The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-16
ORIMB IN NORFOLK, VA.

Catching n Thief and His BoOty-NearIy
10000 Recovered and the TRief In
Jatl,
NORFOLK, Friday, Feb. IA case has lust
be en- contaminated here which, in these days
of magnificent crimes, would be deemed uu-
worthy Of notice in comparison, but for seve-
raj points Of interest In the manner In which
IL was HwoIked up" Briefly, the case is as
follows:--At an early hour on the morning of
the 3lst of December last Edward II. King.
agent of the Virginia Express Co., while on his
way to the depot ofthe Norfolk and Petersburg
Railroad, just as he was passing the mouth Of
Kings lane, was knocked down and robbed of
a sum Of upward of $1,000 The money had
been drawn from the Exchange Bank the day
previous, on a check drawn by II. V. Tomp-
kns in favor OF Edward II. King.
Soon after this occurrence, and while Mr..
King was yet in bed suffering from the severe
blows he had received from his assailants, II
came to be suspected that no robbery had been
committed and that the whole affair was
merely a ruse to enable King to keep posses
sion Of the money alleged to have been taken
from him. Accordingly the matter was
handed over to our police, who were sup
posed to be hard at work upon 1t until the
patience of the president of the COM
pany was exhausted. Application was then
made 10 PiDkertOn's National Police Agency,
in your city, and about the beginning OF this
month Mr.. II. 4. Thayer, Superintendent of
arrived here and was operating upon the case
before any person but Mr.. TOmpkns was
aware of his presence in town. He was not
long in fastening suspicion of the crime upon
King, and caused his arrest, as also that of
come other persons with whom the money
had been divided.
King had so involved himself that 1t became
necessary for him to seal certain mouths, and
this could only be done with money. man
named Potts was in the secret, and with him
two women, one the favorite of King and the
other his own. While Mr.. Thayer was at work,
Mollie Johnson, one of the women alluded to,
left for Baltimore, but he telegraphed to another
of Pinkerton's men in Philadelphia to start for
Baltimore, capture Mollie on her arrival, and
bring her hither. Accordingly Mollie arrived
here before she had been long away. In her
possession was found $500 of The stolen funds.
This amount she got from Potts, he having
received from King $2500. Maude, another
of the party, who had received $3.50 to seal her
lips, was robbed in jail by a negro, at least 80
it was alleged. This brought three of our
officers Ito the manor born" into requisition.
They made the negro disgorge, and for their
trouble kept $ll0 OF the 1920 which they re-
covered from him. King was very desirOus
of settling the matter, and he ia not without
friends who are willing enough to restore the
whole amount, providing he can be set free,
but Mr.. Thay yer de clined to entertain any pro-
pOSlLlOQ OF LDHL KIM.
King and Potts, feeling that they were
pressed 30 hard by the detectives that escape
was improbable, broke down and told the
story, tut not until the disposition Of every
cent of the money had been accounted for,
and the evidence of Kings guilt so conclusive
that conviction was a necessary consequence.
Mr.. Thayer's deductions are as fOllows:-
King retained for him mself $4,000; gave to Potts,
$2d0O; to lawyers, $1,000; Maude, $3.50; Kings
father, $500; Mr.. Brown, $3.50; board, 5000;
spent for whisky, S1o6'l3 total, $40, 106 l3.
OF this amount the whisky money, $50 the
negro spent for clothing, $llO in the hands
of The detectives, and $1,000 in the hands
of the lawyers, is all not yet re.
covered, as Mr.. Thayer obtained all
the rest and deposited it in the bank
to the credit Of the President OF the Virginia
Express Company, before leaving Ne. | eau
assure you that the thought OF restoring TIE
SllO by the de- lecuVes, aud the paylug over to
the proper owner the Sl200 By the lawyer. does
not appear 10 inspire any OF these gentlemen
with Dlpasurable emotions, but ! understand
that is What is required at their hands without
rfgaId to their liking it. The manner IN which
MIR. 1haypr did his work CatcnlDg the thief
and restoring most of the property-i3 pbenO-
n enCu so new to US iD polCe operations that.
so lar from being starJled, We are very much
comior ed with the thought that nere are 10 The
country detectives who know their business,
d, mons trating that not oLly may property be
testo.ed 10 its laUful owners, but the thieves
brought to Justice 8lsO,-OOr. NJ 7. Times.