FUR-ROBBERS CAUGHT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19106, 29 August 1936, Page 15

FUR-ROBBERS CAUGHT

“MOUNTIES” IN AIR HUNT OUTPOST DRAMA ENDS IN (TUN BATTLE VANCOUVER, Aug. 16. Port- Nelson, a thriving Hudson’s Bay Company trading post, a thousand miles north of Vancouver, was raided by lw robbers, who escaped with skins worth £BOOO, only to be captured to-day by Canada’s famous .Mounted Police. In the trailing of the criminals, an aeroplane played the principal role. At midnight on duly 12. two masked men entered the i liaison’s day store which stands in the centre "l a wa led compound, reminiscent ot the nays when tho- northern fur-traders protected themselves from the onslaughts of savage Indian tribesmen. dob Hillard and Oliver Mc.Martni. the, officials in charge of the store, had entertained trapper Nels Natland, and fjie t rio were, asleep win n visitors crept into the living quarters abu-ve the-store. One after the other, each, of the three men awoke to find a. robUT holding a gun in his face. They wore marched to the basement, and securely tied with ropes. A trapdoor was closed over them, and nailed down to prevent, their escape. At their leisure, the two robbers then pillaged the place carrying SO bundles ot exquisite heaver and silver lox Mil's to their boat, which, was moored at the liver’s edge. • . . ~ When Indian villagers walked into the store in the next forenoon, they quickly discovered the -hound men gasping lor life in the liny basement. “SPOTTING” SUSPECTS

IL took 10 days to send the, news of the robbery to the outside world. There was no telephone or radio transmitter* and John Clerk, the lone policeman m the vast district, could cover only a small area in his efforts to track down the robbers. For (lie latter il was a race towards civilisation and the .opportunity molt into .some, inhabited area. By August 1. an aeroplane with several members of the Canadian Moulded Police, started a systematic search over rough country. They sighted parties navigating .small rivers', but it was impossible ioy the plane to land, and before 1 ' Lhe olfveers could manoeuvre into a- spot, where the suspects were last seen, the robbers would have departed in .some unexpected direction. SHOTS FROM ABOVE! Yesterday, however, a. boat was seen near open water 40 miles north o! Fort St. John. Flying low. the officers in the plane fired warning allots. Their quarry quickly went ashore and prepared for bailie. When the olheors, who hail landed a mile away, came near, firing opened in earnest-. The robbers, however, finding themselves outnumbered, surrendered without bloodshed. They proved to he former lur-dealers named Elkins and Boss. Probably they will be carried overland liv aeroplane to Fort St. James for trial.