St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-28
THE EXPRESS ROBBERY.
No Clue as Yet Obtained to the prin.
cipal i'm the Affair-.The Messen.
gers Story.

gers Story.
ST. LOUIS. Oct. 27.-There are no new
developments in the Adams express robbery
at this writing. Mr.. Dainsel was seen at
his Office this morning, and said that he
gave all the facts in the case, as far as they
had come to his knowledge. yesterday. and
absolutely nothing new has turned up since.
In regard to the report that Messenger
Fotheringham had made a confession. he
stated that there was no truth in it: that
they were working on the thery that the
messengers story was true; that the latter
has not been arrested nor placed undr sur
veillance, but of his own accord was in con-
slant communication with the officers of
the company and the detectives who lave
the case in hand, and is aiding them as
much as he is able in their attempt to dis
cover the whereabouts and identity of the
robber. The dispatch from Springfield,
printed here this morning. giving the story
of man who
TRAVELLED FROM ST. LOUIS
with an individual who answered the rob
ber's description. and whose satchel con-
tanned large number of bank notes tied uL
in packages. was shown Mr.. Damsel. He
said that if the story was true it was very
important discovery. but there were 50
many stories af1oat of like nature, that it
was difficult to select the probable from the
improbable ones. They would investigate
the occurrence, but he doubted if 1t would
lead to the discovery of the r0bber The
detectives have several clues and are hard
at work upon the case. Fotheringham was
seen at the company's Office this morning
by a reporter, to whom he told the story OF
the robbery. He made his statement in q
frank. straightforward manner, without the
slightest hint of embarrassment or confu
sion. He said that he was well aware that
circumstantial evidence pointed strongly to
his being an accessory to the robbery, but
that he had
NOTHING TO CONCEAL,
and was confident that the result of the in
vestigation would clear him of all suspi-
cion. The only point in the messengers
statement which was not given out yester-
day, is that the robber told Fotheringham
that he had an accomplice upon the train,
who, if he (the robber) was unable to carry
out his plans unaided, would come to his
assistance. L. c. Weir, superintendent of
the Cincinnati division of the Adams COM
pany, is in this city this morning and has
been in conference with Superintendent
Damsel concerning the robbery. 1t is
thought they will offer large reward for
the capture of the robber.
Fotheringham. in relating in detail his
experience with the robber to-day said:
After binding me, Cummings. as be called
himself, took the key to the safe from my
pocket, unlocked the safe and took the
pouches out. He then took his gripsack and
tried to force the pouches in without open
ing them, but could not do so. He then took
his knife from his pocket
CUT THE POUCHES OPEN
and removed their contents. He then re.
moved some articles of clothing from his bag
and threw them out of the window of the
south side of the car. We were then some
where near Merrimac, should judge. for we
mad just passed through tunnel. He trans
ferred the money to the bag and was then
ready to make MS escape. Before he left he
said to me, You would be surprised if tod
YOU who am / said L don't know as /
would Well he continued, 4 am Jim
Cummings, the last of the Jesse James gang.
was in the Blue cut job aud only got 1880
out of it, Since then have passed consider
able time in Australia and San Francisco
He seemed familiar with the names and do
ings of the various members OF the James
gang. When we began talking he removed
the gag from my mouth, but when the train
reached a point near Pacific he replaced il so
that could make no cutlery, in the meantime
threatening to blow my brains out if / enc
deavored to attract any attention.
To test the messengers statement a
search was made for the clothes which he
said the robber had thrown from the car,
and on the south side of the track near
Merrimac several articles of clothing and
some old papers and printed songs were
found and have been brought to this city.
One of the garments measured about thirty
eight inches around the waist, bearing out
Fotheringham's statement as to the size OF
the wearer who is supposed to be the
robber A No. 16 collar was also found.
Foiheringham's statements have thus far
been remarkably clear and straightforward
and free from contradiction. The opinion
is gaining strength that the robbery was
bona tide affair, and that the messenger was
in no way accessory to it.