The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-09
THE MYSTERY SOLVED
THE EXPRESS ROBBERS HUNTED
DOWN AT LAST.
Five Thousand Dollars Of the Money
Recovered by the Company.
A Negro Still at Large With $1,000 of
the Booty Obtained.
All Three Of the Robbers Broke Down and
Made Full Confessions Of the Crime
Hancher, the Messenger, was the Author
of the Conspiracy-Joues E1onerated
The Absent Negro Held Up the Wagon
Alone, While Greer Did the Telephou-
joyful Details
All Three of the Robbers Broke Down and
Made Full Confessions of the Crime.
Hancher, the Messenger, was the Autho,
of the Conspiracy-Joues Exonerated.

The mystery of the robbery committed
the Goth of July, by which the United
States Express company lost S7.6O6. 40, is
solved
The criminals are now behind lock and
key in the county Jail of this county, with
no possible escape for them from the PEN
atty of the law, except by death.
Each of them confessed the part he took
in the crime and became witnesses against
themselves.
The criminals are Howard n. Greer, a
telegraph operator, whose home is at
El Dorado; Jack Beck, night clerk at the
Occidental hotel, brother OF the proprietor
of the house, but he will be better known
to our city readers as the tall
young man who played the snare drum
so elegantly in Shaw's orchestra; Arthur
Hancher the messenger IN charge of the
express wagon that was robbed, and John
Kitterell (coloredD, who worked at the
Occidental hotel in the capacity of second
cook. The latter had sense enough to get
away with his part of the swag, but
Sheriff Ault is now after him and he is
probably captured by this time.
kitterell is the man who did the actual
work of robbing the wagon, Greer is the
man who sent the decoy telephone mes.
sage; Beck was, it seems, the treas
urer of the gang, and Hancher,
the messenger, was the originator
of the scheme. Mr.. Jones, the
6riu of ha in tho
spiracy and is held totally innocent.
Four or five days ago the EAGLE said it
expected to be able TO give the details of
the arrest in forty-eight houIs; the matter
was delayed in hopes of getting the money,
which the company finally did.
HOW IT WAS DONE.
The robbery took place at 9;45 o'clock
Saturday night. AT 10 o'clock it was re-
ported at the office. At IL o'clock Mr..
Cassell, the agent, had a cipher message
on the wires Tor the company at New
York. On the next day Colonel John
Byrne, ex-superintendent of police at
Buffalo, n. Y, aud chief detective
of the express company was out ridin :,
with his family when messenger
boy overlook him and handed him tele-
gram from the company directing him 20
proceed at once to Wichita. He had just
one hour and half to catch Il train and
with the guickness peculiar to his race,
he got ready and was here on Tuesday
night. In one hour after arriving in
Wichita be was on the right track of the
thieves and never left it till he had ac-
complished his work successfully. He is
"a fine gentleman, as bright as dollar and
| as courteous as Chesterfield. When the
| robber boarded the express car he searched
| the messenger for "A revolver, but never
searched Jones. This was peculiar, for
| how did he know that Jones had not a re-
volver, if he was Il stranger. The first
conclusion arrived at, then, was that
| Hancher was in the play. Who were his
companions? That was the question
| His room was found at No. %
North Main street and vacant
room was found next to it. A trusty man
slept here every night and he listened with
a faithful ear. 1t was soon found that
Greer was Hancher's bed fellow. They
came in nights, took off their shoes
quietly and whispered the whole night
| long 1t now became necessary for The
| detectives TO get partner for Greer. A
well known young man was selected. lie
walk ed around the streets with Greer and
| once they met Hancher whom Greer did
| not recognize.
| Who is that fellow? asked the compan-
| ion, and Greer said he did not know him
| and yet the companion knew that they
were bed fellows. Thus two of the robbers
| had been identified. A young man III Pal
| Herron's store made some remark one day
| about the robbery and the never sleeping
detectives heard it. This was worked t
great advantage. Greer was seen going
down Douglas avenue one night and The
shadow followed him. He was seen goiue
! into freight car on the Santa Fe anC
| still the shadow followed. After some
time he came out and returned
| to town. and still the shadow
followed him. Next morning the shadow
took his index finger and named il
| Hancher the next finger he named Hitter
| ell, the next he named Greer and the mex
| he named Beck. There are the thieve:
| said he. The man whom he was talking
| TO nodded his head to indicate his satistac
| ton at the result.
L
| men and found all of them under theil
thumb but the negro kitterel, They found
| him gone and found how, when and il
what direction he went Sheriff Ault and
| Route Agent Kyle took the night trait
and went after him and probably have bin
| by this time.
There seemed TO be q little uneasluess IL
| the triumvirare who remained III the city
| Yesterday morning, ana it was deemed besi
| 10 take Mr.. Greer into custody which Wa:
done. lie was closely questioned anl
/ finally confessed. Later in the dag Undel
Sheriff Williams went to the Occidental
| hotel. quietly arrested jack Beck
took him 10 a room in the Carey hotel
where he was pumped. Ten minutes after
wards Mr.. Williams and his prisone
walked quietly t. the hotel, entered !
room where old lumber WAS stored. and
| after "a long search, roll of 5000 wa!
pulled out of tomato can and delivered
| to Mr.. Williams The long search wa
natural. and not theatrical Beck WA
custodian OF the money and he WAS in con
| tinual fear of having it found in his pos
session. He kept hiding and re-hidiug i
so many times that he actually forgo
! where it was W hen he was called upon u
fish il up.
Outside of Colonel Byrne, great credit |
due 10 Mr.. Kyle for his assistance IN th'
case, and TO some local parties who AIS
| rendered valuable assistance.
Mr. Cassel. manager Of the office here