Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-03

WHICH WAS IhhCu from Train mo, bOO OF
the Delaware, Maryland &c Virginia
railroad at point near Harrington,
Monday afternoon, has caused much
excitement along tho line Of the road
and detectives are at work trying to nm
ravel the mystery. 1t is probable that
the robbery may be the means of bring
ing TO light the authors of several other
depredations which have been COM
mitted at this point within the past IS
months.
The money, which was stolen about
5,17 o'clock Monday afternoon, was in
banknotes issued by the National Bank
of Milford and consigned TO the Phila-
delphia National Bank. The notes were
in a large package, which was placed on
the train at Milford. George Raughley,
the baggagemaster Of the train, Is also
the Adams express agent, and at the
end of the trains run he acts as switch
man in attaching the D., NJ. & V. cars
to the Delaware railroad train. He
receipted for the package of money at
Milford, put the money in his large
receipt book and placed the package in
the iron safe in the car. lie then locked
the door of the safe, which Is only two
feet long, and about Is inches in height,
and placed the key in his trousers
pocket.
The train stopped at Houston, four
miles from Milford, where the express
agent received another package of
money. He unlocked the safe and
placed the second package on top of
the receipt book containing the $4,000
in bank notes. He says he was careful
10 examine the largo package at Hous-
ton and saw that ii was all right. He
again locked the safe and placed the
key in his pocket.
Train No. 1906 is scheduled TO arrive at
Harrington at BIT o'clock, where IL con-
meets with train No. 90 on the Delaware
railroad, leaving Harrington for this
city OF $50 O'Clock At Harrington the
rear car of train No. 306 is attached to
train No 06, and in order to do the
shifting the engine of train 1876 is cut Off
and goes to the rear of the train. 1t is
the duty of the baggagemaster to turn
the switch in order to side.track his
train and also to cut off the engine. He
had kept his eye on the safe up TO this
time, he asserts, but left the car un-
guarded while he went to throw the
switch.
Train No. 96 pulled in and the trans.
fer of the baggage was made to IL from
train No. S96. Raughley found the safe
locked just as he had left 1t, but was
rendered speechless on opening it to
find the package of Sc 600 In notes gone
He was equally surprised to find the
small package of money taken on at
Houston still in the safe. He gave the
alarm and the crew of the train were
informed that the safe had been pilfered
of part of Its contents. They kept the
matter to themselves, however, and the
express company was notified by tele-
graph. Detectives were at once detailed
upon the case.
An examination was made of the car
in which the money is invariably car
ried, 1t is combination car, half filled
with seats and occupied as q smoker.
The other half of the car is divided into
two apartments, one for the mail agent
and the other for the baggagemaster.
The end next to the engine is blind.
The mail agent, who was In his portion
of the car, saw no one enter the other
part, and was ignorant Of the robbery
until informed by the baggagemaster.
1t is believed by railway officials and
mon familiar with the circumstances of
the robbery that the man who perpe-
trated the theft possessed duplicate
key, and may have entered the car dur.
ing the absence of the baggagemaster
when he went to throw the switch, as
the latter declares that that was the
only time the safe was not under his
surveillance. The work was done with
the rapidity O. an expert, for when the
agent returned, he found everything
seemingly all right The safe was
locked just as he had left 1t, but open
ing 1t he discovered that tho money was
missing.
The robbery has caused more excite
ment than anything that has occurred
along the line of the railroad In recent
years. 1t not only proves that some
one familiar with the condition Of affairs
about the car is responsible for the rob-
berry, but railroad mon assert that il has
been an open secret for many months
that some one has held duplicate key
to the safe, but who that person is no
one knows. The fact that this Is the
second robbery that has occurred on the
car, coupled with the statement that the
United States mails have suffered from
the loss of number of registered letters
containing money, which seem TO have
disappeared near Harrington, has led
many to believe that the guilty parties
are thoroughly familiar with the state
of things about the train and arc adopts
at the business. s....
Joseph Stevens, former baggage.
master, WINS charged with carelessness
in allowing 800 in money and gold
watch to be taken from the identical
safe, and after paying the loss out Of
his own pocket he resigned. He is now
living in Lewes.
1t is believed that Mondays robbery
is not only Of interest to the Adam;
Express Co., but that officials of the
United States government are working
in conjunction with the detectives, will
tho hopes of tracing the pilfering o.
mail pouches to the proper Source. Lesi
than two years ago, tho postotfict
authorities assert, several registered
letters containing $lS3 were stolen from
the train at q point near Harrington
and the name of the guilty party hal
never been made known. A short tint
afterwards IL registered letters, con
tanning 1913 in money, were stolen ,whilt
nino months ago $4,000 worth Of bonds
and negotiable and other papers wert
scooped in ut one haul. This woul(
make the total amount of money valut
taken about $4,000, all of which disap
peared, it is said, about the same poin
on the railroad. The notes taken Mon
day were mostly Of large denomination
Detectives Tuesday subjected Bag
gagemaster Raughley to rigid exam
lnation regarding the robbery, and it i
sad they endeavored to get Il comics
sion from him, but without avail. Rail