Ray and Roy DeAutremont On This Day In Oregon

On this day in 1923 the last great train robbery in the United States took place in southern Oregon. Twins Ray and Roy DeAutremont and their younger brother Hugh held up Southern Pacific's southbound train #13 in tunnel 13. The brothers jumped the train just before it entered the half-mile long tunnel, expecting that the blast of explosives they planned to use would be muffled inside.

The tunnel however, acted as an echo chamber especially since the robbers used more dynamite than necessary. In the brothers' attempt to blow the door off the mail car, they destroyed the car, the money held within, and killed four men. The brothers fled and hid in the woods. They were finally captured in 1927, following the most extensive and expensive manhunt in the U.S. to that time.



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