made his way to the top of the island where America"s most dreaded prison stood. He was heavily guarded by three military guards who had their weapons at the ready should he make one final break for freedom. As the thick steel doors clanged shut the echoes should have left no doubt in Hugh"s mind that his days of freedom were now a distant memory. Any thoughts the young 23 year old soldier had about his future as a free man had come to a crashing halt. C. Riddiford from the U.S. Postal Service had traveled from his office in Spokane, Washington to question Hugh. Up until his arrival on Alcatraz Island, Hugh"s demeanor had been that of a happy-golucky man. That began to change inside the cold, damp concrete prison as the hours of questioning dragged on. Hugh continued to deny any part in the murders that took place at the Siskiyou Summit.

  Thinking that Hugh might confess to his own mother, the authorities sent for Belle who was still living in New Mexico. They assured Belle that if Hugh were to confess things would go better for him. On March 23, 1927 Belle arrived in San Francisco by train. The train stopped a distance from the station and she was whisked away by the postal authorities before the press could get to her. Riddiford acted as a decoy at the actual station where the press clamored to find out what was going on. Mother and son spoke for several hours but if a confession was what the authorities hoped for, they were sorely disappointed. The media reported that Hugh changed his story a bit telling his mother that he and his brothers like many men during prohibition had been operating a still in the mountains. Their only mistake was that they were near Tunnel 13 when the murders took place.

  Up north there was much discussion as to when Hugh would be extradited to Oregon and whether the state or the Federal government would be in charge. Riddiford put those questions to rest when he announced that although they weren"t done questioning Hugh, he had wired the sheriff of Jackson County and told him the prisoner could be returned to Oregon to face murder charges. Upon receiving the wire, Sheriff Ralph Jennings made plans to travel that evening to San Francisco on the Shasta Express train. The sheriff was asked by reporters where Hugh would be confined once back in Oregon. The sheriff replied that, “So far as I know now, he will be kept in the jail at Jacksonville in what is known as the “jolly” cell on the second floor of the jail, which is perfectly safe, being drill and saw proof. He will also be guarded day and night by armed guards and not allowed to see visitors.” Sheriff Jennings went on to say, “It is not generally known that there is no safer jail in Oregon than that at Jacksonville, except at Portland.”

  There was some talk of a change in venue but Jackson County District Attorney Newton D. Chaney made a valid point when he stated, “The case is so well known all over the state that the defendant could get a square deal in this county as well as in any other.” Chaney added that he would emphatically oppose a change of venue. It was reported that a representative from the U.S. District Attorney"s office would attend the trial and if Hugh were to be acquitted in the state court, the government would then try him in Federal Court on their indictment.

  On March 26, 1927 Hugh left Alcatraz Island to return to the very place he had fled from three and-a-half years prior. He had traveled half way around the world in a desperate attempt to leave the memories of October 11, 1923 far from the recesses of his mind. He was heavily manacled and handcuffed to U.S. Secret Service agent George Richards as he left Alcatraz Island not knowing what the future held for him but fearing it would be death by hanging. They took the ferry to Oakland where he was turned over to the care of Sheriff Jennings. Richards accompanied them on the journey. Sheriff Jennings had made arrangements for extra guards to meet the train when it arrived in Medford fearing that Hugh"s life could be in danger from people understandably upset about seeing him. He need not have feared such an event since the train was met by an estimated crowd of five hundred people all vying to catch a glimpse of the subject of a worldwide manhunt. As they exited the train at 11:09 a.m. on Sunday, March 27, 1927 Hugh posed for photographs. He was dressed in a sleek suit and carried a hat. Had it not been for the fact that the handsome 23-year-old soldier was handcuffed to a U.S. Secret Service agent, one might have thought a celebrity had arrived in town, given the crowd"s enthusiasm.

  A reporter for the Medford Mail Tribune had been allowed to interview Hugh on the train between Ashland and Medford. Riddiford was not present on the train ride to Oregon and would undoubtedly have vehemently opposed such an interview. The reporter wrote a story for the paper speaking to Hugh"s jovial nature during the train ride. When the reporter commented on Hugh"s straw hat, he replied, “I"ve heard so much about your climate, I thought I would set the style.” Hugh was asked how he had slept the night before to which he replied, “I slept splendidly and had a fine rest.” When questioned how he had been treated since he"d arrived at Alcatraz Island, he stated, “I was thoroughly quizzed but it was done in a humane manner, in a progressive way and without any third degree tactics formerly used with men accused of serious crimes. I would like to have you say that I have been treated nicely and SheriffJennings is a fine fellow and officer.” Hugh described his army enlistment in Chicago up until his arrest in the Philippines. He spoke highly of the athletic opportunitie
s in the Army and stated he was a member of his company"s volleyball, track and basketball teams. The reporter asked Hugh if he"d ever been in Medford before. He answered in the affirmative but added he couldn"t remember when.

  Upon exiting the train Hugh was whisked away by a waiting automobile to the jail in Jacksonville. As they approached the vehicle, a reporter called out, “Are you guilty?” to which Hugh just shook his head no and said with a grin,“We"re innocent and I"ve come back to prove it.”

  The Jacksonville jail is a two-story building that was built in 1911 and still stands today. Shortly after his arrival Hugh had his first visitor, his father who he had not seen in nearly four years. During those years Paul was convinced his son was dead but after their visit, Paul reported to the media, “It"s Hughie alright.” Paul was asked if he"d asked Hugh about the robbery to which Paul replied, “No, I didn"t ask the boy if he was implicated in that crime. I didn"t want him even to think his father ever considered him guilty. He told me without my asking, he didn"t do it and I believe him.” A reporter asked Paul, “What if he beats the rap?” Paul quickly replied, “Then we"ll start right where we left off. Hughie planned to study law at the University of Oregon.” When asked how his son looked, Paul smiled and said, “Army life seems to agree with him. Though he"s a bit thinner than I remembered.” Paul hired Fred E. Smith of Eugene to represent Hugh and Belle also hired an attorney, Elmer Robinson to assist.

  Belle took a train from New Mexico to be near her son in Oregon. She visited him in jail and told the waiting reporters she intended to stay by her son and help him in every way she could. A family in Medford took Belle in and let her stay with them during the trial.

  Within the confines of the Jacksonville Jail Hugh had three complaints; 1. It was too cold in the jail. 2. He wasn"t allowed to shave daily. 3. He wanted to be able to exercise outside each day. He complained to the reporters, “This is different from the Philippines, and I"ve been wrapped in a blanket most of the time since I"ve been here.” He also stated, “The only exercise I get is running around these top cells. I think I ought to have a little fresh air daily.” In regards to his list of complaints, District Attorney Chaney cautioned the public to not fall victim to feeling sympathy for Hugh as he was concerned, and rightfully so, that a lot of the public had taken a liking to the young soldier. Chaney was quoted in the Medford newspaper as saying, “I trust the people of the state will not overlook the seriousness of the crime committed, and be swayed by sentiment for this boy. I think I am justified in saying that he will have a fair trial in the Court of Jackson County and, while I have not talked this matter over with his attorney, I don"t believe he will seek a change in venue. Another thing that is being used somewhat as a sympathy creator is the fact that the apprehension of Hugh has brought together his father and mother, who have been estranged for years. This is natural. Difficulties which may have existed between the two would naturally be submerged by the situation which their son faces, after all he is their son.” Hugh"s attorney, Robinson declared that Hugh would plead not guilty and he went on to say that, “If he were guilty of this crime he would have been broken down before this. Grilled by Federal and Army officials for weeks and during all that time allowed to see no one but those against him. Human nature– guilty human nature– couldn"t stand up against a thing like that. No, Hugh never killed anyone. He isn"t the killer kind and when the time comes we will prove it.”

  On April 2, 1927 Hugh appeared in court for the first time. When asked to enter his plea on four counts of murder, he answered not guilty. The trail was set for April 12 th but then moved to May 2 nd to give both sides time to prepare. As he was being led back to jail, a reporter asked Hugh if he was ready for the trial. Raising his handcuffed hands he laughingly shouted, “Tell the jury I guess I"ll be there when it starts!”

  A lawn separates the jail from the courthouse and it was there that men were hanged for lesser crimes than what Hugh was accused of. The two-story brick courthouse was constructed in 1883 at a cost of $32,000. Jacksonville, like so many towns sprang to life when gold was discovered. That occurred during the winter of 1851-1852. Jacksonville became a bustling town, growing to a population of 2000 rather quickly. Other small towns came to life surrounding Jacksonville, one of those was Ashland. Ashland is known today for being home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In 1883 the Southern Pacific Railroad made plans to bring the railroad into Southern Oregon. They already had a line stretching from Portland to Roseburg and they wanted to continue the line to Ashland. They decided there wasn"t enough room for a round- about in Jacksonville so instead they chose some open scrub land located six miles south. The area was soon named Medford. With the arrival of the railroad, Medford began to bustle as people decided this was the place to be. In turn Jacksonville became a sleepy village as more and more people called Medford home. Just a few months prior to Hugh"s trial, the citizens had voted to move the county seat to Medford. The first attempt to do so was narrowly defeated but in 1926 the voters agreed it was the right thing to do. A new courthouse was being planned as Hugh"s trial got underway. Hugh"s trial was the last trial ever held in the Jacksonville Courthouse.

  The capture of Hugh only intensified the worldwide search for his twin brothers Ray and Roy. But where in the world were the twins hiding?

  Chapter VII Although all three of the DeAutremont brothers were close, it was probably hardest for Ray and Roy to separate that cold November morning along the Klamath River as they had spent so much time together in their 23 years. The brothers had made arrangements before separating to write letters to each other care of general delivery in various California towns they planned to stay in.

  After Hugh left, Roy continued to work for the farmer in Yreka. At first everything was fine and Roy even attended services at the Mormon Church with the family. But when the farmer, Bill Johns began questioning Roy about his background, he decided it was time to leave. Roy made it to Sacramento and worked in the fields of a vineyard. Seeing wanted posters everywhere he went, Roy became paranoid that detectives were following his every move. He wrote to Ray who was using the alias William B. Elliott as previously arranged when they parted company.

  What Ray didn"t realize was that the government had discovered that alias and it was printed on the wanted posters. Had any postal workers been paying attention to the mail that came through their department, they might have received a large reward and saved the government hundreds of thousands of dollars in conducting a worldwide search.

  The brothers exchanged letters and agreed to meet in Vacaville, California. It had been half-a-year since they had seen one another and they hugged and cried upon laying eyes on each other. Neither had heard from Hugh which concerned them. Roy related his worries that detectives were following him. He told of having to go to the post office with a fellow ranch hand to collect the mail for his employer, Uhl Ranch of Vacaville. While there, the other worker was studying a wanted poster that portrayed someone he used to know. Roy got his co-worker out of the post office before he could see the DeAutremont poster.

  The twins decided it would be best to head out east. The only problem was that neither of them could afford a train ticket and they were afraid to risk riding the rails. Therefore they decided to head back to their respective jobs and save enough money so they could leave the west coast once and for all.

  It didn"t take Ray very long to save the money and he wrote to Roy to inform him he was heading to Detroit and would be using the alias Jimmie Williams. Meanwhile Roy was earning $2.50 a day and was finding it difficult to save the money for train fare. Ray arrived in Detroit and landed a job at an iron foundry. After six months on the job he was able to save enough money to send Roy train fare to Detroit. Roy arrived in December just in time for winter. Within days of arriving in the motor city, Roy began seeing detectives wherever he went.

  Ray didn"t know what to think of this but he tried to reassure Roy that he was imagining things. That only made Roy more agitated. He was posit
ive the detectives were simply waiting for him to lead them to Hugh so that all three brothers could be arrested at once.

  Roy took a job 35 miles outside of Detroit, in the town of South Alliance. He worked at a hotel there washing dishes. At first there were no wanted posters but soon after his arrival he spotted one. That led to his belief that once again detectives were following him. One day while visiting with a friend on the porch of the hotel, the friend asked Roy why there were so many detectives around. Roy assured him there were no detectives but his heart was racing. He wrote a letter to Ray explaining the situation. Ray responded that he didn"t think there was a problem. Soon after Roy was fired from his job and he left South Alliance and went back to Detroit to be near Ray. This time Ray was even spooked about hearing the story of the detectives at the hotel so they fled Detroit, not even taking the time to pick up Ray"s final paycheck. At first they headed for Canada wanting to leave the United States behind. When more rational thoughts took over they realized the Canadian border would probably be awash with wanted posters. Roy had heard of the Ocracoke Island off the coast of North Carolina which was supposed to be a good place for those running from the law. The twins figured if they could make it to the island, they would be set for life. Their dreams of a safe haven were dashed when they batted the idea around to some hobos while waiting to catch a freight train. The hobos informed them that in order to get to the island they would have to get past the police in West Virginia and North Carolina which would be extremely difficult.

  The twins decided to head instead for Ohio. They came across an abandoned shanty and made that their home for a brief time. Next they headed to Sulphur Springs where they took on the aliases of Elmer and Clarence Goodwin. Ray, as Elmer, and Roy, as Clarence, found work making railroad ties. Ray seemed to thrive at the job and even liked his boss, Gene Thaller. It was through Thaller that Ray met Bill Sprouse who would change his life in a way he never thought possible.