The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-08-29
DETECTIVES DODGES.
How WEIGH was Tracked to
New York.
Details of the Bank Robbers
Cap ure.

compllcIly IN the keWanee Dank ROBBERY,
which occurred on the 14th of August, is
still subject of general conversation in
this city, where Welch was quite well
known, having visited here many times as
a commercial traveller in the employ of
Chicago and Boston houses. The Chicago
Tribune gives the following account of
how the capture was made:
In answer to telegram received the
succeeding morning, August 18th, Pinker-
erton's agency sent TO the scene two opera
tors from the Chicago agency, and the
bank officials at the same time sent to
them in this city former merchant of
Mcponset. H., named Burt, who had
valuable little bit of information to offer.
HE REMEMBERED
having seen and conversed with in Nepon-
set on the very morning of the robbery
man whom he knew very well, both by
sight and by name, as drummer from
Chicago Having occasion to go almost
immediately thereafter to kewanee on
business, the merchant was not little sur
prised to find the drummer there ahead of
him. Subsequently, when it flashed upon
the Neponset man 8 mind that the drummer
had some connection in the bank robbery,
he remembered particularly well that the
drummer when lac last saw him in ke-
vance was occupying position peculiarly
adapted to overlooking what was going on
in the bank, aud also that he was wearing
an entirely different suit of clothes from
that which he wore only few hours be-
fore at Neponset. In fact, it was these two
circumstances more than any knowledge
of the mans character that caused the idea
to flash upon the Neponset merchants
mind that
EDWARD n. WEIGH
has something to do, either as principle or
accessory, with the Kewanee bank robbery.
Search was instituted all over that and
neighboring towns, but no trace could
anywhere be found of Welch. ANY mum
Der af people who knew him intimately
had seen him at Neponset and again in
Kewanee the very day of the bank robbery,
but nowhere was any one to be found who
had seen him after the hour aC which the
robbery occurred or during the exciting
time which ensued after the two bank en-
ployes released themselves from the vault
in which they had been murderously in
closed by the robbers.
AFTER THESE FACTS
had been cleaned. operatives were sent
from the agency to Independence, Peoria
and to Kewanee, the latter to run out the
track taken by the ROBBERS after they left
the bank, and report back at once by
what road they had left that section of the |
The operatives had no difficult |
ty in doing so. as they readily found a !
number Of people many of whom knew |
the ''fshman of Chicago" very well by |
sight if not by name, who had seen him |
and another man trudging towards Nepon- |
!. " ia1a
ponding in size and color TO the one left |
at the bank early in the afternoon. They |
spoke to no one, acted in a suspicious |
and made no stoppages, one car |
ryin9 the valise until he was tired and |
then turning it over to the other. The |
citizens were positive they could identify |
both men, and especially Welch. Upon
nearing Neponset the robbers retraced |
their steps short distance, and taking a
back track through the woods struck out
for Cambridge, where they took the east
bound train on the Rock Island railroad.
Through the Boston police, it was speedily
that Potter s Wilmington had
'eceived from Weich letter written on
he 18th and posted the following day in
which he threw up his situation, for the
'eason, as he stated, that he had quarrele1
With and separated from his wife, and that
4
n consequence He cut himself off from
I'll replies by failing to give any address
This letter bore the postmark of the West
Division postofice of this city.
AN OPERATIVE
who was put upon this end of the case
ucceeded in ingratiating himself into the
avor of Mrs. Alexander Welch's sister, and
through her formed the acquaintance of
mother lady relative, who; he soon became
WARE, was communicating with the refu-
rec under an alias. A close watch was
,ept on her, and one day a neighbours boy
vas intercepted with the letter which he
lad been sent to post. This letter was
addressed w. E. Norton, McDonough, |
county N. Y, and the operative
lightly concluded that from the silence
which the lady maintained about
his portion of her regular cores
'ondence that Norton was WEIGH,
nd he was greatly strengthened
n the suspicion by the fact that Norton's
initials were those of WEIGH transposed
Besides, it seemed certain that Welch was
n that part of the country, for the opera
i've at independence reported back that /
lis relatives there had received a letter
rom him dated at Buffalo ON the 21st.
Fearing that the refugee was still on the
move, he acted ON the instant, and tele-
ram was sent to Robert A Pinkerton, the
hief of the New York Agency, to proceed
t once to McDonough, and if Norton at
ii answered the description of WEIGH to
rrest him at once. The suspicion proved
I. i Il.