The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
4. HEAVY ROBBERY.
An Express Car in Missouri
Robbed Of $4,000.
The Messenger Bound and Gagged
by a Stranger. r,

The Adams Express car attached to pas
senger train of the St Louis and San Fran
CISCO which left st. Louis at s:25 the other
night, was robbed Of about $4,000 in cash
and valuable articles before 1t reached Pa
cific, Mo. Superintendent Damsel, of the
Express Company, gives the following as the!
result OF long examination Of the messen-
ger in charge OF the car, Mr.. Fotheringham.
made at the Office OF the company the
next morning: I,tTl
Mr.. Fotheringham says that as he was
about to 60 out on his run last night man
came to him with letter .purrorrng to be
signed by myself and Mr. Barrett, instruct
ing him to take the bearer, Jim Cummings,
on his run as far as Pierce City. for instrlcs
tions Fotheringham took the stranger and set
him TO work checking up. Then he began his
own work. Fothe-ingham was standing with
his back to the stranger, his coat OF and the
handle Of his revolver sticking out Of the pis-
tol pocket. About ten or fifteen miles out Of
the Union Depot he was attacked from the
rear. Ths stranger gripped his neck with
one hand and gTasEed his revolver with
the other. Before Fotheringham realized
what was being done he was thrown to the
floor. He struggled and fought, but the
stranger overcame him and bound him hand
and foot. Then he put the gag in his mouth
and tied him to the SAFE Having secured
the messenger, he proceeded to 60 through
the, safe and tlke all there was in it. Sew
eral pouches of silver he cut open, but
left them when he found out what
they contained. At Minck some men
working in lime-kiln tagged ths train on
account Of an obstruction on the track.
While it was standing still some one tried to
get into the express car. but the robber stood
over Fotheringham with revolver and pre-
vented his making any effort to cry out At
or about Pa :ilic Station the robber took his
plumber and opening the front door of the
car went out Oh the platform and closed the
ing on tho floor of the car until the train
reached st. Clair, when b was able to get the
gag out Of his mouth and cry out for assist Z
ance. The trainmen hearing him. endeay.
orad to get in the back door, and finding itz
locked, went around to the front door,
which The robber had let open They re.
leased him. Fotheringham says the robber
of age and weighed about E0J pounds. He
had dark, straight hair, cut close, q thin,
dark mustache, a low forehead, wore dark
clothes and dark gray oyercoat
He was gagged with handkerchief tied in
knots forced into his mouth ands bound
around his head. His hands were tied to-
gether behind his back with silk handker-
chief. His legs were fastened with straps
taken from valises in the car and with cords
and with the heavy strap which was around
the safe. He was tied to the handle Of the
safe.
Mr.. Damsel added, in reply to question
that it is customary to send new men out on
the road with messengers TO receive instruc-
tions, and that such orders as Fotheringham
says were presented to him by the robber-
would be issued either by Route Agent Bar
rett or by himself. He also stated, that:
Fotheringham telegraphed in to the COM
papy's depot manager that he had been,
robbed and that he (Mr. DamseD was satis-
fed Of the fact about l.S0 the next morning