The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-17
$4,000 EXPRESS ROBBERY.

A few evenings ago Bozoo reporter
was sauntering around in the Garrison
House office. wondering what might
be turned up to good account in the
way of an item to interest the readers
Of this paper. Finally he ran across
an old expressman, an attache Of the
United States Express Company.
He invited the reporter to take
cigar, and then said:
"Walk up to my room, and while we
smoke will give you an item, that,
perhaps, may interest the readers of
the Bazoo.''
The reporter followed, and found the
room brilliantly lighted, fire burning
in the stove. and everything exceed
ingly inviting and cozy.
''Take this CHAIR said the express
man, 'swhile will lie on this lounge,'
he continued.
He first commenced telling some
thing about the daring exploits of the
Youngers and Jameses, and asked the
question to himself: ''If we get all of
these fellows, wonder if new band
will spring into existence that will give
us more trouble?''
And then after crossing his legs and
getting in more easy position. for he
is q nervous man, he said.
sin lS49, believe it was, the Unit
ed States Express Company was organ
lied, and in 1858 we were young and
poor. At that time bankers were in
the habit Of shipping gold boxes by
our company.
''The boxes used for this purpose
were all of a uniform size, and made
of pine-inch and half clear lumber.
The whole box was dovetailed togeth-
er, except the cover, and this, after
the gold was put in, was fastened
down by eight large screws sunk into
the wood. The holes on the top of the
screws were filled with molten sealing
wax, and a seal stamped on. There
were besides this, six holes, one
fourth of an inch in'diamet through
the cover. These were also filled with
sealing wax, ond stamped. Thus it
was a matter of utter impossibility to
remove the cover without evidences of
it.
ut was in this year, 1858, that our
Company was the victim Of the great
robbery of $4,000 in gold coin, that
filled us with dismay and the country
with establishment. In those days
railroading had not arrived at the per
lection of the present, and especially
in the West, and the means for the de-
lection of crime were not as effective.
But to the robbery:
';It was, as have said, in the year
1858. Our agent at Dubuque received
from banker there a large amount of
gold coin for the United States sub
treasury in New York. The coin was
packed in boxes as above described,
each box containing $4,000. The
boxes were all carefully sealed, and
every formality required by our COM
pany strictly complied with. At that
time the line from Dubuque to New
York was divided into runs, with re-
lays or messengers. Thus, one mes.
senger staged it from Dubuque to the
nearest railway terminal point; at that
place he transferred his charge to an
other messenger who ran TO Chicago.
where he was relieved by one who ran
to Detroit; another run was from De-
troit to Buffalo, and the last run from
Buffalo to New York. OF course this
shipment referred to had to pass
through a great many hands before it
was safely deposited at it's destination.
At last the boxes arrived at the sub
treasury. The exact number was de-
livered in good order, every box ex-
actly alike, every box bore the exact
stamps, and every box weighed exact
~ the same. So far, all right.
''But a terrible denouement was in
store for us, for when these boxes
were opened by the proper person, one
OF them, instead of containing $50, 900
in gold coin, was filled with lead. You
can Imagine the CONSERVATION of the
ofhcers OF our company at experiencing
such heavy loss, for which it was re-
sponslble and had to be made good.
OF course the matter got out, and ere.
ated intense excitement all over the
country. It was plainly apparent to
us that we had got two things to do ::
ray the loss and ferret out the thieves
at all hazards and at any cost.
''We kept our own counsel and went
to work quietly and systematically,
ana put one of our shrewdest and
keenest detectives at the work. The
hrst thing to do was to trace back that
Shipment over various trains and as
certain what messenger or other off.
clal had charge Of it. This we did
quietly and without exciting any sus.
plclon among our employees. It was a
long time before we got a clew, but
get it we did, and you may surmise
we held on to it. Among our messen-
gers was one that had charge OF that
shipment between Chicago and De-
trolt, and we had reason to believe the
change of boxes had been effected on