Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-08
sUsoUEHANNA's SAFE ROBBERY.
How $4,000 Was Stolen from the
United States Express Company-De-
tective Vfgtlauce-The Robber Lur-
ed from Canada, and Arrested at
the Frontier.
New York Herald.

L d.. o. S4U, UUJ, mas IOf TWO years re-
NAMED mystery which detectives
cunning and the closest investigat-
ION seemed unlikely to unravel. But
the arrest of George II. Proctor by
Robert A. Pinkerton, of Pinkerton's
detective Agency, reveals the method
and history of the crime. On the
night of June 90, 1888. the Marine
National Bank OF New York sent to,
the First National Bank of Susoue.
hanna, Pa, a sealed package contain
ing $40, GOO IN currency and national
bank notes. The money was for the
payment of the l, 500 hands empolved
by the Erie Railroad Company Ia the
local shops. The package was brought
to the United States Express Com
| pany's office In New York by a clerk
OF the Marine Bank, who received q
receipt for it, and the money clerk Of
the express company inclosed it in 8
canvass pouch, sealed with the COM
pany's seal, with tag attached, ana
addressed 1t to the company's agent al
Susqaehanna. The pouch was de
llvered TO Messenger Van Waganen,
who placed 1t In his safe He arrived
at Susquehanna at midnight and
turned it over to Dwight Chamber
lain. a night clerk and Waterman in
the JOINT employ OF the express COM
pany and the Erie Railroad Company.
Chamberlain then put it in a safe In
the ticket office, and locked it with q
key. He then was engaged IN his
duties, frequently being away from
the ticket office, until z O'clock on the
morning of June 81 At that hour
! the messenger from the Susquehanna
Bank called for the package 1t was
taken out and opened, and, instead
of the single package of $40, 1000
number of small packages of brown
Manila pap, =, cut the size of bank
bills, were found
FRUITLESS INQUIRIES.
w ord was sent to the main office
and after fruitIess inquiry the cast
was placed IN the hands of the Pin
kerton National Detective Agency.
The first discovery made was that the
pouch found in the safe was dummy
closel y resembling the pouches used
by the company, but with a different
seal and tag. Evidently, it had been
substituted for that containing the
$40, 900, IN order to retard discovery
as long as possible. A careful investi-
cation was made, and the detectives
felt assured that the right pouch had
been delivered to the clerk at the Sus-
quehanaa ticket office. Inquiry re-
vealed that in 1874 $50, 900 had been
taken from the safe in this office, and
also that three of the company's en-
pJOyes held keys to it, which would
open the door of the ticket office.
None of the employees were found to
| be liable to suspicion. and no one iD
the waiting room had seen the ofiC
catered by a stranger. Time had worL
on and the case seemed hopeless, but
the express company directed Mr..
Flnkerton to pursue it regardless OF
expense. But all search for clews as
to the presence of professional bur-
glars, strolIing filters" or suspicious
strangers was unavailing, and watch
kept on all the company's employees
developed nothing whatsoever.
Last July it was ascertained that
George H. Proctor, the foreman of the
boiler shop of the Erie Company, who
had left Susquehanna and gone to
Buffalo, was making considerable
money in oil speculations. To Buffalo,
| the detectives went and learned that
he had deposited 81, 900 In three of
the banks there. A story which reach
ed an official from a professional THE
that an Erie Railroad employee was
concerned in the safe robbery re-
doubled their vigilance. They found
that Proctor's money had all been
squandered in oil speculation; that
while living In Suseuehana he had no
money beyond his salary, and that he
was in communication with people Ia
Canada " no were regarded as shad
characters.
SHARP PLAY ON BOTH SIDES.
When Proctor next went to see hi
family in Susquehanna Detective
Robert Pinkerton was there before
him and took him in charge To Pink
erton he admitted his guilt. He saiC
he had met a man named Martin IL
Canada who had induced him to get
impressions of the keyholes of the
safe and ticket Office and give him in
formation touching the manner of dis,
posing of the money pouch. Mart
and an acconaplice named COlling
Proctor said, had subsequently com
mitted the robbery and turned over tC
him 81, 900 as his share of the booty
Detective Pinkerton, believing Proc
ter to have been used as witness for
the prosecution and use MIN to decoy
Martin from Canada, where he wa
beyond the reach of the American
law. To that end he was allowed tt
remain at his home on condition tina
he would notify Pinkerton's Agent
of bis movements. Suddenly, hov
ever, he disappeared, and was foun
to have gone to Canada, where he hae
joined Martin and Collins. Investiga
tion showed, too, that he had origin
ally been burglar and Jail berakar
and no doubt was responsible himsel
for the robbery at Susquehanna. T
brighten the trio out of Canada PINK
erton caused rumor to reach thei
ears that they were being sought b
the police for burglary committe,
in that country. On hearing it Co.