The sun., 1886-11-28
SUSPECTED AND SHADOWED.
The HumilinuuR Experience OF Express
Messenger Edwin Hayden.
From the ST. Louis Globe. Democrat.


1t is not generally known, even among the
most intimate friends Of the venerable resident
manager OF the American Express Company:
compIcity in the first heavy W express @ robberv in
The United sas t .so Am
Many years have passed" said Mr.. Hayden.
since those days Of sorrow and suspense. but
greatest agitation. In 1855 went to Dubuque.
Iowa. as agent for the American Express Com
pany. AT that time Dubuque was compara-
lively small place. but 1t was one OF the most
Government had an office there. and was re-
Of public lands. In 1856 they began 10 ship the
treasure to the Sub Treasury In New York at the
s Rnd bss
the spring Of 1856 until late in September.
by the receipt Of q telegram stating that two Of
tho boxes In which the gold was shipped. each
we're found % to Contain ' ieaden % bullets s instead
OF coin. The high officials OF the company
TO Dubuque at to n
ssiysd is NV YofE; with hs Issdsn Sulless
Treasury quickly convinced the officers that
ea on so sSs ose they was s ms their chas
iivered to my office between 8 and 4, o'clock in
not not leave Until until A. n. It was Of course. nee.s.
sary to retain the boxes in the Dubuque office
ron from % the time Il @ LETT the has and the
Dubuque office was at Chicago Detroit and
Buffalo. and destination.
Dubuque office was then made manifest. The
officials turned their attention In that direc-
was overhauIed, mvsei among the number.
Finding no evidences Of the theft having been
committed there they ioii4Wed the
they reached New York their work had not
Sey e yisit ny father . sna mother i NV
knew 's sa@eshns thin Ho Of os the loss sers pertecy
willing to let me make, the trip. My actions
were closely scrutinized In every way; and from
tiyes wherever went left Dubuque with the
officers Q Of the con company. and went with them
borders Of the Adirondasks. and while there
thoy sent ,,i for I me to come some. to Utica: some
loved loved by % my shadow At Utica i IN M
aerYsnt an exDorienes similar to that
While in the .Bages House. at Utica. In a
shsIs sssK A.
Sam Best. the latter Of whom is now detectlve
pany. was pushed hard to confess, that | was
guilty OF the crime. ! was informed that they
had evidence enough to convict me. but be-
Iieved was not the guilty party; that others
They sought in every way to gain nv conf
dence and q confession. which. being innocent.
mot One ID day While IN the
porting to come from Henry Kip of Dubuque.
was opened In my presence. 1t read:
"Proposton from tayden'. counsel to turn States
who Is to make this confession ? asked.
,,,,T TO this query there was no direct answer.
named Babcoek. who ran a store In the build
Ing in WHICH the Dubuque express was located.
lint, informed ne, them that he knew anything l
time would have been. willing TO have been
gentlemen believe the truth ! was telling them.
my agony was SO intense. l was finally in;
10 wSd hays tG nd
nothing but all right.
Eisht Io q 5sS Sno days I later they offered re.
were as much In the dark then as at first. Be.
ssfs sRsr s Fas asK Fs
telegram from a banker In a little town; the
Mass 81 wssh aaye there B
he ws % dF' sa Ssi Ss9aea SO usn tS%
he from Ss %est Kns Snd
had bought livery stable and made many
American Co'd' The detectives al tuF once turn ed
their attention IN that direction. and upon
carefully tracing the matter up aBcertained
that King and Ayers were old acuuaintances
OF Messenger White who was running between
Chicago and Detroit at the time the
and the additional fact that White re-
signed his position soon afterward, after q
long and tedious investigation they decided
that they had got on the right track at last. and
traced King and Ayers from Dubuque to Chi
cago. from Chicago to Dubuque. and back to
the little town in Massachusetts. They found
every hotel where the men had stopped and at
the hotel In Chicago where the men had been
auartered, the room they occupied was search
sd. and the detectives we're rewarded by 1nd-
ing there number OF bullets similar to those
with which the treasure boxes had been filed"
How did they secure the boxes containing
tho treasure to make the transfer2"
" The robbers had manufactured duplicate
boxes. ike those furnished by the Government
at Dubuque. which were OF ordinary pine wood
dOvetailed together. Tho bogus boxes and
their baggage were taken charge OF by Messen-
ger White. who made the exchange for them.
When they reached Detroit they went on East
and took the gold with them. while the mes
senger, White. delivered the bogus boxes to the
messenger OF the New York Central, who duly
delivered them al tns offlce In New York. The
case was such n strong one that the company
found no dfficulty in sending King. Ayers. and
the messenger. White. to the Michigan Penl-
tentiRry. each for term of five years"
Your experience VIII 10 being shAdoWed and
under suspicion must have been very trylnRY"
cannot express how much so. / would
Ill