The New York herald., 1874-11-12
BOLD EXPRESS ROBBERY.
A Daring Thief Takes Advantage
Of Hungry Agent.
THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS SECURED.
Safe Taken from the Car While Stand
ing at the Depot.
PORTLAND, Pa. Nov. II. 1874.

Delaware Station, N. j., Is the most northern
station Of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad IN New Jersey 1t is a quiet hamlet OF
about thirty dwellings. including hotel store and
two neat cnurches-Presbyterian and Episcopal.
The country around It is agricultural, the people
steady and churchgoing. Here John J. Blair owns
che most ofthe valuable buildings and lots. Here,
years ago, lived the wei-known atheist, DR.. Grin
nup, whose witticisms and debates are yet the
talk OF its old citizens. Though the place is in
tensaly democratic yet t was among the first to
send volunteers to the war, Notwithstanding it
had at one time lodge OF the knights OF the
Golden Circle. which squelched one night IN
1852 by nall dozen loyal young men, aided by Colts
revolvers. No great crime has ever taken place
here. and when the news was spread abroad this
morning that great robbery had been committed
the previous evening at the depot, the residents
OF the neighborhood were stupe1ed with astonlsh-
ment that man could be found bold enough to
carry safe with 1900 in it away right under
their very nose; yet such was the fact.
DETAILS OF THE CRIME.
The s0uthward train from Scranton to New
York arrives here at twenty minutes OF seven and
stops 1tteen minutes for tea. The night was un-
usually dark and the express messenger hungry.
He locked the safe and the door OF the express
car and went to his supper. The burglar watched
an opportune moment, and when The safety valve
OF the engine was blowing off he thrust his hand
through the window by the side Of the en- trance
door to the Car, raised the dead atch, opened the
side door on the opposite side rom the depot,
placed a railroad lie upon the ground and to the
lessy Slid the safe Weighing 2is pounds, to Ve the
ground. Then putting the tie TO the ground
ana showing the side door back to its place,
he dragged the sale by main strength toward the
river. Forty yards ron the railroad track he
came to a high board fence, and not being able to
hit IL Over he wrenched the lower board OF and
then pulled 1t about fifty yards further, alongside
worm lcnce. Here. in its shadow, he applied q
lever TO the handle, and by sudden wrench easily
a common sheet iron box, guarded on the corners
with iron bars quarter inch IN thickness by one
ana quarter inches in width. Ii was more
trouble TO open Ii than 1t would De to blacksmith
to get at the contents of a clam. The bnrgar then
went about $50 yards further INTO the field OF s. s.
BOgart lgnted his lamp and proceeded to
EXAMINE THE CONTENTS
hurry, as IN some instances he did not get all the
money from the envelopes. One package from
Portland Pa, to = urn IN New York, which had
$1,000 was torn 0pen but being wrapped IN
lot 81 paper, was lett on the ground; another en-
veope containing 2,ooo, from national bank at
scranton, Pa, to the Nashua Bank OF New YORK.
was gomez q draft for s64s IS from Phelps, OF
Payment has been stopped. Several sna drafts
ranging from SlS to $50 were also found; also
ga ams Se S sat ana ngr ger
his haste. Alter rlillng the express packages he
southward in the direction OF Manunka Chunk
station, the imprints OF ms boots being plainly
seen in the ground, which were just eleven inches
long ana evidently new ones. Tne quickness OF
his operations may be judged from the act that
Mr.. Il. Henry, a farmer living just below the sta
zion and who on the way TO 1t, saw the light
In B0gart's fed while the tram not vet
+ S nna M he
/ heard the footsteps Of some one running.
This could not have Deen more than
I twenty minutes from the time the mes
/ senger lett the car The messenger did not
DISCOVER THE LOSS
until the train had run ten miles, and then tele-
! graphed back from Washington that IL had been
4 lost somewhere between Manunka Chunka and OK.
| ford. Detectives from Hack ettstown ana Wash
ford In search OF the Saie ana the news was
flashed privately over the wires that the robbery
had taken place. II this had been publicly gwen
| out no doubt but that the rObber would have been
easily apprehended; but, through stupidity and
fear Of public blame. the news was withheld as
late as possible, and ii was nearly eight O'Clock
this morning before the robbery became generally
known. Your corresDondent was on the ground
we'll OF the Delaware, Lackawanna and western
Railroad Company. IL was then ascertained from
farmers boy that the safe was over by the fence
about sixty yards distant, and that Mr. s. s. Bogart
had found some envelopes anu money IN his field
aud gwen them to the station AGENT W. II. Hem
mtngway. hasty inventory OF the envelopes
was taken, wnen 1t was found that the robber had
secured about $4,000. We then walked over lhe
fence for while evidently to wait till Mr.. r. f.
Henry had got by. then lie ran his best through
the grain field toward the river where all trace
was lost.
ground, but they all agree that 1t was either the
work OF Il PROFESSIONAL express robber or that OF
some bold thief in the netghborh0od, one OF whom
Is under suspicion.