The Portland daily press., 1886-12-28
THE ADAMS EXPRESS RossERY.
The Mysterious "Jim Cummings
Finally Arrested.
He is Found to Have Four confed-
crates.
Not Known Whether Fotheringhan1
Aided in the Robbery.
Details of the Chase After the Guilty
Men.


special from Nashville, Tenn, referring t
the arrest Of w. W. Haight, formerly Of
Leayenworth, Kansas, for supposed com
plleity in the st. Louis express robbery. II
says:
Haight evidently is very shrewd, saga.
cl0us fellow, possessed Of nerve and cool.
ness. lie has been here about month and
was Jelned few weeks ago by his wife and
their little four year old boy. He admitted
70 reporter that he lived in Leayenworth
ana tnat Tor hye years he was q train mes
senger for the Adams Express company,
running between st. Louis and Vincent In
alan Territory. He said he was discharged
because ne was suspected of apprOpriatinp
70 himself several valuable packages which
last April.
The two detectives who made the arrest
nave been, fully three weeks watching
Halgnt The arrest was not made until in
StrucLlOns were received from Chicago.
Halght seemed much excited when the Off
GERS told him the crime for which he was ar
rested. He denied the charge but it is said
that he admitted he knew rockingham.
Sook OK ana otner persons who were arrested
In Chlcago and Kansas City.
AT this time Haight had not the remotest
ldea tnat the others were under arrest. The
uetectlVes, who had been informed of the
real names OF the men who had been already
arrested asked him II ne knew them. He
SAID he did not know who committed the
robbery but would walk ten miles to shake
hands with all who did. He claimed that he
nad come to Nashville because he believed
there was good chance here for lin to
make living. .Baight's trunk was exam
N ga ana there were found a number Of sus-
piclOus papers connected with transactions
o. express companies that may have an in
nuence In 'ettling upon the actual perpetra-
I9rs oI the crime. The wife and child of
Haight are still in the city
:, A later despatch says that Pinkerton said
tnls morning; We have nothing TO tell the
newspapers about Jim Cummings or the ex-
press robbery case. I'll tell this much
though; We have Jim Cummings beyond
all doubt and we had two of his pals Friday
ana got two more yesterday, besides recover
ing large amount Of the money This
makes five arrests We have all the parties
safe In custody.
Details of the Arrest.
The complete details Of the chase after the
Adams Express robbers, who robbed the
SAFE on the st. Louis and San Francisco road
on the night of October 25th, of S55, 900 to
$4,000. were related by Pinkerton officials
tonight to representative of the Associated
fIess. Inc agency has succeeded in arrest
ing 1ve men, Frederick Witrock, who is au-
thor5 OF the Jim Cummings" letters, and
VINO is claimed to be the man who perpetra-
ted the robbery; w. w. Haight an employe
OF the express company, who is supposed TO
ma nave aided IN planning the robbery from his
knowledge OF the railroad run" Thomas
weaver, Chicago laundryman, who was
win Wltrock before and after the robbery;
EDWARD Kinney, br0ther-in-law of Witrock,
upon whose person was found considera-
Die portion Of the Express money; and Oscar
COOK, VINO hid Witr0ck after the robbery,
ana divided the money and mailed the "Jim
cummings letters. The detectives have
found about $4,000 of the stolen booty and
estimate that from $4,000 TO $4,000 Is still
unaccounted for. After the express car had
been rltied the express messenger, David
;. Fotheringham, was found bound and
gagged in the car He explained he had adj
United man into the car who presented
letter from John u. Barrett, route agent of
the company, the letter explaining that the
man was to be employed and was to be
gwen an opportunity to learn the business.
Eotheringham related that while on the run
the stranger presented revolver, bound and
the safe.
The robbery occurred at Pacific Junction,
30 miles from st. Louis. Pinkerton sent
operatiVes In all directions and wagon roads
running from Pacific Junction toward the
missouri river were traversed, but only
meagre trace was found and the officials
Wnen tney returned to st. Louis were at
sea- In the meantime letter was addressed
Dy jim Cummings" to the Globe-Democrat
detectives claim to have compassed the ar
rest and liked the crime of all the partici
pants. In the meantime the detectives had
OBTAINED the names of all persons discharged
or who had voluntarily left the employ Of
tne Express Company during the preceding
year and found among the former W. w.
Haight, who had been discharged nine
months previous for suspected theft of
package. This man had been a messenger
on on the road from st. Louis to Knita, Indian
territory, covering the same run which was
made by Fotheringham z The detectives
found that he and Fotheringham had known
each other IN Kansas city, but there had
been no intimacy. Haight was traced 10
Kansas City and from there to Leavenworth
y Wnere ms iather was an inmate Of the Home
IL was found that Haisht had come to Chica-
go where he had been employed as an ex-
press driver and also worked for Fred Wit
rock, the mysterious "Jim Cummings" who
Lincoln and West Lake street.
Halght left the city on October 9th, two
days after the robbery, stating that he was
going to Florida, and his wife followed him
some days later. They had been very poor.
put showed evidences of sudden affiuence
immediately after the robbery. Investigation
by detectives in Chicago showed that Wit
rOck hau also come from Leayenworth, and
as he was absent from the city he could not
be questioned concerning Haight. When in
4uhJ Wao concerning NlLrOCK. III
was found that he corresponded very closely
70 the description given Of the mysterious
Jim Cummings" Further cautious in
qulries showed that Witrock had left the
city on October 18th with Tom Weaver, the
Iaundryman, whose place Of business is near
Wltrock's coal yard. 1t was also learned
that the men had taken with them two
valisesi 2 shot gun and musket, and ex-
planned that they were going to Arkansas to
nunt. weaver, 1t was ascertained, had re-
turned 70 Chicago on October %. Some of
Wltrocks handwriting was obtained and
compared with the letter addressed to the
Giobe-Democrat. Detectives state that this
letter, which was written to exculpate Foth-
eringham, professed to tell the facts
leading up to the robbery, and
what had occurred after the robbery.
he had left a package in the Union depot at
St. Louis, which would show that he had a
number OF letter heads of the express COM
pany. In this letter the writer said he had
gone to the Missouri river, to a point oppo-
site Labadle, and taken a skiff below St.
Charles and floated down the river. Detec-
uves were sent to st. Charles, and found
that two men answering the description Of
Witrock and Weaver had bought skiff and
provisions, and had gone up river Oct 14th,
instead OF down river. The skiff was after
wards found in a gully, partially covered
with sand. In bundle left at the Union
depot, in addition to other articles, were
some printed bill heads, and one of these
was found addressed TO 2lOS Chestnut street,
but which was only diScenable under mi
eroscope, AT this number was found to be
living woman named Berry, who related
that she had had two roomers who cores
ponded to Witrock and, Weaver. They had
come TO her house on Oct. 18th, and Weaver
departed on the night of Oct. %, saving he
was going TO Kansas City. Witrock left the
evening OF Oct. 18th, explaining that he in.
tended to go to Kansas City also Mrs. Ber.
ry was able TO give very close description
of both men. On searching the rooms they
had occupied, two red stamps were found
which corresponded to the labels placed on
the two valises shipped to ST. Louis.
After constant shadewing by detective,
Witr0ck and Kinney were seen to come from
the formers house Friday morning, pass
down Lincoln street and enter the liJuor sa
| loon on Madison street. Robert A. Pinker.
ton and two operatives shadowed the plac,
| until Kinney went out, when they entered
| and arrested Witr0ck after sharp struggle
| the latter attempted to draw revolver. tw,
| of which were found on his person. He pro
tested against the indignity but was searche,
: and S11O was taken from pocket bool
| found on his person. When Kinney reap
| peared he was searched and $1,000 in money
| found ON his person, while belt around nj
waist contained $1,000 additional. Search O
the Witrock house resulted In finding skir
| on Mrs. Witr0ck, into which $500 in 8
notes were sown. A bunch Of money, S45
| in all, was also found on her person with
valuable diamond. Weaver was arrested ii
| coal yard about the same time and in tn,
basement Of his house was found $4,000 il