Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-28
MISS0URI'S RAIL BANDIT
FOTHERINGHANI SAID TO HAVE
MADE A CONFESSION,


The Man Under Arrest at st. Louis Now
Said to be a DiplOm stist of Crime Who
Induced the Messenger to Become AN
Accomplice to the Robbery What
PInkertOn Says.
CHICAGO, Dec. 27.--A local paper SAYS
that from new evidence discovered, it ap-
pears that the man arrested here in con-
nection with the St. Louis Express rob-
berry is not the person who wrote the Jim
Cummings letters and was traced from
one point to another in Kansas and Mis-
souri,, and finally. to Chicago as alleged,
nor yet one of the men who boarded the
train with the gang OF robbers that did
the work.
CRIMES DIPLoMATIsT.
On the contrary he is the diplomat of
this and similar gangs, or in other words,
the ''negotiator" who, by fine work, dis
covers bank officials, express messen-
gers and others in positions where large
quantities OF ready cash are handled VINO
nave weak sides to their character, and
by his skillful diplomacy puts up jobs by
which these trusted officials sometimes
get robbed according to a programme OF
their own make.
The story is that Fotheringbam told the
whole story upon promise of partial i'm
munity from punishment made to him by
the officials. 1t was to the effect that be
neither knew the actual robbers, much
less their whereabouts, but that certain
man, whose name is yet secret, except
to a few, negotiated with him the plans
for the robbery, which were afterward
carried out; that this man did not appeaf
ha m oil ht.f hod q 4.
petrators of the crime soon after and re-
ceived his own and Fotherin gham's share
of the plunder.
THE CLUE TO THE CASE.
The name OF this man and the descrip-
tion by which the detectives were able TO
identity him were given by Fotberingham
and from this the case was worked up
and the man tracked to this city, where
he was arrested on Friday with two
others, who are suspected of being men,
bers OF the gang. AS yet there is but little
evidence except what is embodied in we'll
founded suspicion against the two men,
but as to the other man there Is now no
doubt of his identity. He It was who
drew FOtheringham into the scheme, and
who planned the robbery, sharing the
spoIls, and he is now lodged in Pinker-
toms supper story" under a strong guard
along with his two comrades.
PINKERToN SEEN.
1--WE have nothing to tell the newspa-
pers about Jim Cummings or the express
robbery case" SAID w. A. Pinkerton this
morning. "You fellows are so sharp
about finding things that we won't inter-
fere with you II you will do the same with
US. Pill tell you this much, we have Jim
Cummings beyond all doubt. and we had
two of bis pals Friday and got two more
yesterday, besides recovering a large
amount of money. That makes five ar
rests, but none of them were made on
Halstead street. There never was a
woman mixed up in the case, and the
clues as published In the papers never
existed. We have all the parties safe in
custody-never mind where, but they are
out OF the State. No, they are not in st.
Louis, and they are where you newspaper
fellows-either here or in st. Louis-can-
not get hold of them until | get through
and am good and ready to let them be in
terviewed. Neither Supt. Damsel nor
Oscar Cook nor any detectives from ST.
Louis are in Chicago or will be here"
PINKERToN SPEAKS MORE FREELY.
w. A. Plnkerton this afternoon made
his first statement respecting the arrest
of the parties for participation in the
Adams Express robbery. He began by
declaring that the stories printed by the
Chicago papers as to the affair were wild
and mainly misrepresentation. He then
declared that the agency had arrested
three men here on Friday forenoon, be-
tween 10 and IL O'Clock. One of these
was the man who wrote the letters signed
"Jim Cummings" to the st. Louis papers
and the other two were his con-
federates. They were positively
Identified by five witnesses brought here
from ST. Louis yesterday. The three men,
together with Oscar Cook, arrested Ia
Kansas City, and Bill Haight, arrested at
NASHVILLE. Mr.. Pinkerton declared, we're
now in Missouri, which carried the pre-
sumption that the three men arrested
here were taken there last night. Mr..
Pinkerton states, however, that they
were not taken to st. Louis. A detective
states that two Of the men are considered
as business men, and that none are OF the
desperate type.
THE NASHVILLE PRISONER.
A special from Nashville, Tenn, re.
ferring to the arrest OF w. w. Haight,
formerly of Leaven worth, Kan, for sup
posed completely in the st. Louis and San
Francisco Express ROBBERY, says: "Haight
evidently lie very shrewd and sagacious
fsllow, possessed of nerve and co0lness.
De has been here about a month. He
was joined few weeks ago by his wife
and their little 4-year-old boy. Since
comilg here he has been doing some work
as roofing contractor. He admitted TO
reporter that he lived in Leavenworth and
that for five years he was train
messenger for the Adams Express Com.
panv, running between st. Louis and
Ninita, /. Il. He said be was discharged
because he was suspected Of appropriate
ing to himself several packages which
tue company had lost. He was dis
charged last April. The two detectives
who made the arrest have been here fully
three weeks watching Halgnt. The ar
rest was not made until instructions
were received from Chicago. Haight
seemed much excited when the officers
told him tie crime for which he was ar
rested.
SUSPICIOUS ADMISSIONS.
"He denied the charge, but, IT is said,
admitted that he knew Fo heringham,
Cook and other persons who were arrested
~ Chicago and Kansas City. AT the time
haight had not the remotest idea that he
others were under arrest. The detectives
VINO had boen informed Of the real names
o. the parties who had been arrested
asked If he knew them. He also said
that he did not know who committed the
robbery, but would walk ten miles
to shake hands with the man who did.
lie claimed that be had come to Nash
Vile because he believed there was good
chance for him to make aliyiDg. Haights
trunk Waa examined and there were