Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-22
Aa ASTOUNDING CASE.

George n. Price. she once heroic
Exprtsa Neaseuger, ArFested Foe
stealing Aoney RackaEes = The
4sasse % ne hspssss SSmPHsy
600.
Pitslburg Dispsteh.l
The astoun6ing intelligence reached
the ears Of the reporters yesterday that
George Il. Price, the well-known express
messenger, was arrested in Chicago on
Monday on the charge of stealing money
from packages in his care, between this
city and Chicago. The previous good
character of Price, together with his
heroic conduct about two and a-half
years ago, in shooting a man named
Binkley, who attempted to rob an express
car on the Pittsbnrg. Fort Wayne and
Chicago railroad, made it difficult for the
officers Of the company TO believe that
be was other than q strictly honest man,
until the most ind lble evidence Of his
guilt had been l,i before them. II
seems that for me. ian a year parties
in Chicago aud poin.s west Of that city,
have been complaining to the officers Of
the express company that packages Of
money received by them were short of
the amounts placed therein by the sender.
The suns missing were generally small,
ranging from ten to fifty dollars, aud for
a while it was thought that the parties
iRelosing the money we're mistaken as to
the amounts. f4le Sam
The decoys we're first tried on oil the
runs" but that of Price, so confident
were the agents at bis honesty, and as
they all vent through safely it was de-
termined to put the honesty Of the some.
time hero to the same test as had been
applied in the case of his fellow messen.
gers. This was done on Sunday last in
this way: A money package was pre-
pared, and among the contents were two
marked $40 notes. How much money
the package contained has not been as.
c~ertsined, but the marked money was
placed on the top of the pile for an OBJ.
vious reason. Wien Price reached Chi
cago with his run on Monday morning
the decoy package was examined, and
the discovery made that a portion Of the
money had been distracted. An officer
was on hand, and be at once took Price
into his custody. A search of the pris.
oner resulted in the finding of the mark
ed money in his possession, and he was
in jsil. Last night il was learned
that be was released on Tuesday upon
bail 10 the sum Of $1,000 for his
appearance before a certain magistrate
for a hearing. 1t is reported Price has
confessed TO stealing some small amounts
from money packages, but his acknowl-
edgment does not cover one-tenth Of the
amount Of money that has been lost dur
ing the past year, which is estimated at
from $1,000 to $4,000.
For his gallsntry in the Binklsy mat.
ter, above mentioned, the Express Com
pany made him a present Of $1,000 iu
gold. and granted him three months
leave Of absence as a reward for his be-
roie conduct.
Notwithstanding the good reputation
he bore, Price appears to have possessed
some bad traits, aud he was very unpop.
ulsr with his fellow messengers. Il is
moreover, that be acted as a
" spotier" for the Express Company,
which means that be would watch other
messengers, and il he saw them visiting
saloons aud playing cards he would re
port them at headquarters. An EN-.
OF the company stated yesterday
that Price was the means of procuring
dismissal of no less than seven men
from the company 5 service, all of whom
better men than himself. he is a
Of Kentucky, and at one time had
a run" between Louisville aud Mem
phis. At that time be was the editor of
a little paper published at Louisville BY
messengers, called Our Expressman