Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-30
JHEIXPaEss ROBBERY.
UatGht the InstigatOr of the Crime
Witrock Makes q Confession.
LIZ aaIau-o 4, t1, Tho nIrnnfnh

CHICAGO, December 29.-It is stated that
convincing proof OF Haieht's comp lefty in
the Frisco express robbery is in posses
sion OF the Pinkertons, and there Is no
longer doubt that Iiligbt was Tie lnsti-
gator OF The crime and Weave and
Witrock were his partners, twas Haight,
it is said, who conceived the idea OF
writing to j. Il. Barrett, the route agent,
in order 10 get copy Of that gentle
mans letter. heads. Iiaight also hid the
bogus business. cards with the rame OF
"W. =. Damsell, superintendent" on
them. The Piukertons have learned that
the plotters tried TO have these lctter-leads
and cards printed in st. Louis, but they
were either afraid to do so or could not do
so. and they had the work done In th' city
bv firm that has admitted 1t 10 the d.tec-
tiyes, and told still further that liaight was
the man who gave the order. IL wa, on
these lettor.hcads and cards that the orders
were written and used n means TO get
WItrock on board the eXpress-car gith
Fotbcringh CHAM.
REPORTERS EXPERIENCE.
LEAvENwORTH, KAN, December o.
When the Rock Island train arrived last
night four men, in charge OF another. hfsli-
Nv left the reer coach aud. Jumping into 4
back, were rapidly driven toward North
LeayenwOrth. A reporter c1ugh. 4 glimpse
OF the man covered by the other four, and
saw The wel-knOWn face OF Fred. WlrOck.
The detectives with their prisoner we're
driven directly to WiirOck's residence.
When the reporter. who had followed,
reached the house the party bad entered,
and in a moment thereafter motus
could be heard in the house, coming
from the mother and two sisters Of the
now noted tran-robber. The reporter lc-
.ieged the house, but failed TO gain admit
tance until reinforced by Colonel AnthonT,
Of the Times, who employs one OF Wit
rocks sisters as a book-keeper. With Al
thongs aid entrance TO the house was IL
fected, but both men were promptly eieotd
by the detectives. Their subsequent Efforts
10 intery lew the inmates Of the hou,e
through closed doors and windows pro-
duced small results. But shortly after
midnight the detectives who brought W.T.
rock TO the city left the house with their
prisoner and repaired 10 4 hotel, whee
they took a room and retired.
Vile the two officers were absent, viii
Young Witrock, from the house, Mrs. W.
rock was induced 10 tell what she knew u
the case, a. her sons connection with il
could not be concealed. Between brok,n
sobs she admitted that Fred. had plrti.l-
pated in the robbery, but would be -
leased, as he had confessed all 10 the DE-
tectiyes. she said that shortly after tie
robbery Oscar Cook came to LelvenwOIsh
and visited her one evening, and, alsr
talking to her for some time, said FrCl.
was in trouble; that he had made llr;e
sum OF money on wheat deal in Chicago.
and had some difficulty with broker over
the matter, which ended by his shooting
the latter; that he had TO flee from tie
country, and wanted his mother to taie
care Of the money until she heard irCm
him further. This she agreed to do, AID
the money was left in her pOsscssCn.
Some time after this another young mn
who lives in this city, but whose identity
she refused TO diyulge, called and LETT n.
other package OF money, and on two OF er
occasions two other young men C llled at
different times and left money which tley
said had come from Fred. When askel II
she knew the amounts or the sum total, be
SAID she did not; that they were large pax
ages but she had never counted il, beli,v-
ing implicitly in Fred.'s story, and think
ing she was aiding him by caring for lis
property, and not dreaming but that he cane
by it honestly. She had 10 occasion 10 ise
any OF the money, having money OF Ter
own.
when asked how the detectives happe Ied
TO be here searching her house, she said :
when / heard OF Fred.'s arrest imne-
diately wrote TO the express company, telling
them OF the money and requesting then to
come to Leavenworth, and that Is undolbt-
eddy why they are here"
This seemed 10 be about all that ,lrs.
Witrock could tell, and the reporter passed
to another room, where two Of the de-
tectlyes were seated.
In response 10 question as 10 the amlunt
OF money they had recovered, they dis
claimed all knowledge Of any money haiing
been found at the house. lie was told
v bat Mrs. Witrock had said, and then adj
mitted that large amount had beea Sc
cured. When asked where 1t had been |
secreted, he said that some OF il was fund |
under the barn, but not on Mrs. Wiuock's
premises. lie afterwards denied this story, |
and SAID that the details n tod by |
Mrs. Witrock were substantially correct.
At this iuncturo knock was heard, aud |
the officers who had bsen absent with Fred. |
Witrock returned. IrnkertOn wss asked
about the amount OF money recovered.
He at first denied that that wa what be was
here fol, and that any money had been re-
covered. When asked what sn empty tin
box had contained whict was st,ndtng
near by. he said II was bout $4,000 ana |
bore all indications Of mot tsying been tim'
pered with, bot be could 81 say.
Pinkerton fully exonef led MIS-. WitrocK