The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-08-30
SLY, THE EXPRESS ROBBER.


Tho st. Joseph (Mo., Express Robber Gives
an Account of the Crime and Relates the
Story of His Wanderings in Endeavering
to Elude the Officers In Pursuit. n.-
ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, August %.
reporter had AN interview with A..
d. Sly, the express robber. Hewas very
close mouthed at first, but, after some.
questions, said; "Of course | took the
money, but five minutes before i did 1t
the thought had never entered my mind.
i left the company's Office, and started in
my wagon for the depot with as innocent
mind as man ever possessed. knew
the money was In the wagon, but my only
thought was to deliver it safely. While
was carrying it from the wagon to the
depot office the idea of taking it
took possession of me, and became ir-
resistably impened by some unnatural
power. l made up my mind in a
moments time to steal the money.
After l had it l did not know what
to do with. 1t. / did not even
know where ~ go. 1 had laid 70
plans and knew not what to do. Sew
eral times l came near taking the
money and putting it where it belonged.
Why 1 did not | am at a loss to know"
TALKIA / TO FRIEND.
Shortly after ne above talk friend of
Sly called to SEE him at the Jail. This
friend talked With Sly through the bars of
his cell, the correspondent standing to
one side, where he could not be seen by
the prisoner but within hearing distance.
Sly said to his friend.
"Did you get the letter | wrote you
from st. LOUISE"
81 did" WAS the answer.
"Did you think the letter was from
me2"
81 did not, and have not thought so
until now. | thought 1t was written to
see whether l stood in with you or not,
and otter reading it tore it to pieces"
| The talk was continued several miu-
utes, Sly employing the time asking about
his family and telling of his wanderings
alter he wrote the letter last March to
his friend. He said:
| HIS wANDERINGs.
"When l reached st. Louis, the first
of last March, Immediately sent the one
hundred dollars to my wife in care of
John Burlington, my old employer.
wrote several letters to friends, and
among them one to you. After a
week or ten days in St. Louis went
direct to Chicago, where l remained only
a short time. l went from Chicago TO
Minneapolis, st. Paul, Duluth and other
cities, finally settling down in Mime
apolis, where l was found. The re-
mainder of my wanderlngs from the time
l left st. Joseph to the ;ime arrived in
st. L. uis last March, l tJld you of In
my letter"
In the letter mentioned he told OF his
wanderings. He said he had gone from
st. Joseph direct to New Mexico. From
there he went to California; thence to old
Me xico; thence to Texas, which latter
State he visited thoroughly, going to
every town of Importance and being In
every county almost. From Texas he
went to other Southern States, spending
short time In New Orleans. From
New Orleans he came to st. Louis by
steamer.
Going over the territory he did, OF
course he could not tarry long in any one
place. He was moving from one place to
another, having no fixed purpose In view,
and only seeking to elude the officers be
knew were after him. The express com.
pany In st. Joseph received two anony.
nous letters from st. Louis during the
time he was there. They were received
several days before he sent his
wife the 500, or the letters to his
friends, one of which has beer
referred to. One Of the letters said "Sn
Is here. If you want him you had better
come and get him." The second ettel
received u few days later, saidi "Sly Il
still here; this Is true as God is my wit
ness. You had better coma at once 4
you want to get him."
The company and the detectives have
always thought thSt Sly had an accom-
p ice who received the bulk of the money
Sly getting very small share.