Telegram-herald., 1890-06-28
SHADOWED FOR WEEKS.
A LITERARY MANS Fscu-Lss gxPsRl-
ENcE DURING Ms VACATION.

NO, / nsyer was Swallowed as voc
cal L. I've Esver done anything 70 gel
sisaowed ter. Bat what's ths s1oEyf
In sure there Is one.'
On, nothing much. Just saw IN the
paper where the dtssctiyes were shadow
iDg man, AID il reminded ne of al al
venture, OK rather al Incident. Of several
years ago, when ! was shadOwed for a
couple of weeks by the P.akertons.
You remember ths Cummings ex-
pres robbery OF 1856, don't your II
created a Great DIAL % excitement az the
time. II St Louis particularly This
fellow, whoss name, by tho way, wasn't
Cummings az al, If you recollect, gor
into al express car with a messenger
named Fotaerngham on forged order
from the superintendent. After the train
was well under way he pat pistol az
the messengers head. bound and gagged
him, riaed the safe OF $4,000 in cash
and lot Of other stuff. and made his
escape. Fotheringham was accused of
having robbed himself. was arrested and
jailed, but meanwhile the detectives had
been set at work, and. stimulated by a
princely reward. were moving heaven
and earth 20 get tangible proof OF the
messengers guilt or the identity Of the
SELF styled jim Cummings.
SUCCESSIVE SCOOPS"
We'll, at that time ! was q sub-editor
on one Os the st. Louis morning papers.
and was an1ously trying to get exclu-
slve news bearing on the sensation Of
the day. The detectives were like CLANS.
They wouldn't give UP a word of what
they had done, We're doing or hoped to
10, and were posing on the principle Of
the well known aG&ge about keeping
still and making people believe one
knows something. One morning. how
ever, a few days after the robbery. we
received letter which gave Us a great
scoop. Il was from Jim Cummings
himself. He said Re had seen in our
paper an account Of the arrest Of Fother-
ingham. and merely wrote 10 tell them
that they weren't giving the messenger
a square deal. That lie was innocent
aud couldn't have helped being robbed.
As guarantee of his identity the writer
inclosed number of torn express money
envelopes, with the request that we
present them and his letter TO the ex-
press people.
''Wel, had charge Of the affair and
did as the writer requested. Say, the
express people threw up both hands.
The envelopes were identified as having
been among those stolen from the car.
The next day got another letter in
closing lot Of jewelry, receipts, etc,
which the writer said he had no use for.
and some information regarding the To-
cation OF cache where ne had hidden
some other stuff useless to him. Both
proved welcome and everything turned
out as represented. We We're 'scoopinx
the country, the detectives were wild,
and all w2s merry rs wedding bell.
This correspondence kept up for fort
night, the ro5ber wriGng a rs to our
paper Once he sent a communication
IN reply TO an incendiary letter from
some crank roasting Jim Cummings
Again lie incloSed a clipping from an
other paper in which it was stated that
a man from Texas had been engaged as
an express messenger, but couldn't give
bond.
Tell them to give him the job
wrote our audacious correspondent; III
90 his bond. Seventy-fve thousand in
cash ought 10 be good security?
A UNIQUE VACATION TRIP.
"Wen, the detectives by this time
We're hot II the region Of the collar.
They hadn't turned up a clew, and we
wouldn't give up scrap of writing or
anything else; getting even on them,
see; Things were at this stage when my
annual vacation cane around. had ar
ranged for a trip 10 Chicago, thence to
Milwaukee, up around the great lakes
aud back. II was to take two weeks, and
my wife accompanied ne.
Those detectives got on 10 my in
tended excursion aud Immediately the !
bright idea seized their minds that was !
going 20 meet Jim Cummings some
where 20 turn up some more romance of |
the robbery. by wife and | started and |
got as far as Chicago without incident. |
We were leaving there on the boat and |
l was leaning over the rail as we went /
out into the harbor, when q gentleman |
approached and entered into a casual /
with me. He introduced /
himself Is 4 Texan, then in the cotton /
brokerage business in New Orleans. bent /
upon q pleasure trip. lie was pleasant. |
bright and c0nuaui0nabie We talked 1
exchanged cards aad became friends |
He said Ea believed be would take nv I
route for bis trip al through. We were |
pleased with each others company and /
/ gladly seconded his proposition. Well. /
sir. during that whole trip that man and /
myself were rarely far apart, now that | /
think ot it. we stopped nearly always 1
az che same hotel. ard smoked our pipes /
on the decks Of the steamers evervnight /
"Eo left us &c Chicago on the retarn I
trip aad I went back 90 81. Louis. I /
never saw him again. But about a year f.
ago I was IN Pinkert0n' Office on some /
business when one II tho men. looking \
at me sharply. said. Isn't your name 4
y sai3 IL was
GO From st. LousF
Formerly, left there three years
ago.
Wen be replied, smiling. heres
something Shat might interest you. Il
proved q great appointment 20 us.
however, and he Grew qut q package II (.
documents. They were reports x a de-
tectivs O. his chief. and they convened .
an luhnitesimauy perfect account Of my
IMP around the lakes four years before.
And ir was my friend tie cotton
broker from View Orleans whom TAI /
met on the steamship Ha did TIE loo .
ro WI tiat [ was Ia the most sublime
.gnoruce IF being an object ~ pols.a
s'lrveillance ~ AL They csnEht 'Cuu-
raingq' without ny asr stance NV shaA- !