The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-11-05

One Man, Single-Handed, Rohs On Express NJ.
senger ON q Train i'm Missouri, Capturing SSo..
OOO-One Of the Most Skillful Exploits III Il.
Annals of Crime.
The Adams express car attached 10 ms
senger train No. 3, on the st. Louis 81 gan
Francisco road, which left st. Louis u
S:25 Monday night, the 25th inst. was
robbed of over $4,000 in cash between
St. Louis and Pacific, Mo. Before thu
train left St. Louis a man giving the name
Of Cummings presented to the express mes.
senger, Mr.. Fotheringham, a c~leverly forpea
letter bearing q perfect fac-simile OF the siv.
nature of Barrett, the local agent 81
the express company at ST. Lou;s
The letter stated that Mr.. Barrett
had decided to put an extra MAJ on
the route, hat the bearer was he, ndthat
Mr.. F~otheringham was directed to teach
him the details o fthe business. The stran.
ger was allowed to enter the car and took
treat interest in all Of the movements os
the messenger, apparently desiring tolearn
quickly the ms and outs Of the duties which
the letter stated he was expected to per.
form.
Supt. Damsel gives the following as the
result OF a long examination OF the mes.
senger, made at the office of the company;
MT. L OUutTllEL}bm says buduE hb he WAS
about to go out or his run last night.
o. man came to him with q letter purport,
ing to be signed by myself and Mr.. 2S-sett,
instructing him to take thu beareS
Jim Cummings, on his run as far a.
Pierce City, for instructions. In accord
ance with the supposed instructions.
Fotheringham took the stranger and set
him to work checking up. Then he began
his own work. Fotheringham was standing
with his back to the stranger, his coat of
and the handle Of his revolver sticking out
Of the pistol-pocket, when about ten or fl
teen miles out Of the union depot, he was
attacked from the rear. The stranger
gripped his neck with one hand and
grasped his revolver with the other.
Before Fotheringham realized what was be-
ing done, he was thrown to the floor. He
struggled and fought, but the stranger
overcame him and bound him hand and
loot. Then he put a gag in his mouth and
tied him to the sale. Having secured the
messenger, he proceeded to 60 through the
safe and take all there was in il. Sever
al pouches OF silver he cut open,
but left them when he found what
they contained. At Mincke some men
working in a lime kiln tagged
the 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
q loaded revolver and prevented his max
ing any effort to cry out. At about Pacif-
ic station, the robber took his plumber,
and opening the front door OF the car went
out on the platform and closed the door.
+ What ne did after that Fotheringham
does not know. He lay on the floor OF the
car until the car reached st. Clair, when
he wal able to get the gag out OF his mouth
and cry out for assistance. The train
men, hearing him, endeavored to get in the
back door, and finding it locked went
around to the frontdoor, which the robber
had left open. They released him. Foth-
eringham says the robber was about SIX
feet high, t~wenty.four years OF age,
weighed about two hundred pounds.
He had dark, straight hair, cut close,
q thin, dark m~ustache, a low forehead,
wore dark clothes and a dark gray over.
coat. The messenger was gagged hand.
kerchie's tied in knots forced in his mouth
and bound around his head. His hands
were tied together behind his back with u
elk handkerchief. His legs were fastened
with straps taken from yalises in the car,
cords and heavy strap which vas around
the safe. He was tied to handle oil the sale
1t is customary to send new men out on the
road with messengers to receive mstruc'
tions, and such orders as Fotheringbam
says were presented to him by the roboer
would be issued either by Route Agent Bar.
rett or himself. Fotheringham Photographed
in to the company's general manager tina,
he had been robbed, and he (Mr. Damsell
was notified of the fact about hali-pas'
one o'clock this morning. Mr.. Damsel say
he can not yet name the amount stolen
but as the run vas unusually heavy, ~
thinks it will exceed $4,000.