The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-10
MESSENGER FOTHERINGHAM.
The Express Companys Lawyers, by Sharp
Practice, Succeed in Getting Him Jailed.

ST. LOUIS. Nov. 9.-The Globe Democrat this
morning prints letter dated at ST. Joseph, No.
Oct 81, and signed Jim Cummings, which pur-
ports to give full history of the robbery of the
Adams express car on the San Francisco road on
the night OF Oct 25, when between $50, 600 and
500, 600 in currency was taken. The letter was
received by the editor of the Globe Democrat
last Tuesday. It inclosed two express money
envelopes, from one of which $50, 900 had been
abstracted and from the other $12 000 also the
memorandum of the cashier of the Continental
Bank, notifying the American National Bank of
Kansas City that 10000 was inclosed. The
identified as those taken in the robbery. The
writer of the letter gives as his reason for
writing it, that he wants to clear Fotheringham
the express messenger. from the suspicion which
now attaches to him. The letter gives full de-
tails of the robbery, ard asserts that Fothering-
ham was taken completely by surprise and had
no participation in it, except as the un-
willing victim. The writer tells of a
previous attempt to rob the at Cuba
Junction, and details the manner in which he
and an accomplice secured letter heads, cards.
ETC.. and procured signatures of the express off,
cials to enable them to forge the order permit
ting the robber to ride il the car with the mes
senger. The letter stated that the robbers had
boat which, together with a camping outfit
two guns and a box of provisions, they had Sc
creted near the bridge at st. Charles, Mo-, and
also package containing revolver, which had
been left at the check stand at the Union Depot
in this city, on the day of the robbery. The let
ter is written in q round back hand, evidently
disguised, is fairly constructed, and generally
we'll spelled, errors. where they occur, evidently
being intentional, as in the case of the misquota
ton, "Honi salt aui haly pense," with which it
concludes, and the messengers name which ap-
pears in every instance as "Farthingham."
Following directions given in the letter, the
skiff, guns and provisions were readily found by
the detectives as was the package containing
the revolver at the Union Depot check-stand.
Other corroborationso of the letter were numerous.
Fotheringham, in his first statement, said the
robber had remarked, when he took from the
messengers pocket the forged letter by which he
had gained access to the express car, that he
would write a letter to the Globe Democrat vim
same hand writing as that recently sent with
some of the stolen, unsigned money to Frank
james.
Notwithstanding all this, the detectives regard
the letter "a clear blind" and do not in the
least abate their vieilant guard over messenger
Fotheii CHAM Indeed, it is stated on pretty
good authority that the grand jury In session In
this city yesterday found indictments against
Fotheringham, Jim Cummings" and two others
whose names are not given for completely in the
robbery. The detectives think that the robbers,
when preparing for the affair, took into consid-
Grafton the extraordinary pressure which would
be brought to bear on the express messenger,