Thomas R. Bennington, formerly of Oro Grande, born Marshall County, ILL. February 26,
1850, son of Joseph Bennington, a farmer. Grew up on a farm and in 1884 came to California
and Los Angeles, engaged in fruit culture. Later moved to Santa Monica and in charge of
Santa Monica Hotel. In 1888 came to Oro Grande with Colonel RM. Moore and invested in the
Oro Grande Reduction works, which had been built for milling of ore. Owing to lack of
patronage this venture failed.
Bennington began prospecting and on opening of Alaska gold fields went there for five
years. On returning began mining in Butte County, killed in accidental explosion of stick
of dynamite on Sept. 8, 1897. In 1876 married Margaret Ellen Dorff, of Marshall County,
ILL. Three sons, Clyde, William, Charles, one daughter, Ethel. Mrs. Bennington and family
live in Oro Grande.
Newspaper accounts from Weekly Times Index of San Bernardino. Dates April 22, 1898,
Santa Fe Overland Held Up; April 27, 1898, Funeral for Tol Jones; April 28,1898, Inquest
over Tol Jones; September 16, 1898, Bennington Confesses. Check with San Bernardino County
Library in San Bernardino in basement where periodicals are and look in history room.
BENNINGTON CONFESSES
Sept 16, 1898
Weekly Times Index of San Bernardino.
ONE OF THE ORO GRANDE
TRAIN ROBBERS ADMITS THE CRIME.
The confederate of Tol Jones makes a statement- It is now known whom he
implicates.
Clyde Bennington, the train robber, has made a confession. Bennington is one of the men
arrested several months ago charged with attempting to rob the Santa Fe Pacific overland
at the Point of Rocks, siding near Oro Grande.
It will be remembered that two men attempted to hold up the train at that place.
The engine hauled the baggage car off on to a side track and was coming back for the
express car, one of the robbers being in the locomotive cab and compelling the engineer to
do his bidding. Just as the coupling was being made with the express car Express Messenger
Mott fired at the robber, fatally wounding him and instantly killing Engineer Gifford. The
holdup that was wounded and whose name was Tol Jones was captured and brought to this
city, but afterwards taken to Los Angeles where he died. Clyde Bennington, the other
robber, escaped at the time but was followed so closely that he gave himself up a few days
after. Several other suspects were also arrested.
The case was taken out of the hands of the District Attorney of this county and
transferred to the United States Court at Los Angeles, as it was thought a conviction
could be more easily obtained in that way. It has now leaked out that Bennington has made
a complete confession of his crime, but just whom he implicates besides himself the
officials will not state.
IN EARLY MORNING HOURS
ENGINEER GIFFORD KILLED
AND ONE ROBBER
MORTALLY WOUNDED BY
THE EXPRESS MESSENGER
A.C. MOTT.
The Sheriff and Posse have struck a trail and with blood hounds are on the track of the
lone accomplice of the wounded robber Jones - Details of the Hold-up
The Santa Fe westbound overland was held up Wednesday at 2:40 a.m. about one mile and a
half this side of Oro Grande, and all the circumstances surrounding the occurrence are
most astounding. As a result Engineer Gifford and one of the robbers, Tol Jones, of Oro
Grande, is mortally wounded-while the registered mail in the train was sent.
The overland was coming in on time. It stopped at Oro Grande as usual. There is where
the robbers must have got aboard. There were only two of them as far as known. Mott pulled
the trigger, but just as he did so poor Gifford stepped from between the cars and received
the full charge, which killed him instantly, while Jones received mortal injuries.
Then Mott stayed on guard, while Clark crawled on his hands and knees around the
opposite side of the car to the engine and then under the draw heads. The first object
that he came in contact with was Gifford's warm body. The coast was clear as the remaining
robber had decamped and Jones was found unconscious at the bottom of a 20 foot embankment
down which he had rolled. Clark found in his hands his bloody mask and in his pockets six
sticks of dynamite. Jones' first words on reviving were: "What did they shoot me for:
I was only hunting for stray cattle."
Engineer Gifford was laid down in the mail car, and about this time Conductor W.A.
Planter returned from Oro Grande, for which place, at the first signs of a hold up, he
departed. He was accompanied by the Constable and three men. The train was put together
again and pulled to Victor, where Engineer Morgan manned the throttle for the remainder of
the trip to this city, arriving here only a little over an hour late.
At Victor the wounded robber was left. He was immediately identified as Tol Jones, an
Oro Grande butcher, and son of J.P. Jones. Both are residents of the town and well known
all over the valley. Much surprise is manifested at the robber's identity, although some
people claim he was not as straight in cattle dealing as he might have been. It is said
that he was due here Wednesday to pay a considerable sum of money. As it is also rumored
that he has made a confession implicating six well-known residents of this county.
When Conductor Planter arrived at Oro Grande he roused the telegraph office and sent
word to this city. The Santa Fe officials notified Sheriff Holcomb, and provided a special
train, which left here for the scene of the hold-up at 5:10 a.m. Except for a few awake,
however, the passengers were unconscious that anything had occurred.
As to the amount of booty secured no one will express an idea. But it is not thought to
be much.
SECOND ROBBER CAUGHT
The officers had an idea that a resident of Oro Grande named Clyde Bennington was the
accomplice of Jones, and a guard was placed at his house. About 10 o'clock he came
stealing in and was captured without any trouble by Deputy Sheriff Heaps who was on guard.
He was brought into the County Jail on the overland Thursday morning.
INQUEST OVER TOL JONES
THE ROBBER SHOT IN THE
ORO GRANDE HOLD UP.
APRIL 28, 1889
Messenger Mott again exonerated by the Coroner's Jury-Burial to be at Victor.
(Los Angeles Times,) An inquest was held Monday morning by Coroner Campbell upon the
body of Tolbert Jones, the young fellow who participated in the attempted train robbery,
the undertaking parlors of Kregelo and Bresse.
The facts in connection with the attempted hold-up of the west- bound Santa Fe train at
Oro Grande last week are yet fresh in the public memory. Up to the time when Jones died
last Saturday afternoon he protested his innocence, and his father and mother, who
faithfully and patiently tended by his bedside, professed a belief in the truthfulness of
their boy's statement. He contended that he was returning from a prospecting trip, and was
shot while he was passing the place. The father of the dead man maintained that this was
the true version of the affair, and desired to take the body home, but was not permitted
by the Coroner. Consequently Express Messenger Mott, who was on his way east, was stopped
at Albuquerque, and ordered to return to this city in time for the inquest, as were also
the train hands.
At the inquest the dead man was positively identified as one of the robbers by
Messenger Mott who fired the fatal shot, and by others who saw the body almost immediately
after it was brought from the bottom of the embankment, where it rolled after the shot was
fired.
It was established that but one shot was fired from the messenger's sawed-off shotgun,
and this killed both the ill-fated engineer, Gifford, and the train robber.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased, Tolbert Jones, came to his
death by gunshot wounds inflicted by A.C Mott, messenger of the Wellls-Fargo Express
Company, while the deceased was unlawfully endeavoring to hold up and rob the United
States mail and the Wells-Fargo express. Embodied in the verdict was the finding that the
said AC. Mott was entirely justified in his act, he being protecting his own life and the
property of the express company.
FUNERAL OF TOL JONES
TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY
MORNING AT ORO GRANDE.
A LARGE CONCOURSE OF
FRIENDS OF THE FAMILY OF THE
DECEASED ATTEND-A BONANZA
Victor, April 27, 1898. - (Special correspondence of the Times- Index) -
The funeral of Tol Jones took place at Oro Grande from his late home at 10 o'clock this
morning. The attendance from Victor was large, and with the very large attendance from Oro
Grande, made the funeral a very impressive one. Rev. T.J. Auchinache preached the funeral
sermon, speaking only words of comfort to the family and friends of the deceased. Tol
Jones had many friends. who find it hard to reconcile themselves to the facts that caused
his tragic death. Those were the friends who attended his funeral today; there were none
of the idle curious element there, and for that his family are very thankful. They had Mr.
Auchinache thank their friends today for the kindness shown in this and bereavement and
those friends wish to, in this public way, express to the family, especially the father
and mother whose hearts are sore and so sad, their sincere sympathy in this hour of
trouble.
