Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-11-26
ONE THIEF's RICH HAUL,
An Express Messenger Duped
and Gagged and His Strong
Box Tapped
Fifty Thousand Dollars Taken-The
Deed Accomplished by
Single Man.
[St. Louis telegram.l

[St. Louis telegram
A big express robbery is reported as hav-
ing occurred on the st. Louis and San
Francisco Railroad, the Adams Express
Company being the sufferer. A tain leav-
ing st. Louis was boarded by stranger,
who handed to the route agent of the ex-
press company forged letter from the St.
Louis local agent, stating that he (the
strangely had been employed as an extra
hand for the run.
While busy at his work, the messenger
was seized by his pupil, and at the point
OF revolver compelled to submit to gag.
The robber then plundered the open safe,
and at Pacific Station made good his escape.
Upon the return to this city Messenger
Fotheringham went Immediately to the
office of Superintendent Damsel of the
express company and was closeted with
him for some time. Later Mr.. Damsel
gave the following report of the robbery as
obtained from the messenger:
"Mr. Fotheringham says that as he was
about to go out on his run man came to
him with letter purporting to be signed
by myself and Mr.. Barrett, instructing him
to take the bearer, Jim Cummings, on his
run as far as Pierce City for Instructions.
In accordance with the proposed in
and set him to work checking up. Then he
began his own work. Fotheringham was
standing with his back to the stranger, his
coat off, and the handle of his revolver
sticking out of his pistol pocket. About ten
or fifteen 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. Be-
fore Fotheringham realized what was be-
ing done he was thrown to the floor. He
struggled and fought, but the stranger over
came him and bound him hand and foot.
Then he put q gag in his mouth and tied
him to the safe.
"Having secured the messenger, he pro-
ceeded to go through the safe and take all
there was in it. Several 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 lobber
stood over Fotheringham with revolver
and prevented his making any effort to cry
out. At or about Pacific Station the robber
took his plumber, and opening the front door
Of the car went out on the platform and
after that Fotheringham does not know He
lay on the floor of the car until the train
reached st. Clair, when he was able to get
the gag out of his mouth and cry out for
assistance. The trainmen, hearing him,
endeavored to get in the back door, and
finding it locked, went round to the front
door, which the robber had left open.
They released him.
"Fotheringham says the robber was about
| six feet high, "a years of age, and weighed
about 200 pounds. He had dark, straight
hair, cut close; a thin mustache, low
forehead, wore dark clothes, and dark
| gray overcoat Fotheringham was gagged
with handkerchiefs tied in knots forced
into his mouth and bound around his head.
His hands were tied together behind his
back with q silk handkerchief. 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 questions,
that it is customary to send new men out
on the road with messengers to receive in
structions, and that with such orders as
Fotherinsham says were presented to him
by the robber would be issued either by
Route Agent Barrett or himeelf. He also
said that Fotheringham telegraphed into
the company's depot manager that he had
been robbed Mr.. Damsel says he cannot
yet name the amount stolen. but as the run
was unusually heavy he thinks it will ex-
coed $4,000.
Not much is known here of Fothering-
ham. He is twenty-four years old and
lives at Ste. Genevieve, Mo. He had only
been on the Frisco run since juno. He
worked for the company prior to that time
in Kansas City. He had runs ON the South
ern Kansas, the Fort Scott and Gulf, apt'
the Missouri, Kansas and Texas roads .1 ~
had been working for the compap " all
about four years.
Superintendent Damsel ap' frlvate De-
tective Newcomb had csnsultallon wltn
the police authorities t.-s AFTERNOON, put at
the present writing ~ iofm ~, oemana ior
aid has been mo:s NJ ~po no .ne .u0 +Ia.
everv effort . being made to obtain clew
tn tha roioer and to procure his arrest. 1t
saems Jnat Be- far Mr.. Damsel and his adj
v;s.fs accept Fotheringham's statement as
rue, and that they are working on that
1 theory, but they will not commit them
selves fully on this point.
Another account of the robbery than that
of Mr. Damsel says that it was the con-
ductor who tried the door of the express
car while the train was standing still near
Mincke. Finding it locked. and surprising
| the messenger " 10 DuoJ3 no oAu AOe 90
for abundance. At St. Clair he again
tried the door, and again found it locked.
He listened for q minute, and heard the
messenger struggling to free himself. and
making all the noise possible by kicking
with his feet against the side Of the car.
The conductor suspected something wrong,
and burst the door open, finding Fother-
ingham as above described, He was quick
ly released, and told his experience. The
robber had got start of fully two hours,
and it was useless to run back to try to find
him. The train therefore proceeded on its
way. It is singular coincidence that the
robber gave the name Of Jim Cummings.
the only member of the once celebrated
James gang who has never been accounted
for.
ADIRONDACK MURRAY has again scam
dalized the Puritans by publicly insisting
that if q show of hands could be compelled
the people would discover that two-thirds of
the CONGREGATIONAL clergy of New England
have not believed for the past ten years in
the old fashioned hell.