The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-01-07
IN The. TOlLS.,
Detectives Capture A. ID. Sly, the Alleged
Leader In Recent Express Robberies.


.,. IN IN The II e. Tolls.
Detectives Capture AID. Sly. the Alleged
Leader in Recent Express Robberies.
CHICAGO, Dec. 31.-Adelbert d. Sly.
said to be the leader Of the gang Of
thieves that robbed the American Ex-
press Company's cars near Western
Union Junction, Wis, November IL and
the Adams express car at Glendale, q
suburb of St Louis, on the night of No
vember 80, was arrested at Los Angeles.
Cal, last Saturday by Robert A. Pink
erton. The woman who has been con-
nected with the robbery. Florence H.
Waterman. was taken into custody at
Oakland, Cal, by Charles Wappenstein
of the Pinkerton agency. sssr;
In all of the robberies with which
Sly is supposed to have been connected
q. large quantity Of dynamite has been
used. The first of the recent
series was committed in October
last at the street-car barns in
Omaha, Neb. The building was
badly wrecked by the explosion
and . large amount of money secured.
Then followed the destruction< of the
Metropolitan street-car barns in Kan
sas City. The gang then returned to
Omaha, when the Pacific Express Com
pany's car was robbed on the Pacific
railroad on November 4, which was
followed by the pillage of the Amer
ican express car near Western Union
junction, near Chicago, on Novem Der
IL.
w. A. Pinkerton learned that Sly
was connected with these robberies
and quietly went to work to discover
his whereabouts He succeeded in trac-
ing him to ST. Louis few days previ-
Gus to the Glendale affair." Immediately
after that the detectives joined hands
with the st. Louis police in the search
for Sly, and Frank Murray of the Chi
cago agency was detailed to work in
conjunction with Chief Harrigan of
the St. Louis force.
A few day after the robbery the lat
ter discovered through a furniture
dealer, who sold goods on the install
ment plan, that four men and a woman
had rented and furnished a house
on Swan avenue, not far from
the place the Adams express
car was robbed. Upon investi-
cation it was learned that the quintet
had left the place three days after the
Glendale affair. Their baggage was
traced to the depot, and from the check
mum bers it was ascertained that they
were all bound for the west. Accurate
descriptions were secured and Sly's
identity was fixed beyond question.
1t was learned that Sly left the party
at Omaha and went to California. The
officers traced him to Los Angeles.
Mr.. Pinkerton kept watch on the
post Office and on Saturday last was
rewarded by seeing his man come in
and ask for his mail. When asked by
the detective what his name was he re-
piled without hesitation A. S. Denton.
As his name is Adelbert Denton Sly,
this answer settled all doubt and he
was placed under arrest. When
searched $4,000, a lot of personal
property and the gold watch taken
from Messenger Mulrennan, of the
Adams Express Company, who was
badly injured by the explosion Of
dynamite, were found on his person
Sly tried to throw the watch away, it
is said, but was prevented by the Of
fcers. His arrest was kept secret in
hopes of obtaining some clew to the To-
cation of the rest of the gang.
The woman was arrested near the
Wells-Fargo Express Company's office
at Oakland, Cal 1t was learned that
trunk had been shipped to Marion We'd
peth, who is supposed to be the wife
of one of the gang, but it was ad-
dressed to Florence Waterman. 1t was
seized and Tuesday the woman came
to inquire about it. She left the Office
and gave the officers a lively chase in a
heavy rainstorm. She was put through
a process Of questioning by Capt Lees,
of Oakland, but could not be made to
give any information concerning the
rest of the robbers.
Sly was persuaded by the officers
that it would be better for him to go
back to Missouri without fight. lie
left Los Angeles Sunday evening in
charge of K. A. Pinkerton and De-
tective Whitaker. The woman will be
brought to st. Louis as soon as De-
tective Tracy can reach her with the
requisition. While the rest of the gang
are still at large, the detectives say it
is but the matter of short time be-
fore their identity will be discovered.
Adelbert ID. Sly. who is better known
as Bert" Sly, is native of Wisconsin,
having been born and raised near Osh.
kosh. After committing an express
robbery in st. Joe, where his wife and
three children now reside, he was
sentenced in 1884 to the penitentiary at
Jefferson City, Mo-, for term of seven
years On his release he associated
himself with gang of burglars with
around Kansas City. Ac-
cording to w. A. Pinkerton he was con-
cerned in several burglaries and rail-
IL