Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-02-01
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NAlCiACllG dll Ohtf tHc COuutI
1t was plainly apparent to us
that We had got two things to
do. Pay the loss and ferret out
the thieves at all, hazards and at
any cost.
owe kept our own counsel
and went to work quietly and
Systematically, and put one of
our shrewdest and keenest de-
tectives at the work. The first
thing to do was to trace back
that shipment over various
trains and ascertain what mes
senger or other officials had
charge of it. This we did qui-
etly and without exciting any
suspicion among our employees.
1t was a long time before we got
any clew, but get it we did, and
you may surmise we held on to
it. Among our messengers
was one that had charge OF that
shipment between Chicago and
Detroit, and we had reason to
believe the change of boxes had
beer effected on his run; but
how, or by whom, we could not
determine. The messenger was
a general fayorite, prompt and
faithful in the performance Of
bis duty, and remained at his
post after the robbery, pursuing
the same course and habits of
life that he had previous to our
loss.
"a year passed by without
bringing any material results.
At last our detective took the
false box which had contained
the lead and went to Dubuque.
The banker who shipped the
coin looked at the box, then
looked at the detective, but he
was as much in the dark as be-
fore. However, the detectives
asked him who made the boxes
for him in which he shipped the
coin, The banker gave him the
name of the carpenter. 70 the
carpenter the detective went, and
handing him the box asked, Did
you make that box?' The car
penter surveyed it carefully for
u moment aud promptly an
swered:
"ENo, sir; l did not make
that box ag .,
"Did you make the boxes
that contained the coin from
Banker -?' inquired the de-
tective. 1E
Yes, I did, answered the
carpenter. re5sor |
"'How do you knowthat this |
is not one of the boxes that you |
made for the bankerat thattime?'
"'Well, I'll tell you how [
know said the carpenter. 4
used a certain kind Of lumber
for those boxes-of clear pine.
We carpenters never use that
kind of pine in this country.
1t is used around Chicago and
Detroit, but not in Dubuque.
"That was enough. Thank
ing him for his information the
detective went directly to
Detroit and quietly to work.
lie ascertained that the rnessen-
ger to whom we have referred
had formerly three bosom
friends, with whom he had been
OH extremely intimate terms for
years. These three friends had
disappeared from Detroit imme-
diately after the robbery, and
had not been seen there since.
Step by step, however, the pa
tient detective perseeeringly
pursued his clew until he found
his three men in Boston, where
they were living in style keep
ing livery stable, with a splen-
did stock of all the parapherna-
liza generally found in the first
class metropolitan establish
ment. The other was conduct
ing large real-estate business,
with an Office furnished in mag
style. N
"Two years had been con-
sumed and thousands of dollars
expended in hunting down these
men; but we found we had Sc
tured them. They were arrest
ed, tried, convicted, and sem
to ten years in the Peni-
tentiary. From their efforts we
realized enough to pay us for
our loss, for they were sharp
rascals, and made the most of
their stolen capital.
"Bnt how did they manage to
abstract the treasure-box and
substitute the false one?" we
asked.
"Well,' replied the narrator,
eve never could ascertain that.
You see they were great friends
of the messnn oer. and If is snn-