The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-11-12
The @aily 8mlletim.
FRIDAY. NOV. -. 1886
AnAMs,S EXPRESS ROBBERY.

car attached TO passenger Train 3 on
the st. Louis and San Francisco
Railroad, which left this city at
1925 last night, was robbed of over
$50, 200 in cash between here and
Pacific Mo. From the meager re-
ports, it seems that before the train
left this city man giving the name
of Cummings presented letters to
Express Messenger rockingham
purporting to be signed by officers
of the company, stating that Cum
mings was about to take a run of
the line and asking rockingham to
give him the points. When near
Meramec, the stranger overpowered
the messenger, gagged him and
bound him to the safe, after which
he cody rihed the car. He cut
open the bags containing silver, but
took none of it. At Meramec the
robber left the train. The robbery
was not discovered until the train
reached Pacific, when the express
car was broken open and Messenger
rockingham found tied to the safe.
The express officials are reticent,
but admit that over $4,000 were
taken. The robber is imperfectly
described as tall dark man of pre-
possessing appearance, dressed in
black, with very large hands and
feet. 1t is singular coincidence
that he gave the name of Jim Cum
mings, the only member of the once
celebrated James gang who never
has been accounted for.
SECOND DISPATCH.
The stranger who gave the name
of Cummings to rockingham, the
messenger, presented to him a
cleverly forged letter bearing the
perfect fac-simile of the signature of
Barrett, the route local agent of the
express company at St. Louis. The
letter stated that it had decided to
put extra man on the route that the
bearer was he, and that Frothine-
ham was directed to teach him the
details of the business. The stranger
was allowed to enter the car and
took great interest in all of the
movements of the messenger, APP
parently desiring to learn quickly
the ms and outs of the duties which
the letter stated lie was expected to
perform. The two men buised
themselves with the accounts, etc.,
and all went well until point be-
tween st. Louis and Pacific Mo-,
was reached. rockingham was
busily engaged over his accounts
with his back turned to Cummings.
In the course of time it became ne
cessary for him to go to the safe
and turning to do so saw the stran-
ger calmly sitting in his chair with a
cooked revolver level at his (Froth-
ingham's) head. Cummings eau
tiously approached the dumbfound-
ed messenger and told him that if
he remained quiet and made or
raised no alarm he would not be en-
dangered. rockingham had moth
ing to do but to submit. The rob-
Der bound him hand and foot, pres
sed gag into his mouth, tied him to
the safe so that he could not move
and proceeded with his work. The
safe had been left open and it took
but few minutes for the robber to
secure the bank notes and valuables
in the shape of jewelry, etc. The
road at this point runs directly
alongside a high bluff which in
places overhangs the track, making
the danger of wrecks from collision
with powders, which occasionally
fall from above upon the tracks
very great. Trains, therefore, slack
up at this point, and run slowly
until the dangerous place is passed.
This the engineer of train No. 3 did
as usual, and thus offered the rob-
Der and easy means of escape. He
first locked all but one door, stepp-
ed out on to the platform, locked
the door from the outside and jump.
ed off. rockingham in the mean.
time could do nothing to release
himself, not being able even to cal
for help. Two hours later the con.
ductor tried the door and hearing
some one struggling within suspect.
ed something wrong and burst the
door open, finding rockingham as
above described. He was quickly
released and told his experience
The robber had the start of fully
two hours and it was useless to rur
back to try and find him. Thu
train therefore proceeded on its way
and arrived in this city this morn
ing on its return trip. Frothinghan
Immediately sought the Superinten
dent of the company and was closet
ed with him for some time, at tn
end of which he commenced prepa
rations of his official report, refus
ing to make any statement to out
siders regarding the robbery, ex
cepting that the total loss woul
amount to something over $4,000
The officers of the company hav
nothing to say of the affair." rs. 4