The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-06-02
WAS HE ROBBED?
VALUABLE PROPERTY or GRANTS
Found 10 the Possession OfTWO Drunken
AcnIn Te1as-The Men Arrested Under
the suapiciOa or Having Stolen
lI-DoubtS About the Robbery.

J ST, LOUIE, June John Fitzpatrick,
formerly mAnHger.ol the Southern Express
Company, and Henry King, baGgageman
on the Iron Mountain Railroad, while on
. spree at TsxArkAnA, Texas, q few days
ago made display Of some very valuable
Jewels and badges which, from the in.
sCription on them, were shown to have
been once presented to General U. s.
Grant at reunions OF the Grand Army Of
the Republic, Mexican Veterans and the
Missouri Loyal League. Il was learned
that the men expressed the Valuables to
Kansas City intending to secure them at
that point themselves, but that the box
was intercepted hera by General Manager
soper, OF the Iron Mountain Railroad,
who now has possession Of them. 1t IS
thought these men came In possession OF
the jewel by robbling General Grants
baggage last summer while he was on
trip to Galveston,
The supposed robbers were brought
here this morning by Detectives Cyers
and Stewart. King was arrested last
night at Sedslia, He was brakeman in.
stead oil q bSggsgeman, and says he OBJ.
tanned the medals and badges from a
colored porter on the sleeping car OF tina
special train that took General Grant
from here, and he gave him $40 for them,
This story 10 not believed by the deteC-
tive.
Fitzpatrick says he had nothing To do
with II, and that when he first saw the
badges In the possession OF King he
advised him 10 either send them 10 Gen.
Grant or to notify that gentleman that he
had them, and TO state how they
could be recovered.
1t is very difficult 10 get connected and
coherent account OF this affair. According
10 the stament OF W. II. Byars, deteCliyeof
the Iron Mountain railroad, King was
brakeman on the rear end OF the train To
which the special car containing the
Grant party was attached, and had act eos
TO the special car. Fitzpatrick was not on
the train at all. Byars thinks that King
robbed Grants baggage at night, when
the party was asleep, and when he met
Fitzpatrick, who Is an old lIiend and
school fellow, they went on q spree to-
gether, and while drunk King produced
the decorations and hung them on his
own and Fitzpatrick's clothes. He does not
think Fitzpatrick had anything to do
with the robbery. Fitzpatrick was found at
City, and from him II was learned that
King was going down as express mss'
senger from sedGlia, No., To Dennison,
Texas, on the Missouri, Kansas 4 TexsA,
Byars and Stewart at once started for
Sedalia. taking Fitzpatrick along, and
found King at Adams Express office. He
offered no. objections, simply asking the
privilege Of getting his yalise. King de.
clines TO say anything further than he
bought the badges from the porter Of the
sleeplng car, giving him $40 for them;
that he intended 10 keep them until Gen.
Grant returned from Mexico and then get
q reward. Fitzpatrick says that he and
King got on q big drunk St Texarkana,
and when he woke up he found the
breast Of bis coat covered with q Maltese
Gross, Russian Bear and other costly dec
oralions. Soon as he discovered what
they were he took them of, and begged
King for Gods sake 10 send them TO
Washington TO be held until Gen, Grant
returned there He does not know, he
says, what King did with them, but he
and King came north aud went TO work
at Kansas CITY. He further Gays, he and
King have known each other all their
lives, that they were brought up together
In Louisville, KY, and that Kings repn-
tation is good, and that he is we'll con-
nected Ia I4ouiAvile. His full name 10
Elsie King. Neither police nor rail-
road officials have yet obtained oil
the decorations seen In the possession
OF these men, bnt II 10 believed that they,
and atill others, will be secured, for II 10
thought that perhaps all the presents that
General Grant had, including gold BnuR
boxes aud iewelry ol various kinds were
plundered. OF this, however, nothing def.
mite can be known until Gen. Grant ar
fives at New Orleans and furnishes list
and description Of the articles he had with
him. A very singular part Of the affair y
that II General Grant was really robbed
nothing should have been heard OF 1t, for
It 10 hardly possible that he should not
have discovered his loRF, and having dis.
covered II, should not have made itkbown
and taken measures to recover his prop.
erty.