Evening star., 1886-11-12
CUMMINGS WRITES AGAIN.
The Adams Express Robbery Case Still
Further COsnnltcatesl

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 12.-There probably never
was more humorous and recklessly daring
highwayman than the individual who recently
robbed the Adams Express car on the ST. Louis
and San Francisco railroad of over S15,Ooo,
and who Is pleased TO be known as "Jm Cum
mings." He captured one OF the largest amounts
OF money ever lost by an express company, and
despite the fact that a wealthy corporation and
the most skilled and experienced detectives in
brains can do to run him down, Mr. Cummings
occupies his spare time in DEFY ing his pursuers
and i'm furnishing them with false clues upon
which to exercise their ingenuity. He seems To
feel 50 absolutely assured of his own safety that
he dares TO have little amusement with the
express company. He has written several let
tiers heretofore and the detectives all agreed
that they were written by the now imprisoned
messenger, fotheringhan, before the robbery
was committed as measure OF safety, should
he be suspected, and AN alleged expert penman
testified before the grand jury that the hand
writing was the same as the messengers.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM CUMMINGS.
But the Republican is in receipt OF a fresh let
ter, dated Topeka, which it prints this morning,
in the same handwriting as the Others, and
signed Jim Cummings" which goes to show
that Fotheringham could not possibly have
written either of the Others In the letter he
states that he regrets that suspicion should rest
upon Fotheringham, and asserts that the mes
senger did all in his power to protect the coin
panys property. He requests that the package
which accompanied the letter which contained
property valued at $4,000 in notes, mortgages.
etc., be returned to the Adams Express COM
pany. Upon one receipt for money TO the First
National bank of Eureka, Kansas, appeared the
following signature: ''Jim Cummings, Tor First
National bank, Eureka" and on the line below
where the fact is to be noted ii the money is
not received i'm proper shape, occurred the
words: II have no complaint TO make what
ever" A postscript TO the letter says: II sent
that bankNote TO Frank James for a joke, not
for any desire TO get him into trouble. "" The
letter from w. II. Damsel, manager of the COM
pany, to an agent calling upon the latter TO pro-
cure u SECOND bondsmsn, the ropber wrote, "In
order TO give 'bloke' a chance TO see If he's any
good on eartn, will 60 on his bond. Jim Cum
mings, value OF property, S53,oOO i'm cash"
FoTHERINGHAN'S SKIRTS NOT CLEAR.
In spite OF the that this last letter goes 10
prove that Fofheringham was not its writer, a
morning paper says: When the messengers
trunk was examined, there were a number OF
letters, some written in peculiar backhand
which "Jim Cummings affects, others in a
hand slanting in the other direction and most
important OF ALL sheets OF paper with The sigma
Iure of w. j. Barrett written upon IL a number
OF times with "A manifest intention of making a
e copy of the original. AS soon as the docu-
ni> Is were examined the detectives and Mr..
Damsel agreed that these and the "Jim Cum
mings'' letters were written by the same per-
son, but how they came into Fotheringhams
possession is still q mystery.