Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-11-27
The Great Express Robbery in Gin.
einnati.

Both the American and United States
Express offices have fronts on both
Fourth and Race streets. The Race
street fronts of these offices are used for
the receiving and shipping of goods. Of
course, there are not many persons in
the office-we speak now of the American
-on Sunday. Yesterday afternoon, when
the robbery of which we are to speak oc-
CURED, there were very few in the office.
| Between the hours of two and three, when
the "trick" was taken, there were only
two employees on duty in that part of the
Office fronting on Race street, and at the
vital moment, only one. That particular
one, porter named Charles Moody, has
| been in. the employ of the company only
since July last. He is comparatively
green" young man-we should judge
| SO, at least.
While Mr.. Moody was sitting at his
post, quite alone, and rather weary of
| the day, there entered Mr.. Abe Monroe,
| lame man, formerly messenger of the
company Mr.. Monroe was discharged a
few months since for an irregulauty in
his accounts. He took a chair by the
side Of Moody, in an easy sort of way,
| and remarked that he'd like smoke
| Moody couldn't accommodate him,
and Monroe cleverly proposed to
gamble for the cigars to "mark. {"
Moody, being disposed to accommodate
J him. they marked, and Moody lost Then
Monroe, being a lame man, and Moody
requiring exercise, it was concluded that
Moody should go across the street for
the cigars But perhaps we are ahead
of our story trifie. Right here, proba-
bly,, should come in the black horse and
green wagon. This drove up on Race at
about this time. 1t was rickety old
express wagon, drawn by a spawned,
ringboned, old, black horse. 1t contained
two men and trunk. 1t backed up and
the two men got out and let down the
tail-board. Then they took out the
trunk. This trunk was empty but when
the two men carried it into the office
they tugged at it for stall" as if it
were heavily freighted. They set the
trunk down and remarked that they
wanted it to go to the cold horse" corner.
In express parlance old horse" means
unclaimed freight that has stood around
long time. Moody went for the cigars,
and in the short time of his absence
Monroe captured the plunder.
He selected from the lot of ordinary
messengers safes the one containing a
large amount of money, $4,000, we un-
derstand on good authority. This safe
was for the Chicago messenger, and was
to have started for that city last night.
1t is supposed that one of his confed-
crates stepped in again and helped him
put the safe in the trunk. There is no
doubt it was placed in the trunk during
Moody's absence after the cigars. Moody
returned with the cigars, and he and
Monroe proceeded to have a nice smoke.
While they were smoking up drove the
little, old, black horse and the little, old,
green wagon again; and in came the
same two men again. AS they walked
up, they stated, quietly, that they had
made q mistake; that it was to the
Adams they had to take that trunk So
they picked up the trunk and walked off
with it. This time it took some honest
tugging to carry it-rather more than
place. They walked out with it quietly
and in good order, placed it in the
wagon and drove off. Monroe disap-
peared also.
The fact Of the robbery did not come
to light until six o'clock p. M, wien the
messenger who was to take this safe to
Chicago drove up with his wagon and
looked for his safe among the dozen that
were piled up there. He couldn't find it.
He tried his key to several, and it would
fit none of them. But he soon became
convinced that his safe was gone, be-
cause there was nothing there that
resembled it. This safe was new and
freshly painted, with broad bands
There was no such safe there. Then the
porter told the story of Monroe the
little old express wagon, and the little
old black horse, the trunk that was to
have been left and wasn't left, and the
cigars. And, finally, he confessed to
having seen a safe in the trunk as the
trunk went out
The telegraph lines were Immediately
set to work, that all trains out from the
city might be searched. Col. Kiersted
set the city forces on the watch. At
about II o'clock Mead and White got on
the track OF the horse and wagon.
They belonged to man named Brown,
in the Nineteenth Ward. They had
been seen by lot of boys at the corner
of Third and Elm streets as they drove
up Elm street, coming toward the eX-
press Office, and the boys had hooted at
the shabby old turnout. But where they
had gone after that nobody could tell
at least nobody that might be disposed
to tell. 1t had passed away quietly, with
it's magnificent freight, without attract
ing attention or suspicion.
At about half-past twelve o'clock this |
morning there came proof that the tele-
graph had worked well. 1t came in the |
shape of dispatch from Indianapolis |
that Monroe had been arrested there |
shortly after eleven o'clock, on train
from this city. But there was no money |
on his person and he didn't seem to have |
any confederates with him. He was de- |
tained though and will await there orders |
from this city.-C5nci'andti Commercial, |
No0. 16-
Later news places the amount of |
N, On the Ctnlara safe Of SAQ Q0l