Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-31
A DETECTIVES STORY
He Saw the Robbers Bury the Treasure il
the Earth.
The Temptation WINS Too Strong and
He Dug Up the Money
and Kept II.

What do you think should be done in the
way of protecting the treasure and mes
senger in express cars?" a Star reporter
| asked well-known railroad detective.
There have been many plans put forward
since the robberies in the west, but most of
them are too expensive or not practical.
have often talked to the officials of the eX-
press companies about this matter, and my
chief plea was for the protection of the mes
senger. If they protect him, he will protect
the treasure. The men selected for these
positions are thoroughly tested before being
assigned to a responsible run, and an over
whelming majority are of that class who
will take care of themselves if given half
chance.
Il have frequently suggested that express
cars be lined with half inch boiler plate
iron. / don't mean the sides alone, but
make a complete lining and fully protect
| the doors. Mechanical experts can easily
devise plans SO this can be done and then
place in the hands Of the messenger one of
those sawed-off shot guns loaded with buck
| shot. Let this defensive preparation become
known, and I'll stake my reputation on it
that train robberies or rather express car
| robberies will go out Of fashion. Such a car
would stand a tremendous pressure from
dynamite; if run off the track would like
wise be protected from being crused, and
fort for the messenger could not be ex-
celled. 1t would give him confidence, and
woe betide the robber who would first enter
the car should an entrance ultimately be
gained.
Something Like All Baba.
do you know that this recent 'hold-up'
over in Virginia recalls to my mind a SIM
liar occurrence that took place when l was
| a young man in the business up near Pitts
burg at a station named Greensburgh. The
details are very similar. The train was
successfully held up; the express car robbed
Of good round sum- and the robbers make
a break for Pittsburg after crossing the
Conemaugh river near which the robbery
occurred. l received the details of the rob-
berry in Pittsburg from my superior officer
short time after they occurred, and some
thing told me they would use the Cone
maugh to cover up their tracks.
Il had an assistant at the time who lived
on the outskirts of Allegheny city, at one
of those little summer places. There was
telegraph office at the place, and / at
once telegraphed him to be on the lookout
for the men, and that / would see him in
the morning. At the same time l took an
other route so as to cover as much ground
as possible. The details of my assistants
movements that night / gathered from him
two years later in the Cook county Jail,
Chicago.
1T seems that he was in the telegraph
office when my message was received, and
in a few minutes was on his way toward
the river. II pitch dark, but he kept
on until he reached point in the road that
led through a considerable stretch of wood
land. He had stopped to take his bearings
when he heard wagon coming up the road
at furious rate of speed. He left the
read and sought refuge behind a good
sized tree. The wagon came up and passed
on but only about dozen yards. He made
out the forms of five men as the wagon
went by, and he was in the act of following
them when the wagon stopped. Again ne
darted back into the woods and saw the
| robbers, for so they proved to be, lug out
good-sized box and drag it into the
woods. Hastily digging a hole they buried
the box, and after marking several sur
rounding trees. hurried back to the wagon
end continued their rapid driving toward
the city.
Bluffed Into a Confession.
MY assistant, after assuring himself
that the men were well out of the way
| hastily dug that box up and loaded himself
with currency. On reaching home he
found he had something like $1,000 and
the temptation was too strong for him.
He decided to keep it. He lived in his old
home for nearly a year and was shrewd
enough not to use any of the money. Then
he left for Chicago, and shortly afterward
bought quite a farm in southern Illinois.
About the same time l arrested a man for
breaking into freight car.
This fellow was far gone with consump-
tion and / took him to the hospital. There
he confessed to me that he was member
of the gang that had held up the express
Messenger year and a half before, and
the result of the burying of the treasure in
the woods. / went out on the road and
found the telegraph operator, who told me
of the quick delivery of the message / had
sent. 1 put two and two together and de-
cided to follow up my assistant. After con-
siderable trouble / located him and de-
coyed him into Chicago. There 1 put him
under arrest and buffed him into con-
fession. / recovered $4,000, and the presi-
Dent of the company, John Hoey, gave me
a percentage that amounted TO s., JO.''