Home
Interred With Their Bones
In May of 1906, a train robbery near Kamloops, BC led to the arrest and conviction of one of the best-known outlaw characters of the era: the infamous Bill Miner. An American who spent four years as both a free man and in captivity while in Canada, Miner is widely regarded as one of the nation's most notorious and misunderstood criminal personalities. A new book by Kamloops, BC author Peter Grauer titled "Interred With Their Bones - Bill Miner in Canada 1903-1907"; provides unprecedented insights, discoveries, and historical accounts that have been, until now, inaccessible and unpublished. In a book that has been 100 years in the making, Grauer uses rare and confidential historical sources to shed new light on a well-known piece of Canadian history. In addition to a 6 year research project investigating community archives throughout the Interior and the Lower Mainland, Grauer was granted unprecedented access to restricted BC Provincial Police files for the period 1903 to 1907, and unpublished BC Penitentiary files detailing the incarceration of Miner and his gang. Only after petitioning the BC Supreme Court was special unparalleled access to the bench books of Miner trial judge Paulus Irving granted for the first time.
Grauer ventures into new territory in the Bill Miner story, leading to a number of noteworthy discoveries: - The guilt or innocence of Miner gang member Lewis Colquhoun. - The identity of a "Third Man" is revealed. - Detailed personality insight into gang member "Shorty"; Dunn reveals a hidden side to his character. - "The Story of the Stolen Bonds"; is definitively told once and for all. The book also examines the detailed story of how the Miner Gang was caught, paying tribute to the contributions made by Shuswap First Nations members who helped B.C. Provincial Police Constable William Fernie track Miner and his accomplices to the Douglas Lake country, allowing the Royal North West Mounted Police to make their famous arrest.
Numerous personal interviews, including those with the daughter of Constable Fernie and many early pioneers, some now long gone and whose memories differed from previously published sources, enabled Grauer to tell the true story of Bill Miner;one that is more true crime drama than than standard Canadiana. The book will be of particular interest to local historians as it takes readers back to a Kamloops of 1906, describing palpably the setting around which the Miner saga unfolded. "Interred With Their Bones";, published by Kamloops-based Partners In Publishing, is scheduled to be released in May of 2006, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Miner Gang's train robbery near Kamloops.
About The Author - Peter Grauer had been writing historical articles for the Kamloops Daily News when, in preparing for an article on Bill Miner, he uncovered some new information which ultimately led to the realization that the true story of Miner had not been told. "Interred With Their Bones"; is the result. He also appeared in History Television's "Manhunt"; series in 2004 in an episode about Bill Miner.
Grauer ventures into new territory in the Bill Miner story, leading to a number of noteworthy discoveries: - The guilt or innocence of Miner gang member Lewis Colquhoun. - The identity of a "Third Man" is revealed. - Detailed personality insight into gang member "Shorty"; Dunn reveals a hidden side to his character. - "The Story of the Stolen Bonds"; is definitively told once and for all. The book also examines the detailed story of how the Miner Gang was caught, paying tribute to the contributions made by Shuswap First Nations members who helped B.C. Provincial Police Constable William Fernie track Miner and his accomplices to the Douglas Lake country, allowing the Royal North West Mounted Police to make their famous arrest.
Numerous personal interviews, including those with the daughter of Constable Fernie and many early pioneers, some now long gone and whose memories differed from previously published sources, enabled Grauer to tell the true story of Bill Miner;one that is more true crime drama than than standard Canadiana. The book will be of particular interest to local historians as it takes readers back to a Kamloops of 1906, describing palpably the setting around which the Miner saga unfolded. "Interred With Their Bones";, published by Kamloops-based Partners In Publishing, is scheduled to be released in May of 2006, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Miner Gang's train robbery near Kamloops.
About The Author - Peter Grauer had been writing historical articles for the Kamloops Daily News when, in preparing for an article on Bill Miner, he uncovered some new information which ultimately led to the realization that the true story of Miner had not been told. "Interred With Their Bones"; is the result. He also appeared in History Television's "Manhunt"; series in 2004 in an episode about Bill Miner.
Submitted on July 24, 2006 in By David.
