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GREAT FILS BANDITFound Guilty of Murder ol Canadian Police Officers.GUKAT FALLS, Oct. 3 8.—Tom Bas-soft/believed to be a member of one of several bandit gangs which operated in Great Falls last summer, and v ho was later declared to have been implicated in the robbery of a Canadian Pacific passenger train, has been convicted of murder at Macleod, Albert a, and will hang? at Lethbridge Fee. 22. The train robbery was pulled off at Sentinel, Alberta, early in August, and on Aug. 7 Bassoff and two other members of the gang were lo-t cated in a cafe at Bellevue, Alberta, i by Corporal Usher of the mounted police and Constable Bailey of the | provincial police. In attempting to | arrest the trio both officers were shot i dead, but not until George Akroff, one J of the trio, was killed and Bassoff was ; wounded. After a chase of 40 miles, participated in by about 200 officers, Bassoff was captured several days later. Bassoff was charged with murder under three counts and entered pleas of not guilty, but was convicted after a trial.In a statement made by Bassoff subsequent to his being sentenced to hang he is said to have admitted that the plot to rob the Canadian Pacific train was conceived in Great Falls and that the cartridges used by thetrio in its tight with the officers werepurchased in Great Falls just prior to their departure for Canada. He claimed that Akroff. who was killedin the duel with the officers, was the j leader of the gang and that he lt;Bhs-‘ soft) refused lor five days to enterj into the plot.
Newspaper Details
Anaconda Standard
Anaconda, Montana, US
Tue, Oct 19, 1920
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 26 May 2019
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