Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-12-20
rhe Adams Express Robbery at Graf

tVBN
The following are the authentic facts
connected with the robbery Of Adams |
Express Office at Grafton, and the cap
ture Of the thieves
On the night Of the first Of September
last the Office and safe Of the Adams Ex-
press Company at Grafton we're entered
by means Of false keys, and the safe rob
bed Of most Of its money contents as
soon a. this was known in Baltimore BY I
telegraph. with the promptness aud en-
erry which is characteristic Of the com
pany, their attorney was dispatched 70 /
Wheeling, and on his arrival found thai |
the money taken consisted Of about $3.50 /
and q package said to contain $4,000,
sent By the company for one Arthur Res
Lev from Wheeling 70 Grafton, and ad
dressed to himself At the latter place.
The attorney Of the company soon cams
10 the conclusion that this large package
was bogus, and that the robbery was
rat Of plan to defraud the company
Rrsley, though in Wheeling, made no
personal demand for his package, bui
put his false claim into the hands Of one
Of the mosts.respectable attorneys in oar
city, Who called upon the attorney Of
the company at bishotel and demanded
payment. He wasfnformed that IN Or
derto enable the company 70 pay the
claim thsee points must be established 70
their sat- sfacti0n, viz; LIST, as 70 the kind
and denomination ofthe money the pack.
ago contained %, and Sd, proof BY some
disinterested and reliable person or per
a al. al . ffffft
sy was actually put in the package and
delivered to che eompany's agent No
attempt was made 70 furnish this iBforms
ton until about the FIRST of0ciobsr, when
afFidavits we're made and sent to the com
pany's attorney in Baltimore, the char
acter Of which only served TO demon
strhts the correctness Of the conclusion
arrived at by the counsel that Resley's
package was bogus that the robbery was
patt Of the plan to defraud, and that it
was committed by him or bis accom-
pliees.
On the night Of the 5th Of October The
Office and safe ut Grafton were again
entered and robbed Of package known
20 contain sl5, 900 in go notes OF the
First National Bank OF Pittsburgh, new
issue, and some $500 in other packages
and loose money, The company, i'm
med ateiy after the flrst robbery, had
given orders not 10 use the same safe
again, which in consequences Of the Bal
timore and Ohio railroad being cut, theJ
could not replace. But, through pure
Misunderstanding or accident, one o
the employees put this large package
and other money into the safe on thI
night Of the robbery, the agent at Graf
ton being at that time in Baltimore OF
business
As soon as the company was inform
ed Of the second robbery by telegraph
Allen PinkertoB, the Chief Of the Nation
al Detective Ageney-~whose headqaar
tiers are at Chicago~-tha most reliabl'
and skillful detector OF crime, In thi
country, who has for years past been EN-
ployed by the Express Company will
invariable success in the detection Of Oh,
various heavy robberies committed upor
them, took charge OF the matter, and, 3
usual soon recovered tho money, an
apprshended every one connected In an,
way with the robbery; aad, on Tuesday
kesley, Abner, Marks, and Charles Mere
dith we're committed to the Jail at Fair
mont, for the crime, they, the prisoners
having previously made TO the Baltimor
Attorney Of the Company, who, In con
neetion with Mr. Despard, OF Clarksbura
represented the company, full and truth
iul confessions of the manner In whiol
the robbery was planned and executed.
II appears from their confessions that
Resley, (who hss hitherto been an homes
man, aud who belongs 10 most highly
respectable family, aud whose brother ]
held IN the highest esteem by all VIII,
know him throngh his'dissipated habit
became acquainted with Marks and Mere
dith, who were partners in drinkin
aud gamblipg saloon ut Grafton, an
men Of known bad character, and led Of
by the bad company and bad whisky viii
which he was surrounded. he confedera
ated with them in the.planning and exc
cutiou OF the robbery, aud, after man
ingeniously conceived attempts, durin
the past summer, they at last succeeded
as has been stated,
These criminals now known, az othe
more astute and desperate robbers VIII
are incarcerated In various pehiteutis
ries throughout the country known, by ca
perieneed, that the energy, inAneuc,
and the liberal expenditure of none
on the part of the company, in come,
ton with the skill, courage and indou
table perseverance with which Ar Piul
erton aud his corps of trained detective
act, are moret han match for any Grim
mails, no matter how willy aRd deep lai
theiriplans may be,or how successful thei
Accomplishments. The company, we nj
derstand, have never yet failed 20 d.
teet and punish persons who have roll
bed them.