National Park After Dark: Episode 298 – Robbery Gone Wrong. Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

Released: May 12, 2025
Hosts: Danielle and Cassie
Podcast: National Park After Dark (Audioboom Studios)

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, Danielle and Cassie revisit the legendary and tragic tale of the D’Autremont brothers, whose attempt to rob a mail train near the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon in 1923 led to a botched heist, the deaths of four innocent men, and one of the largest manhunts in US history. Beyond its thrilling and somber storytelling, the case marked a turning point in American forensic science. The episode explores the brothers' motivations, the details and consequences of the crime, and its lasting impact on criminal investigation and the Pacific Northwest.

Main Themes & Purpose

• Deconstructing the Myth of the American Train Robber: Exploring how reality departs from the Hollywood image of daring, charming outlaws.
• Family, Desperation, and Fate: The D’Autremont brothers’ tumultuous upbringing and motivations leading to crime.
• The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument: Setting the scene, highlighting the monument’s natural and cultural history.
• Birth of Modern Forensics: How pioneering crime scene work brought the brothers to justice.
• Long-term Impact: The haunting aftermath for both victims and perpetrators.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Fiction vs. Reality (00:35–02:42)

• Movies romanticize train robberies, but “real crime is far more precarious. Real humans are much messier, and real life is not rehearsed.” – Danielle (01:23)
• Emphasis on permanent consequences in real life versus scripted, satisfying movie endings.

2. Background – The Brothers’ Troubled Upbringing (10:27–16:49)

• Five brothers, constant family instability, poverty, and dashed hopes.
• Ray, especially, is embittered by perceived injustices and becomes deeply angry, joining radical labor movements and seeing himself as owed by the world.
• Notable quote:

  “Ray came out bittered against the world. His mind was saturated with hate.” – Danielle, quoting Hugh D’Autremont (15:33)

3. The Appeal of Train Robbery & Family Dynamics (17:36–26:12)

• The brothers are influenced by real news stories and Hollywood legends (Jesse James, etc.).
• Their plan: just one heist to change everything, not a criminal career.
• Hugh, the younger brother, is persuaded to join.
• Discussion of romanticizing criminal legends:

  “I think the sentiment behind hard work should give you a good life. I think that’s something we all can relate to.” – Cassie (16:07)

• The hosts briefly swap wild robbery tales and joke about past lives as train robbers (18:00–19:02).

4. The Heist: Planning and Execution (28:23–39:20)

• Detailed planning: months spent scouting, supplies stockpiled, even Plan B escape routes.
• The robbery unfolds at Tunnel 13, timed to the minute — at first, their plan works.
• The scheme unravels quickly:
  • Roy uses all the dynamite, blowing up the mail car and killing postal clerk Alvin Daughtry (35:29).
  • Confusion leads the brothers to shoot two railway workers (38:02).
  • In a panic, they kill two more: engineer Sydney Bates and fireman Marvin Sang.
  • Total haul: $0. Four lives lost.
• Memorable moment:

  “They killed someone and now they have nothing to steal.” – Cassie (36:22) “Panicking, they decide there’s no other option but to kill the remaining witnesses.” – Danielle (39:07)

5. Aftermath & Investigation – A Forensic Milestone (40:26–49:56)

• The community is outraged; a massive manhunt unfolds.
• Forensic scientist Edward Heinrich’s role is pivotal:
  • He uses stains, sawdust, a sales receipt, and nail clippings to profile the perpetrators.
  • Roy’s name is literally found on a receipt in the overalls at the cabin.
• Quote:

  “From the tiny details like the sawdust, scraps of paper, and the wear and tear on the overalls, he was able to paint a vivid and detailed picture.” – Danielle (49:18)

• The case leads to the founding of America’s first forensic crime lab in Los Angeles (49:54).

6. On the Run – Life as Fugitives (50:32–59:15)

• The brothers evade capture for four years using aliases (many with references to “James”).
• Massive international manhunt; faces plastered everywhere.
• Hugh is caught in the Philippines (enlisted in the Army under a fake name) (50:32–55:11).
• The twins are caught in Ohio after a tip-off and police sting involving fake job listings.
• Ray’s wife, Hazel, is blindsided:

  “Hazel...had fallen in love with a man named Elmer. They had a son...So why now were officers arresting him? And the real question, why were they calling him Ray?” – Danielle (58:21)

• Despite everything, Hazel and Ray stay together for 25 years (59:15).

7. Sentencing, Prison, and Legacy (59:15–64:28)

• All receive life in prison in lieu of the death penalty.
• Prison futures diverge:
  • Hugh: Becomes model inmate, released 1958, dies soon after.
  • Roy: Deteriorates, becomes violent, receives lobotomy, dies in a nursing home.
  • Ray: Paroled in 1961, becomes artist and Spanish teacher, reflects regretfully on his crimes.
• Notable reflection:

  “I find it difficult to believe it was my doing. I’m a man of 73. The man who did this...was 23. So they can’t have been too much, much alike.” – Ray D’Autremont (c. 63:00)

8. Enduring Reminders & Forensic Impact (64:28–66:27)

• The crime is remembered in songs, documentaries, and a special Postal Service stamp.
• Tunnel 13 remains off-limits:

  “Don’t even think of going here...it’s on private property...it’s still an active railroad line.” – Danielle (66:27) “Don’t fuck with trains. We’ve said that.” – Cassie (66:38)

9. Reflection & Final Thoughts (68:13–69:45)

• The case “was a train robbery, but not really.”
  “Ultimately it ended up—they got nothing. They killed people for no reason...they literally came out with nothing.” – Cassie (68:53–69:04)
• The hosts underscore the emptiness and tragedy of the crime, and the lifelong toll on everyone involved.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Hollywood vs. Reality:
  “The characters have been designed to be the perfect amount of charming and defiant...But real crime is far more precarious. Real humans are much messier...The choices we make, be they right, wrong or devastating, are permanent.” – Danielle (01:23)
• The Forensics Leap:
  “From a microscopic examination of the dust, hair and fibers collected...I am of the opinion that the wearer and owner was a lumberjack employed in a fir or spruce logging camp.” – Danielle, quoting forensic report (47:21)
• On Regret:
  “It makes you wonder what the hell we were thinking.” – Ray D’Autremont, revisiting the crime scene (65:54)
• On the End of an Era:
  “The crime...is often regarded...as the last great American train robbery. But this name is obviously inaccurate. It wasn’t great. They completely failed to steal anything and ended the lives of four innocent people...” – Danielle (63:50)
• Final Reflection:
  “They paid the price in other ways. I mean, a lobotomy is rough.” – Danielle (69:36)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Fiction vs. reality, setting the theme: 00:35–02:42
• Family history and Ray’s motivation: 10:27–16:49
• The decision to rob, involving Hugh: 17:36–26:12
• Heist details and disaster: 28:23–39:20
• Forensic investigation & catching the brothers: 40:26–49:56
• Fugitive years and capture: 50:32–59:15
• Sentencing, parole, and reflection: 59:15–64:28
• Legacy, warnings against exploring Tunnel 13: 66:16–67:47

Episode Tone & Style

Danielle and Cassie narrate with a blend of fascination, empathy, and wry humor, often interjecting personal asides and reflective conversations about crime romanticization in American culture. Their tone is respectful toward the victims and critical of misguided outlaw heroism, while staying approachable and engaging.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode recounts how three young brothers, shaped by poverty and bitterness, plotted what they hoped would be the one perfect train heist to save their family, only for it to erupt into chaos and tragedy. Their story unfolds against the backdrop of Oregon’s wild beauty and marks a key turning point in forensic science. In their attempt to seize their fortune, the D’Autremonts left behind only loss—four dead, nothing stolen, lives forever scarred. The podcast not only details the crime and its aftermath, but also examines the seductive yet false mythology of American outlaws, and the complex legacy of both crime and science in the national parks’ shadowed history.