The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-13
jim CUMMINGS'S LETTERS
CONTINUE TO BAFFLE THE DE
TRCTIYES
In Their Scent After the Adams Ex'
press RObbers-The Affair stu
ShrOuded in Mystery.

sy LOUIS. Mo-, November H.
There probably never was q more
humorous and recklsssly daring high
vsymsn than the individual who re-
Gently robbed the Adams Express car
or the st. Louis and San Francisco
railroad of over $4,000, and who is
plessed TO be known to fame rs Jim
Cummings" He captured one Of the
largest amounts OF money ever lost by
an express company and despite the
fact that a wealthy corporation end
the most hkilled and experienced de-
tectives 10 the country are doing all
that money and brains can do to run
him down, Mr.. Cummings occupies
his spare time in defying bis pursueTs
and in furnishing them with false
cleys upon which TO exercise their In
0enuity. He seems TO be 80 absolutely
assured Of his own safety that he
dares to have little amusement with
the express company. He has written
several letters heretofore and the de-
tectiyes all agreed that they were
written by the now, I'M
prisoned Messenger Fotheringham,
before the robbery was committed, as
measure OF safety, should he be aus-
pec,ed, and an alleged expert penmsn
testified before the grand jury that
the handwriting was the same as the
messengers. But the Republican is in
receipt OF fresh letter, dated Topeka,
Kas., which IL prints this morning IN
the same handwriting as the others,
aud signed "Jim Cummings" when
zoos % show that Fotheringham could
MOI possibly have written either oil the
others. In the letter he states that no
regrets that Fuspicion should rest
upon Fotheringham, and asserts that
the messenger did all in his power to
protect the company's property. He
requests that the package which ac'
com panies the letter and which con-
tanned property valued at $4,000 in
Dotfs, mortgages, etc, be restored to
the Adams Express Company: Upon
one receipt Tor money to the First
National Bank OF Eureka, Kas., ap-
penred the following signature: Jim
EumulinEr, for Fret National Bank,
Eureka" and on the line below where
the fact is TO be noted II
the money is not received in proper
shape, occurs the words: 81 have no
complaint to make whatever" A
postscript 10 the letter says; 81 sent
q bank note to Frank James for Joke,
not for any desire to get him into
trouble" A letter from W. ii. Dam
sci, manager OF the company, to an
agent, calling upon the later to pro-
cure a second bondaman, the robbie r
wrote: "In order to give the "bloke"
a chance 10 see II he's any good on
earth, | will 20 on his bond. Jim
Cummings, Value of property, $751;
900 in cash." In spite OF the fact that
this last letter goes to prove that
Foth bingham was not It's writer, q
morning papsr says: "When the
messengers trunk was examined,
there were number OF letters, some
written In peculiar back hand, which
"Jim Cummings" effects; others in a
ham slanting in the other direction,
an nost important Of all, sheets OF
pa With the signature oil W. j..
BIZ reu written upon 1t a number OIL
tn es with manifest intention to
ma 20 close copy OF the original AS
60 4 as he documents were ex-
an ned the detectives and Mr..
d. lsel az eed that these and the J i'm
O. lmung9 letters were written by
In same pereoD, but how they came
iLlo FotherIngham's possession is still
a u ystery. 1t Is confdentislly stated
To-Day that the officials of the express
company and the detectives in their
employ have discovered the identity
OF the two men recently indicted by
the grand jury for grand larceny under
the names OF Jim Cummings" and
"Richard Roe" but they do not as yet
sse ct to maketheir zeal names pub ic.
J. hss been as ertained that waitress
Pine street restaurant was Cum
q -ng.'s mistress, and from her his de-
-ipiion, which tallies exactly with
"a, given by FotheringhAm, was oh.
r4sEed. The shops at ST. Charles, Mo-.
here tue camp outfit, guns, etc, 70.
Tzd TO By Cumming" in former
i sr, were , 1TehAsed, have been Wis
ID ~ shs detectives, and from their
. wssrss il Was learned that one Of
aA aefs WaS the sAiiTess's para
a. d1a5flEsl one Of the rob
b. ia lsHsisi ihs, DO b Of these
me wa 400 be sFrfs,ed.