Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-06-09
ROBBERY OF GEN. GRANT.
Valuable Medals, &c, Found in the
Possession of Two Drunken
Men in Texas.

valuable Medals, &c, Found in the
Possession of Two Drunken
Men in Texas.
ST. LOUIS, June John Fitzpatrick,
formerly manager of the Southern Ex-
press Company, and Henry King. bag
gageman on the Iron Mountain Rail-
road, while on spree at Texarkana,
Texas, few days ago made display of
some very valuable jewels and badges
which, from the inscription on them,
were shown to have been once present.
ed to General U. s. Grant at reunions of
the Grand Army of the Republic, Mexi-
can Veterans and the Missouri LOYAL
League. 1t was learned that, the men
expressed the yaluables to Kansas City
intending to secure them at that point
themselves. but that the box was inter
eepted here by General Manager Soper.
of the Iron Mountain Railroad, who
now has possession of them. 1t is
thought these men camein possession of
the jewels by robbing General Grants
baggage last summer while he was on a
trip to Galveston.
The supposed robbers were brought
here this morning by Detectives Cyers
and Stewart. King was arrested last
night at Sedalia- He was a brakeman
instead of a baggageman, and says he
obtained the medals and badges from a
colored porter on-the sleeping car Of the
special train that took General Grant
from here, and he gave him $40 for
Them This story is not believed BY the
detective.
Fitzpatrick says he had nothing to do
with it, and that when he first saw the
badges in the possession of King he ad-
yised him to either send them to Ger.
Grant or to notify that gentleman that
he had them, and to state how they
could be recovered.
1t is very difficult to get connected
and coherent account of this affair. Ac-
cording to the statement of w. H. Byars,
detective of the Iron Mountain railroad,
King was brakeman on the rear end of
the train to which the special car con-
tanning the Grant party was attached,
and had access to the special car. Fitz-
patrick 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 friend and school fellow,
they went on spree together, and while :
drunk King produced the decorations
and hung them on his own and Fitz-
patriek's clothes. He does not think
Fitzpatrick had anything to do with the
robbery. Fitzpatrick was found at work
in the Adams Express Office, Kansas
City. and from him it was learned that
King was going down as express mes
senger from Sedalia, Mo-, to DennisOn,
Texas, on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas.
Byars and Stewart started at once for
Sedalia, taking Fitzpatrick along, and
found King at Adams Express Office. He
offered no objections, simply asking the
privilege Of f>getting his Valise. King de-
clines to say anything further than he
bought the badges from the porter Of
the sleeping cal, giving him $40 for
them; that he intended to keep them
until Gen. Grant returned from Mexico
and then get a reward. Fitzpatrick says
that he and King got on big drunk at
Texarkana,- and when he woke np he
found the breast of his coat covered
with Maltese Cross, Russian Bear and
other costly decorations Soon as he
discovered what they were he took them
of, and begged King for Gods sake to
send them toWaShington to be held un-
til Gen. Grant returned there. He does
not know, he says, what King did with
them, but he and King came north and
went to work at Kansas City. He fur
ther says, he and King have known
each other all their lives, that they were
brought up together in Louisville, Ky,
and that Kings reputation is good, and
that he is well connected in Louisville.
His full name is Elsie King. Neither
police nor railroad officials have yet OBJ
tained all the decorations seen in the
possession of these men, but it is believ-
ed that they, and still others, will be Sc
cured, for i. is thought that perhaps all
the presents that General Grant had, in
Gliding gold snuff boxes and jewelry Of
various kinds were plundered. OF this.
however, nothing definite can be known
until Gen. Grant arrives at New Orleans
and furnishes list and description of
the articles he had with him. A very
singular part Of the affair is that if
General Grant was really robbed moth
ng should have been heard of it, for it
s hardly possible that he should not
nave discovered his loss, and having dis
covered it, should not have. made it
Known and taken measures to recover
his property.