New Orleans Republican., 1871-05-25
HEAVY EXPRESS ROBBERY.


From the Columbus (Ohio) Journal May 1871
Probably the most daring and successful
robbery that has been recorded in this city
during many years, was committed early
yesterday morning Between the hours of
half-past one and halfpast two yesterday
morning, the doors of the depot office of the
Adams Express Company were stealthily
broken open by some scoundrel at moment
when George Bradley and Mr.. Collier, the
receiving and shipping expressmen, were
inside, soundly wrapped i'll the embrace of
old Morpheus. Entrance thus successfully
gained without disturbing in the least the
quidtly reposing men, the thief hastened
to Apply to their breathing organs large
spokge, strongly saturated with chloroform
or sPme other powerful soporificc, which in
staHtly produced the desired effect-put
them in a sleep of such insensibility that no
amount of noise or racket could disturb
the IN until after the exhaustion of the drugs
Influence. How charmingly has this des-
perhte enemy of mankind now accomplished
hisi mastery stroke of policy for becoming
imT lensely wealthy i'll the twinkling Of an
eyd.
Everything working exactly in harmony
with his daring, damning purposes, he i'm
md iiately institutes a thorough search Of
tho insensible mems pockets and finds upon
the person of Mr. Bradley the little instru-
ments that govern the impenetrable barriers
to fortunes stere-the keys to two portable
or express safes, containing, as near as can
now be ascertained, about $60, 900 in solid
money, or currency, which is all the same
and which was to have been shipped to diff
ferent places on the next train, S2l 900 of
the amount to the paymaster of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad at the city of Cum
berland, Maryland. Quick as the unlocking
process could be executed, the whole OF this
handsome sum of money passes into his
surreptitiOus hands, and he very modestly
vacates the premises with a booty that, if
he should manage to escape the discovery
of vigilant detectives, will make him indie
pendsntly rich.
The fact that the robbery had been COM
mitted was first discovered by the advance
express messenger on the train arriving
from Cincinnati at half-past two o'clock.
Seeing nothing of Messrs. Bradley and
Collier, who usually are up TO receive and
forward runs" on every train, he (the train
messenger) went into the office, and there
lay the two men fast asleep, with the sponge
still lying under Bradley's nose. After
shaking and tumbling them about furiously,
they were aroused from their unnatural
slumbers, only to be regretfully aware of
the stupendOus larceny that had been car
ried on right in their presence.
The folding doors by which the thief
gained admittance to the office had very
h'oA
curely nailed to one of them, and from every
evidence a slight push was all that was
necessary to burst them noiselesslv open.
Sleeping in the office every night, amidst
the whistling, rumbling, rattling, and roar
ing of numerous engines coming and going,
one can readily imagine how it happened
that Messrs. Bradley and Collier were not
awakened when the doors were forced, to
impede the scoundrels brave audacious
undertaking. The deed was executed at
d propitiOus moment, when the heavens
were "spilling" upon the earth flood of
water, seemingly, which drove policemen
and everybody out by chance at that hour
of night to shelter. No one has the remot-
est clue to the name of the tiendish man,
nor what direction from the city, if any, he
took with his substantial prize. All that is
known that savors of suspicion is that the
baggage master saw, at about 1890 o'clock,
a tall, well dressed man. with black mus
tache and whiskers, moving with an uncon-
cerned air close around the just then opened
doors Of the office, as if to inspect the prem
ises; but that is about as conclusive to JUS
tice as finding the exact location of the
prevalence Of milk-sickness is 10 a traveller
on the Western prairies.