Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-11-25
A $4,000 EXPRESS ROBBERY.
one "f the BOIdesI and sharpcst
Tricks OF thc Age.

express Office on RaCe street in that
city on Sunday afternoon. The "details
are a. follows:
While Mr. Moody. a porter, was sit
ting at his post, quite alone, aud rather
weary OF the day, there entered Mr..
Abe Monroe, a lame man, tOrmeIly a
messenger OF the company. Mr.. Mon
roe was discharged n few months since
for an irregularity in his accounts.
He came yesterday he saw he con-
quered. He. took chair by the side
OF Moody, in an easy sort of way, and
remarked that he'd like q smoke. Moo
dy couldn't accommodate him, aud
Monroe cleverly proposed to gamble for
the cigars-to mark. Moody, be-
ing disposed to accommodate him, they
marked; and Moody lost. Then Mon
roe, being n lame man, aud Moody re-
curing exercise, it was concluded that
Moody should 60 across the street for
the cigars. But perhaps we are ahead
OF ourstory trIfie. Right here, prob
ably, should come in the
BLACK HORSE AND GREEN WAGON.
This drove up on Race at about this
time. 1t was a rickety old green ex-
press wagon, drawn by spawned,
ringbUned old black horse. 1t con
tanned two men. and trunk. 1t back
ed up and the two men got out aud
let dOwDrthe tail board. Then they
TOOK out the trunk. This trunk was
empty but when the two men carried
1t into the Office, they tugged at it for
y " stall a If it were heavily freight
ed. They set the trunk down, aud
remarked that they wanted Il to 20 To-
hpII
parlance cold horse" means uuclaim-
ed freight that has stood around "A long
time.
THERE WAS A BROTH
in the case, fellow named Brown,
not much known around there, Mon
roe's brother-in-law, who is said to
have recently served term in the
Work house. Moody knew nothing
about this fellow, it Is presumed He
aud his companion having dumped
their load. with the understanding
hat orders for its shipmen, would be
left at The office, they drove Off Moody
went ior the cigars, and in the short
time Of his absence Monroe captured
THE PLUMBER.
He selected from the lot Of ordinary
aeesengers' safes there one contain
ing large amount Of money, $40, coo,
we understand on good lthOrity. This
saie was for the Chicago messenger,
and was to have started for that city
last night. 1t il supposed that one Of
his coniederates stepped in again and
helped him put the safe in the trunk
There is no doubt il was placed in the
trunk during Moody's absence after
the cigars.
Moody returned with the cigars, and
he and Monroe proceeded to have Il
nice smoke. While they were smO-
king, 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 n
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
Juggling to carry i.-Tsther more than
they had made pretense Of in the first
place. They walked out with it,
quietly and in good order, placed it in
the wagon and drove of Monroe dis
appeared also.
The robbers drove up Race street in
the light of dull, cloudy afternoon.
us
is believed that they drove out into the
country, and at dark-say half past s.
selected some out of5the-waY place
where they could break open the safe,
and that they divided the contents and
parted, taking to the roads. They may
have cracked the safe in some selected
rendezvous in the city. But this is all
mere conjecture.
DISCOVERY OF THE ROBBERY.
The fact of the robbery did not come
to light until 6 o'clock =. NJ, when 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. lie tried his key to several,
au,yit would fit none Of them. But
NE soon became convinced that his
safe was gone, because there was moth
ing there that resemhled it. This safe
was new and freshly painted, with
broad bands. There was no suca safe
there. Then the porter toldthC story
Of Monroe, the ut'le old express Wag
on, and the little cid black horse, the
trunk that was 10 have been left and
wasn't left, and the cigars. And, fin
ally, he confessed to having seen y safe
III inc u Ahh a. tl4t u hl4fs VI CIT NA..
THE HUE AND CRY
over this thing last night was not loud
but it was deep. Mr.. Frank Clark, the
agent, although sick enough to be in
he'd, started out as soon as he was in
formed Of it., to do all that p man could
do. He called i'm Alr. Henderson, O.
The United States, MI. Weir, of the
Adams, Col. Kiersted, Superintendent
of Police, and Detectives Hazen, Mead
and White The two officers last
lamed were immediately started to get
"a trace Of that old green wagon anC
black horse, if possible The telegraph
lines were Immediately set to work
that all trains out from the city might
he searched. Col. Kierstpd set the city
forces on the watch.
At about half-past j. o'clock this
morning there came proof that the
telegraph had worked well, 1t came
in the shape Of a dispatch from Indian
apolis that Monroe had been arrested
there shortly after II o'clock, on &
train from this city. But there was mt
money on his person, and he didn'l
to Ia ffg VrTtt !