JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – It has been exactly 100 years since the infamous Tunnel 13 train robbery that left four train workers dead and the criminals penniless.
On that day, the DeAutremont brothers boarded a train stalled on the Siskiyou Pass and attempted to steal money and valuables.
Not only did they leave empty handed, but they shot and killed four train workers: Elvyn Dougherty, Coyle Johnson, Sydney Bates, and Marvin Seng.
Crater High School English teacher Frank Bertrand says he has been honoring the fallen train workers every year for the past two decades.
“They were just out doing their job that day and they didn’t deserve the end they met,” Bertrand said. “I’ve been laying a wreath for about probably 20 years now. My kids have all grown up doing it. We go out on October the 11th of every year and hang the wreath but like I said it probably makes more sense to be spending time with Coyle.”
Johnson is currently buried in a cemetery near Bear Creek Park in Medford, making it possible for Bertrand to lay a wreath at the grave site every year, rain or shine.
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