The Dome of the Coldwater hotel in Merritt. Photo KDG

The dome of the Coldwater Hotel in Merritt.
Photo KDG

The Coldwater hotel built in 1908, is said to have been the sometimes abode of the gentleman bandit Bill Miner. Miner was credited in the 1907 Pinkerton s Detective convention as coining the term “Hands up”, he hid 300 thousand dollars of possibly useless Australian and American, CPR Railway securities, behind the dome of the Coldwater Hotel  while he toured Europe spending the 7000 dollars take from a Mission train robbery.
The CBC made a movie of the thief, Miner, decades ago making for a persona like the title ” The Grey Fox”.
The Robin Hooding of outlaws is a long time dynamic resisted by authorities, although Miner an American had no murderous nature ( something to been regarded as good )he was still just a clever outlaw.He had what it took to be one , nothing worth losing,

The local communities of Princeton BC, Aspen Grove and Douglas Lake when embracing him as a local tourist draw,it has been an exercise in mixed metaphor The authorities like to own the legend even though he was a crook they give him grudging credit as a gentleman and claim that getting their man and giving him process established the peace officer persona of the North West Mounted Police. The Canadian sense of justice without gun play a value worth talking about.
Taking on the job of storytelling about this event always gets the teller in an awkward tedious position that may turn on him at any time for being aligned with either side in the ghostly story.There has only been one truly successful Robin Hood.

http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/archives_grey_fox.htm
On this Day: April 23rd 1955
The Canadian Labour Congress is formed.