Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-10-28
= enc nrrnpss oAR RoBBnRY.


press car attached to passenger trsin No.
3 on the 81. Louis d San Francisco road
which left this city at 1926 last night was
robbed of over $50, 600 in cash between
here and Pacific, Mo.
From meagre reports il seems that
before the train left this city aman giving
the name of Cummings presented letters
TO the express messenger, Mr.. Ffothing-
ham. purporting 20 be signed by the OIL
GERS Of the company, stating that Cum
minps was about TO take o run on the line
and asking rockingham to give him the
points. When near Meremac, the stranger
oyerpowered the messenger, gagged him
and bound him to the safe, after which he
coolly riiled the car. He cut open the
bags containing silver, but took none Of 1t.
Al Meremac the robber left the train.
The robbery was not discovered until the
train renched Pacific when the express
car was broken open and Messenger
rockingham found tied to the safe.
Express officials are reticent, but admit
that over $50, 900 was taken. The rob
Der is iinperfectiy described as tall,
dark man OF preposHessing Appearance
dressed in black with very large hands
and feet. 1t 10 O singular coincidence that
| he gave the name of Jim Cummings
only member of the once celebrated
James gang who has never been accounted
| for.
The stranger, who gave. the name of
| Cummings TO rockingham, the messen-
| ger, presented to him cleverly fought
| letter, bearing perfectfao-sim smile Of the
signature Of Barrett Route, the local ngent
of the express company ut st. Louis
The letter stated that Mr. Route had
decided to put IN extra man
on the route that the bearer
was he, and that Mr.. Rockingham was
directed to teach him the details of the
business. The stranger was allowed to
enter the car and took great interest in
ali OF the movements of the messenger,
apparently desiring to learn quickly tue
ins and outs of the duties which the letter
stated he was expected TO perform. MIR
Frothingham's suspicious were not at all
, aroused and the stranger impressed bin
~ a quiet and prepossessing companion
!, | The two men busted themselves with the
accounts, &c, and all went we'll until 6
j point between st. Louis and Pacific, Mo-
2 | was reached.
In the meantime the new assistant wa
4 | informed that there was nothing that b
q | could do at that time and he seated him
3 self in chair waiting until some neN
0 duties should be assigned him to perform
r Frothingham was still busily engaged
Q over his accounts with his back turned
!. to Cummings In the course Of time
became necessary for him to go to th
safe, and turning to do 80 he saw th
stranger calmly sitting in his chair with
9 cooked revolver leveled at his (Frothine
i harn's) head. Cummings cautiously al
preached the dlmtounded messenger, an
n told him if he remained quiet and made u
# outcry or raised no alarm his life woui
+ not be endangered but that if he acte
}, otherwise he could not answer for tt
I. consequences. rockingham had nothin
s, to do but submit and according to b
70 statement the robber bound him han
co and foot, pressed gag into b
TO mouth, tied him to the sd
as so that he could not mo1
q and proceeded with his worl
III The safe had been left open and
It. took but few minutes for the robber
ly secure the bnnk notes and valuables
le the shape of jewelry, &c. He cut OPP
g the bags containing the silver coin, but
ne evidently concluded that these were t
is heavy for him to carry and he did not d
n turb their contents.
be OF the gold, however, he took good
lie amount and then proceeded to make go
q his escape. The road at this point ~
20 directly alongside of high bluff, VIII
in places overhapgs the tracks maxi
he the danger of wrecks from collision WI
ng boulders which occasionally fall Fl,
Ill above upon the tracks very great. Trai
nd therefore slack up at this point and
1t slowly until the dangerous place
TO- passed. This the engineer Of train NO
ep did as usual and thus offered
nd robber an easy mems OF escape
dy first locked all but one door, stepped
all on the platform, locked the door fr
III. the outside and jumped of. The m
we senger, rockingham, in the meanti
IN, could do nothing to relieve himself.
~, being able even to call for help. II
lch Mincke, boulder had fallen upon
'ct- tracks, and the train was delayed an HI
ex- before it could be removed. The
ductor tried the door of the express
its but found it locked, and, surprising
AIDE messenger to be busy, did not
gre for admittance. At st. Clair
AIDE again tried the door, and ae
AIDE found It locked. He listened for q
ute and heard the messenger strugg
to free himself, and making all the n
possible by kicking with his feet aga
the side of the car. The conductor
'r's pected something wrong and burst
door open, finding rockingham as al
nal described. He was quickly released
ion told his experience. The robber had
by a start of two hours and 1t was
sled less to run back to try and
rom him, The train therefore procee
side an its way and arrived in this city
Jog morning at O'Clock on its return
as rockingham Immediately sought
SUPERINTENDENT of the company and
as a closeted with him for some time, at
ex- end of which he began preparatio
was his official report, refusing to mike
lrtl- statement to outsiders regarding the
Sill berry excepting that the total loss VIZ
amount to something over $780,
ers. officers Of the company have nothin
hlet say of the affair.
peo-
/ of ST. LOUIS, Oct. 27.--There are no
developments in the Adams Express
berry at this writing. MIR. Damsel
seen ut his office this moraing and
: that he gave the Associated Press a
the facts in the case IA fur as they
l M come to his knowledge yesterday,
~ - absolutely nothing new has turned
ses since, III regard to tho report
4. .i'i T., Messenger Fo,hasinghain had mat
~ ~ confession ho suited that
l,lns was no truth in it;
'nn they were working on tho Ii
~ 20 that the messengers story
y ~ true; that the jailer has not been arrt
, s1iIe nor placed under surveillance, but oi
n l;.si own accord was in constant commu
', ton with the officers Of the company
' n the detectives who have the case III
90 and is aiding them = rs much as be Is
ypai in their attempt to discover the W
= J &c abouts aud identity O: the robbers
49, az The dispatches from Springfield pr
,,,aht here this morning giving the story
,uS tha man who travelled from st. Louis vi
' T. individual answering the robbers DIES
, .a.;, ton and whose satchel contained a
'i''"e number OF bank notes tied up IL pac
was shown MIR. Dnmsel. llo sr'd
il the story was true, ii was YER
Z na portant discovery, but there we
= = &c many stories afioRt of q like nature
= ~ II was difficult to select the pro
Ro,ti. from the Improbable ones. They
nrsaa investigate the occurrence. but hed do
I 'S,'Id if il would lead 10 the discovery
oor, robber. The detectives have several
0 ~ and are hard nj work upon the case.
-
SEesu Arohbtshons Williams kentlcE,