The “Gold Special” Train Robbery: Deadly Crimes of the D’Autremont Brothers by R. Barri Flowers

From award winning criminologist R. Barri Flowers and the bestselling author of Murder of the Banker’s Daughter and Murder at the Pencil Factory comes a powerful new historical true crime short, The “Gold Special” Train Robbery: Deadly Crimes of the D’Autremont Brothers.

On a Thursday night on October 11, 1923, the Southern Pacific Railroad Express Train Number 13, called the “Gold Special” was ambushed as it headed through the Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon and into the Siskiyou Tunnel from Seattle en route to San Francisco.

The bandits, in search of gold and cash, used dynamite and gunfire to murder four crew members before fleeing in an explosive crime of greed and violence reminiscent of Old West style train robberies.

With law enforcement stymied in their attempts to identify and apprehend the killers, they turned to American criminologist Edward Oscar Heinrich to help crack the case. Often been compared to fictional British detective Sherlock Holmes, Heinrich’s early forensic detective work led to identifying the culprits as brothers, Ray, Roy, and Hugh D’Autremont, loggers who fancied themselves as Jesse and Frank James like outlaws.



Often referred to as the “Last Great Train Robbery,” the story of the D’Autremont brothers daring attempted heist, dramatic escape, and years on the lam before finally being brought to justice are chronicled in the pages of The “Gold Special” Train Robbery.

Bonus material includes excerpts from bestselling true crime shorts by R. Barri Flowers, Murder of the Banker’s Daughter, Murder at the Pencil Factory, and the author’s international bestselling true crime book, The Sex Slave Murders.

Follow R. Barri Flowers on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Goodreads, LibraryThing, YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia, and www.rbarriflowers.net andwww.rbarriflowers.com.

THE “GOLD SPECIAL” TRAIN ROBBERY is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.

 *****

“Selected as one of Suspense Magazine’s Best of 2011 books.” — John Raab, CEO/Publisher on The Sex Slave Murders

“Striking, well-written tales sparkle in this ocean of murder.” –Diane Fanning, true crime author on Masters of True Crime

“A gripping account of the murders committed by husband-and-wife serial killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego.”  –Gary C. King, true crime author on The Sex Slave Murders

“A model of exposition not to be missed by anyone interested in the annals of American criminal behavior.” –Jim Ingraham, Ph.D., professor emeritus of American Studies at Bryant University on The Pickaxe Killers

“R. Barri Flowers always relates an engrossing story.” –Robert Scott, true crime author on The Sex Slave Murders

“Striking, well-written tales sparkle in this ocean of murder.” –Diane Fanning, true crime author on Masters of True Crime

“Exhaustively researched, each storyteller brings their own unique prose to these pages, creating what will soon become a true crime classic.” –Kevin M. Sullivan, true crime author on Masters of True Crime

“This book should be a mandatory purchase and read for any true-crime buff.” —Steven A. Egger, PhD, associate professor on Masters of True Crime
“Incredible cases, psychopathic killers, unwitting victims, along with the very best writers, make for an exciting, no-holds-barred, soon-to-be true-crime classic.” —Dan Zupansky, host of True Murder on Masters of True Crime

“An indispensable sourcebook for anyone interested in American homicide, from law-enforcement professionals to armchair criminologists.” —Harold Schechter, true crime historian on The Dynamics of Murder

“Vivid case studies of murder to complement this well researched criminology text.”—Scott Bonn, Ph.D., criminology professor  on The Dynamics of Murder

 *****

R. Barri Flowers is an award winning criminologist and bestselling author of more than seventy books, including true crime, criminology, thriller fiction, and young adult mysteries. True crime titles include Murder of the Banker’s Daughter, The Sex Slave Murders 1 and 2, The Pickaxe Killers, Murder at the Pencil Factory, Killers of the Lonely Hearts, and Dead at the Saddleworth Moor.

Fiction titles include mysteries and thrillers, Before He Kills Again, Dark Streets of Whitechapel, Fractured Trust, Murder in Maui, Murder in Honolulu, Persuasive Evidence, State’s Evidence, and Justice Served.

Young adult fiction includes Count Dracula’s Teenage Daughter, Danger in Time, Ghost Girl in Shadow Bay, Out for Blood, and Summer at Paradise Ranch.

Follow R. Barri Flowers on Twitter (@RBarriFlowers), Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Flickr, Goodreads, and LibraryThing. Learn more about the author in Wikipedia and www.rbarriflowers.net and www.rbarriflowers.com.