The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-01-18

such heavy loss, for which it was re-
sponsible and had to be made good.
OF course the matter got out, and cre-
ated intense excitement all over the
country. It 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.
1--WE kept our own counsel and went
to work quietly and Systematically,
and put one of our shrewdest and
keenest detectives at the work. The
first thing to do was to trace back that
shipment over various trains and as
certain what messenger Or other Off
cial had charge of it. This we did
quietly and without exciting any sus.
picion among our employees. It was a
long time before wei got clew, but
get 1t 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 aud De-
troit, and we had reason to believe the
change of boxes had been effected on
his run; but how, or by whom, we
could not determine. The messenger
was a general favorite, prompt and
faithful in the performance of his
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 de.
tective took the false box which had
contained the lead and went to Du.
buque. The banker who shipped the
coin looked at the box, then looked at
the detective, but he was as much in
the dark as before. However, tho de.
tecIives asked him who made the box.
es for him in which he shipped the
coin. The banker gave him the name
of the carpenter. To the carpenter
the detective went, and handing him
the box asked, Did you make that
boX?' The carpenter surveyed it care.
fully for a moment and promptly an.
swercd:
"'No,sir; I did not make that box y
"'Did you mako the boxes that con.
tanned the coin from Banker? in.
quired the detective.
"tYes, I did, answered the car.
penter.
How do you know that this is not
one of the boxes that you made for
the banker at that time %
'Well, I'll tell you how I know,
said the carpenter. Il used a certain
kind of lumber for those boxes -o1
clear pine. This box, although made
exactly like those l made,is adifferent
kind of 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. Thanking him
for his information, the detective went
straight to Detroit and quietly to
work. lie ascertained that the mes
senger to whom we have referred had
formerly three bosom friends, with
whom no had been OH extremely init
mate terms for years. These three
friends had disappeared from Detroit
Immediately after the robbery, and
had not been seen there since. Stel
by step, however, tho patient detec
tive perseveringly pursued his cleW
until he found his three men in Boston
where they were living in style keep
ing a livery stable. with a splendid
stock Of all the paraphernalia generally
found in the lirst-class metropolitan es
tablishment. The other was conduct
ing largo real-estate bsujness, with
an office furnished in magnificent
style
|<Two years had been consumed and
thousands of dollars expended in hunt
ing down these men; but we felt rich
ly repaid when we found we had Sc
cured them. They were arrested
tried, convicted, and sentenced ito ter
years in the Penitentiary. From theil
effects We,reliZed enough to repay u
for our loss, for they were sharp ras
Gals, and made the most of their stole1
capital
"But how did they manage to ab
stract the treasure-box and substitute
the false one - we asked.
"Well,' replied the narrator, ''we
never could ascertain that. You SET
they were great friends of tho messep
ger, and it is supposed that at times
they rode in his car. During one OF
these trips they probably took an i'm
preston of the seals, and had stamr
made like it. They then fixed up ule
false box, and, watching their chance,
they somewhere, on that run, substi.
tuted it for one of the real ones.''
"What became of the messenger e.
we inquired. "That's what got us, -
said our entertainer. eve could never
fasten any guilt or completely with
the others upon him, and yet we were
obliged to discharge him for his want
Of attention, and, at least criminal
carelessness. And that's how the
great $50,000 robbery occurred, that
how we hunted the robbers, and that 3
all know about it, said the old ex.
pressman, as, throwing away his cigar,
bouncing from his seat, he began nerv-
odsly pacing up and down the room.
And now, kind reader, you have it
before you just as he related it.
r