Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-10
AN ALLEGED CONFESSION.
A Letter From "Jim Cummings" Civil


ST.. LOUIS, November 9.-The Globe
Democrat to-day prints letter dated st.
Joe, Mo-, October 81, and signed Jim
Cummings" 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 -, when between
$4,000 and 100000 in currency was
taken. The letter was received by
the editor of the GlO6e-Deaocrdt
last Tuesday. 1t enclosed two
express money envelopes, from one OF
which $50, 600 had been abstracted, and
from the other $12, 900, also the memoran-
dunn of the cashier in the Continental
Bank, notifying the American National
Bank, of Kansas City, that $4,000 was
enclosed. The envelopes and memoran-
dunn have been fully identified as those
taken in the robbery. The writer Of the
letter gives rs his reason for writing that
he wants to clear Fotheringham, the ex-
press messenger, from the suspicion which
now attaches him. The letter gives full
details of the robbery, and asserts that
Fotheringham was completely taken by
surprise and had no participation in it ex-
eeptas the unwilling victim.
The writer tells of a previous attempt to
rob the car at Cuba Junction, and details
the manner in which he and an accomplice
secured letter heads, cards, etc., and Sc
cured signatures of the express officials to
enable them to forge the order permitting
the robber to ride in the car with the
messenger. The letter stated that the
robbers had boat which, together with a
camping outfit, two guns and box of pro-
visions. they had secreted near the bridge
at ST. Charles, Mo-, and also package
containing a revolver which had been left
at n check stand at the Union Depot in
this city on the day of the robbery. The
letter is written in round backhand,
evidently disguised, is fairly constructed
and generally well spelled, errors, where
they occur evidently being intentional, as
in the case of the misquotation, "Honi
salt qui haly pense, with which it con-
cludeS, and the messengers name, which
appears in every instance as "Farthing-
ham"
Following directions given in the letter
the skitf, guns and provisions were readily
found by the detectives, Us was the pack
age containing the revolver at the Union
depot check stand. Other coTrOborauions
of the letter were numerous. FUthering-
ham in his first statement said the rObher
had remarked, when he took from the
messengers pocket the forged letter by
which he had gained access to the express
Globe Democrat vindicating the messenger.
The letter is in the same handwriting rs
that recently sent with some of the stolen
unsigned money to Frank James.
Notwithstanding all this, the detectives
regard the letter as a clear blind, and do
not in the least abate their vigilant guard
over Messenger Frotheringham. Indeed,
it is stated on pretty good authority that
the grand jury has found indictments
against Frotheringham, Jim Cummings"
and two Others whose names are not given,
for completely in the robbery. The de-
tectiveS think that the robbers, when pre-
pairing for the affair, took into cOnsidera-
tion the extraordinary pressure which
would be brought to bear on the ex
press messenger, and that they laid
their plans accordingly. That the guns
boat and provisions were left where found
before the robbery there is no doubt for peo-
pie residing in the vicinity remember hav-
ing seen mysterious strangers in the local
ity, and the guns were purchased near
st. Charles several days before the rob
berry. The package at the depot ckeck
stand was also left there on the date
claimed in the letter, the day of the rob-
berry. But the detectives claim that the
letter was neither written on the day
nor was it written in st. Joseph.
However, they say the letter has given
them some very strong clews, and that the
whole truth regarding the affair will be
soon known.