The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-10
A THIN STORY,
A Strange Letter from Very strang
Source,

| ... source,
ST. LOUIS, Nov. O.-The GloDs.Democrat
this morning prints a letter dated st. Jos.
oph, Mo-, October 3ist, and signed Jim
OumminGs, which purports to give full
history Of the robbery Of the Adams Ex-
press car on the San Francisco railroad on
the night Of October 9th, when between
$780, 900 and SlOO,OOOin currency was taken.
The letter was received by the edi,or Of
tho GtObe.DemOcrat last Tuesday. 1t zen.
closed two express money envelopes, from
one Of which $4,000 hal been abstracted
and from the other ST., 900, also tho mem.
orandum OF the cashier OF the Continental
bank, notifying the American National
bank, Of Krnsas City, that $4,000 waa
enclosed. The envelopes and memoran.
dun have been fully identified as those
taken in the robbery.
The writer Of the lOtter gives as his
reason for writing that he wants to clear
Fotherlngham, the express messenger,
from the suspicion which now attaches to
him. The letter gives inll details Of the
robbery and asserts that Fothoringham
was taken completely by surprise and had
no participation In II except as the unwll.
ling victim.
The writer tells OF a previous attempt to
rob the car at Cuba Junction, and details
the manner in which he aud au ACCOM-
pliCe secured letterheads, blanks, etc., and
secured signatures OF the express officials
TO enable them to forge the order permit.
ting them 10 ride In the car with the mes
aenGer. The letter stated the robberS had
boat, which together with camping
outfit, two guns, and box OF provisions,
they had secreted near the bridge NJ St.
Charles, Mo-, and also package contain
ing o revolver which had been left at the
check stand ct the Union depot In This
city on tho day. Of the robbery.
The letter is written In a round back
hand, evidently disguised, is fairly con-
stFncted and generally we'll spoiled, or.
rors where they occur evidently being in
tentional, as In the case Of the miGdnotA,
tlon "Honi soil qul maly penz" with
which 1t concludes, aud tho megsenaef'D
name which appears In oyery instance as
"Farthingham."
Following the directions given In tho
letter the skiH guns and provisions were
readily found by the detectives as waa the
package containing tho revolver at the
Union depot check stand Fotherinpham
In his first. statement said tAe robbsf had
remarked when he took from the lneaaon-
ger 10 pocket the forged letter by which ha
gained acces1 10 the express car, that hO
would write lstter 70 The Globe Dsmo@at
viu1InatinU thu taaaaannar mkn l.lI.. l.
in the same handwriting as that recently
sent with soma Of the stolen unslgned
money to Frank James.
Notwithstanding all this the detectives
regard the letter rs u clear blind, and do
not In the least ahate their vlgilant guard
over Messenger Eotheringham. Indeed,
y is stated on pretty good authority that
tho grand jury In session In this city yes
to-day found indictments against Fother-
inghsm," Jim Cummings' and two othera,
whose names are not given, for completely
In the robbery. The detective think that
the robbers, whom preparing for the affair,
took into consideration the extraordinary
pressure which would be brought
70 bear on the express messenger,
and that they laid their plans accordingly;
that the guns and provisions were loft
where found before the robbery, there ia
no doubt, for the people residing In tha
vicinity remember having seen mysterious
strangers In the locality, and the guns were
purchased near ST. Charles several days
before the robbery. Tho package OF tho
depot check stand was also left there on
the dates claimed In the letter the day Of
the robbery, but the detectives claim that
the letter waa neither written Oh the day
claimed, nor was 1t written In ST. Joseph.
However they say tho letter has given
some very strong ClsTs aud tllat tho whbIb
truth regarding the AFFAIR will bO SOON
known,