Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-11-04
DARING ROBBERY.
The Adams Express Robbed Of $50, 900
In Missouri.
The Messenger Gagged and Bound
While the Robber Deliberately
Rifles the Safe.

ST. LOUIS, Oct 2-The Adams express car
attached to assenger train No. on he st.
Louis & san FrancIr co road, which left here
at s;25 Monday night, was robbed of over
$50, OGO in cash lie W en- re and Pacific, Mo.
From reports, 1t seems that before the train
left this city man giving the name OF Cum
mings presen ed a letter to Express Me sen
ger Fothern ham purportng to be signel 10y
Offices of the COMPANY, stating that Cum,
min . was about to take run on the n ,ani
asking Fother ngham 10 give h IN points
Whom near Meremac The stranger oyerrowered
tn messenger AMI gage aud bound him to
the safe, after VIII &c he C oily r.tled the car,
He cut open bags couta ne silver, but look
none Of t. AT Nj mac he left the train.
The robbery was not discovered until the
train reach d Pac fic, VIII he express car
was broken open and Fother ngham found
tied to the safe. The express officials are
retcent, but admit that over fifty
thousand dollars were taken. The robber is
i'm erfecty described as tall, dark man OF
prepossessing appearance, dressed In black,
with large hands and feet. 1t is a singular
coincidence that he gave the name OF jim
CUMMINGS an early member of the once cele-
counted for to make the number of trains
three instead of four. The stranger, who
gave the name OF Cummings to Fotherlng-
ham, the mess niger, presru ed to him
clcverly forged letter bearing a perfect fac
simile OF the signature of Barrett Route, local
az mt of the express company. The letter
stated that Route had decided to put an extra
man on the route, that the bearer was he, and
that FOtherlngham was directed to teach him
the details of the business. The stranger was
allowed to enter the car, and took great I'm.
terest In all the movements of the messenger
apparently desiring to learn quickly the ms
and outs Of the duties which the letter stated
he was expected to perform. The men busted
themselves with accounts and etc, and all
went well until point between St. Louis and
Pacific, Missouri, was reached. In the mean
time the new assistant was informed that
there was nothing more he could do at that
time and he seated himself In Q chair. Fo-
theringham turning around to 60 to the safe
saw Cummings" sitting in his chair with a
cooked revolver leveled at his, Fothering hams
head. Fotherlngham had nothing to do but to
submit, and according to his statement, the
rohber bound his hands and feet, pressed
that he could not move, and proceeded with
! his work. The safe had been left open and it
took but a few minutes to secure bank notes
and yaluables in the shape Of jewelry, etc.
He cut open the bags of silver coin, but did
not take any. OF the gold, however, he took o
| good amount. At this point the roads run
| directly along side Of high bluff, and trains
slacken speed here on account OF the danger
of boulders which occasionally fall on the
| track. Before leaving, the robber locked all
but one door which he secured on the outside,
| tn jumping from the train, made his es.
| cape. The conductor tried the door some
| time afterward, and not gaining admission,
| he listened for a moment and heard the mes.
senger struggling to free himself. He burst
| open the door, finding Fotheringham as above
| described, and released him. When the train
| arrived here at z yesterday morning, on the
| return trip, Fotheringham Immediately sought
| the superintendent of the company and was
closeted with him sometime, at the end Of
| which he commenced his official report, refus-
| ing to make any statements to outsiders re-
garding the robbery. The officers Of the
company have nothing to say of the af.
| far.
| dispatch OF the 2Nh from Springfield,
| ILL.,, says: A gentleman who arrived in this
| city from St. Louis via Oh cago 81 Alton yes
| tie day details tn, suspicious conduct Of a
| elbow passenger whom he has grounds for
| eleving is connected with the express car
| robbery on the Frisco road. This passen-
| ger, the gentleman says, got on the train
at st. Louis in a nervous, hurried man
ner, seemed greatly interested in the
| various wspaper accounts OF the
| robbery and his face indicated that he had re-
Gently had his beard an | mustache shaved of.
| He was dark complicated but wore a blonde
wig He accidently displayed a large
| mount of money which he carried In valise
and seer tied himself in the water closet when
h. train approached an important station.
| Il. also carefully examined guide OF Canad-
an railroads.