Ray DeAutremont
Encyclopedia
Ray Charles DeAutremont (March 30, 1900-December 20, 1984, Eugene, Oregon
), also known as Ray d'Autremont, R.C. Burton, William Elliot, Elmer Goodwin, and Charles R. Joseph, was a member of the DeAutremont Brothers
, who were the sole members and accomplices to perform the Last Great Train Robbery. Ray, however, was the ringleader of the group of would-be train robbers.
they had purchased in town just weeks earlier. On October 11, 1923 just outside of Medford, Oregon
, 15 miles south of Ashland, Oregon
, Ray, Roy, and Hugh hid in Tunnel 13. Once the train "of their dreams," Southern Pacific Train No. 13 (The Gold Special, as it was known) entered the tunnel, the brothers jumped aboard and made their way carefully up to the engine cab. They ordered Engineer Sidney Bates to stop the train when the engine cleared the south end of the tunnel. They then ordered Bates to uncouple the mail car presumed to carry the $40,000. But Bates either refused or was unable to uncouple the cars. Hugh shot and killed Bates with a single shotgun blast. Roy then fired two fatal shots into Fireman Marvin Seng, who had been travelling in the engine cab with Bates. Seng was standing on the ground next to the train, with his hands raised, when he was cut down by Roy's Colt. 45. The smoke and heat from the mail car fire made it impossible for the DeAutremonts to board the mail car. They panicked and fled into the woods. But in the process, Roy DeAutremont dropped his Colt .45 on the railroad tracks and abandoned his coveralls.
The DeAutremonts had killed four persons, left several passengers cut and injured by flying glass from the explosion and fled with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and the few firearms left in their possession. To add insult to their injured egos, the brothers later learned there was no $40,000 in cash aboard the train.
Finding these bits and pieces of evidence was easy; finding the DeAutremont brothers was something else. Although U.S. Postal officials spent a half million dollars circulating wanted posters, containing pictures of the three brothers, all over the nation and in several foreign countries, it took nearly four years to track them down.
Hugh DeAutremont joined the U.S. Army in hopes of avoiding capture, changed his name to James C. Price (purportedly using the name "James" in honor of his boyhood idol, Jesse James) and was sent to the Philippine Islands. His two brothers traveled in different directions for awhile before reuniting and moving to Ohio. They both got jobs in a Steubenville, Ohio, steel mill, under the assumed last name of "Goodwins." Ray took the name "Elmer Goodwins" and Roy, "Clarence Goodwins."
Ray and Roy spent the next three years in constant fear that they would make a fatal slip, saying something that would tie them into that unsolved train robbery attempt in Oregon. To avoid recognition, Ray bleached his hair white and both he and Roy grew bushy moustaches. Yet, they were constantly looking over their shoulders, fearing that someone was spying on them.
Hugh, on the other hand, felt relatively safe—serving his country several thousand miles away in the South Pacific. But a fellow Army soldier, who had been transferred back to the States and stationed at the Army prison on Alcatraz Island (before it became a federal penitentiary) in early 1927, recognized his old Army buddy James Price from a picture on a wanted poster, above the name Hugh DeAutremont. He contacted his commanding officer, who in turn notified Army officials in the Philippines.
After several hours of intense questioning, Hugh DeAutremont revealed his true identity, but steadfastly denied any knowledge of the train robbery. In March, 1927, he was sent to the Alcatraz Island military prison where he was held in custody until Jackson County Sheriff Ralph Jennings arrived in the Bay Area by train to take the robbery suspect back to Oregon. DeAutremont was lodged in the Jacksonville City Jail.
Back in Ohio, Hugh's two brothers were getting restless. Fearing the law was closing in on them, they decided to flee to Mexico. But before they could leave, a fellow employee at the Steubenville, Ohio steel mill recognized them from a wanted poster and notified postal authorities and the U.S. Bureau of Investigation—later renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities laid a trap for the two brothers. They put out notices that there were better paying jobs at another steel mill on the outskirts of Steubenville and made sure Roy DeAutremont knew about it. When Roy turned up looking for the job, he was arrested. He later admitted his true identity, but like his younger brother Hugh, denied any involvement in the Oregon train robbery.
Next, authorities went to Ray DeAutremont's home and informed his wife that Roy had been injured in a steel mill accident. She awakened Ray and told him. He was arrested moments after leaving his house.
Along the way, curious on-lookers would turn out at train stations all across the country to catch a glimpse of the notorious train robbers.
They arrived in Jacksonville, Ore., on June 21—the final day of brother Hugh's second murder trial. (His first ended in a mistrial after one of the jury members died.) The jury found Hugh guilty as charged of the four murders, although he had entered a plea of not guilty and had maintained his innocence all the way through the 12-day trial.
Convinced they could fare no better in a jury trial, Ray and Roy DeAutremont both pleaded guilty to the murder charges on June 22, 1927. All three brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment and were sent to the Oregon State Penitentiary on June 24, 1927.
The three brothers spent the next three decades behind bars and were even described by some prison officials as "model prisoners." Hugh published a prison publication called "Shadows," which won two national awards. Ray was a frequent contributor to "Shadows."
Ray and Roy shared a cell at the prison for a while until Roy gradually became mentally ill. It took six prison guards to subdue Roy after he went berserk and began wrecking all of his cell furniture. He was later sent to the Oregon State Mental Hospital where doctors performed a prefontal lobotomy. The operation successfully subdued Roy DeAutremont, but robbed him of most of his mental faculties.
Hugh DeAutremont, who had become terminally ill with cancer, was paroled from prison on Nov. 24, 1958, and died less than three months later in San Francisco.
Roy DeAutremont died in 1983 at a Eugene care center. Ray, who was paroled in 1961, worked several years as a custodian at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He became a free man in 1971 when the late Gov. Tom McCall commuted DeAutremont's two consecutive life sentences.
care center at the age of 84. One of his close friends from later in life, Lucretia, said that Ray was nothing but sweet, kind and gentle, despite his long history after serving 34 years in a federal prison.
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
), also known as Ray d'Autremont, R.C. Burton, William Elliot, Elmer Goodwin, and Charles R. Joseph, was a member of the DeAutremont Brothers
DeAutremont Brothers
The DeAutremont Brothers, Hugh DeAutremont , Roy and Ray DeAutremont , were a criminal gang based in Pacific Northwest during the 1920s...
, who were the sole members and accomplices to perform the Last Great Train Robbery. Ray, however, was the ringleader of the group of would-be train robbers.
Early life
Ray Charles d'Autremont was born 30 Mar 1900 as the older twin to train robbing accomplice/brother, Roy A. A. d'Autremont. Ray and his twin were older brothers to Hugh d'Autremont.The Last Great Train Robbery
Ray, Roy, and Hugh DeAutremont, with Ray as the leader of the trio of soon-to-be robbers, plotted for months in a mountain hideaway in Southern Oregon in the Siskiyou Mountains on how they were going to rob a train. They practiced target shooting against a large Douglas Fir and test-blasted dynamiteDynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
they had purchased in town just weeks earlier. On October 11, 1923 just outside of Medford, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
, 15 miles south of Ashland, Oregon
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
, Ray, Roy, and Hugh hid in Tunnel 13. Once the train "of their dreams," Southern Pacific Train No. 13 (The Gold Special, as it was known) entered the tunnel, the brothers jumped aboard and made their way carefully up to the engine cab. They ordered Engineer Sidney Bates to stop the train when the engine cleared the south end of the tunnel. They then ordered Bates to uncouple the mail car presumed to carry the $40,000. But Bates either refused or was unable to uncouple the cars. Hugh shot and killed Bates with a single shotgun blast. Roy then fired two fatal shots into Fireman Marvin Seng, who had been travelling in the engine cab with Bates. Seng was standing on the ground next to the train, with his hands raised, when he was cut down by Roy's Colt. 45. The smoke and heat from the mail car fire made it impossible for the DeAutremonts to board the mail car. They panicked and fled into the woods. But in the process, Roy DeAutremont dropped his Colt .45 on the railroad tracks and abandoned his coveralls.
The DeAutremonts had killed four persons, left several passengers cut and injured by flying glass from the explosion and fled with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and the few firearms left in their possession. To add insult to their injured egos, the brothers later learned there was no $40,000 in cash aboard the train.
On the Run
Authorities who arrived at the scene shortly after hearing the dynamite blast found Roy's handgun and coveralls. They found a hidden serial number on the gun and learned it had been sold to a "William Elliott," a name used by Roy DeAutremont. Investigators also found a receipt for registered mail sent to Lakewood, N. M., and signed by Roy and Ray. Hair taken from the coveralls also matched the hair found on one of Roy's sweaters later found at his father's house in Eugene. And Roy's signature on the mail receipt matched the handwriting of "William Elliott" on the gun sale records.Finding these bits and pieces of evidence was easy; finding the DeAutremont brothers was something else. Although U.S. Postal officials spent a half million dollars circulating wanted posters, containing pictures of the three brothers, all over the nation and in several foreign countries, it took nearly four years to track them down.
Hugh DeAutremont joined the U.S. Army in hopes of avoiding capture, changed his name to James C. Price (purportedly using the name "James" in honor of his boyhood idol, Jesse James) and was sent to the Philippine Islands. His two brothers traveled in different directions for awhile before reuniting and moving to Ohio. They both got jobs in a Steubenville, Ohio, steel mill, under the assumed last name of "Goodwins." Ray took the name "Elmer Goodwins" and Roy, "Clarence Goodwins."
Ray and Roy spent the next three years in constant fear that they would make a fatal slip, saying something that would tie them into that unsolved train robbery attempt in Oregon. To avoid recognition, Ray bleached his hair white and both he and Roy grew bushy moustaches. Yet, they were constantly looking over their shoulders, fearing that someone was spying on them.
Hugh, on the other hand, felt relatively safe—serving his country several thousand miles away in the South Pacific. But a fellow Army soldier, who had been transferred back to the States and stationed at the Army prison on Alcatraz Island (before it became a federal penitentiary) in early 1927, recognized his old Army buddy James Price from a picture on a wanted poster, above the name Hugh DeAutremont. He contacted his commanding officer, who in turn notified Army officials in the Philippines.
After several hours of intense questioning, Hugh DeAutremont revealed his true identity, but steadfastly denied any knowledge of the train robbery. In March, 1927, he was sent to the Alcatraz Island military prison where he was held in custody until Jackson County Sheriff Ralph Jennings arrived in the Bay Area by train to take the robbery suspect back to Oregon. DeAutremont was lodged in the Jacksonville City Jail.
Back in Ohio, Hugh's two brothers were getting restless. Fearing the law was closing in on them, they decided to flee to Mexico. But before they could leave, a fellow employee at the Steubenville, Ohio steel mill recognized them from a wanted poster and notified postal authorities and the U.S. Bureau of Investigation—later renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities laid a trap for the two brothers. They put out notices that there were better paying jobs at another steel mill on the outskirts of Steubenville and made sure Roy DeAutremont knew about it. When Roy turned up looking for the job, he was arrested. He later admitted his true identity, but like his younger brother Hugh, denied any involvement in the Oregon train robbery.
Next, authorities went to Ray DeAutremont's home and informed his wife that Roy had been injured in a steel mill accident. She awakened Ray and told him. He was arrested moments after leaving his house.
Prison Life
The day following their arrests, Ray and Roy DeAutremont waived extradition and agreed to return to Oregon to face charges. Sheriff Jennings and his son and Chief Deputy, Louis, travelled to Ohio by train to return the brothers to Oregon. The DeAutremonts found themselves travelling in style, in a Pullman suite usually reserved for celebrities, politicians and other dignitaries.Along the way, curious on-lookers would turn out at train stations all across the country to catch a glimpse of the notorious train robbers.
They arrived in Jacksonville, Ore., on June 21—the final day of brother Hugh's second murder trial. (His first ended in a mistrial after one of the jury members died.) The jury found Hugh guilty as charged of the four murders, although he had entered a plea of not guilty and had maintained his innocence all the way through the 12-day trial.
Convinced they could fare no better in a jury trial, Ray and Roy DeAutremont both pleaded guilty to the murder charges on June 22, 1927. All three brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment and were sent to the Oregon State Penitentiary on June 24, 1927.
The three brothers spent the next three decades behind bars and were even described by some prison officials as "model prisoners." Hugh published a prison publication called "Shadows," which won two national awards. Ray was a frequent contributor to "Shadows."
Ray and Roy shared a cell at the prison for a while until Roy gradually became mentally ill. It took six prison guards to subdue Roy after he went berserk and began wrecking all of his cell furniture. He was later sent to the Oregon State Mental Hospital where doctors performed a prefontal lobotomy. The operation successfully subdued Roy DeAutremont, but robbed him of most of his mental faculties.
Hugh DeAutremont, who had become terminally ill with cancer, was paroled from prison on Nov. 24, 1958, and died less than three months later in San Francisco.
Roy DeAutremont died in 1983 at a Eugene care center. Ray, who was paroled in 1961, worked several years as a custodian at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He became a free man in 1971 when the late Gov. Tom McCall commuted DeAutremont's two consecutive life sentences.
Death
Ray Charles DeAutremont, known by many names during his life, died December 20, 1984 at a Eugene, OregonEugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
care center at the age of 84. One of his close friends from later in life, Lucretia, said that Ray was nothing but sweet, kind and gentle, despite his long history after serving 34 years in a federal prison.
External links
- http://www.onthisdayinoregon.com/10_11.html
- http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/sfc/index.php/tag/deautremont-brothers/
- http://gesswhoto.com/sheriff-jackson2.html
- http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/Inspectors/a8p5.html