The record-union., 1894-02-19
WACHHORST DIAMOND ROBBERY.
How Detective Pinkerton Learned Who
the Robbers Were.
Frank sherclif Doing Term In Iowa
Edwards in Folsom Prison. and
Black Is Here.

Black, alias Powers one OF the men sus-
pected of having been engaged IN the
Wachhorst jewelry robbery IN this city
one year ago on the 3lst of January.
w. II. Edwards, man who IS now
serving term in the Folsom Prison Tor
a diamond robbery in San Francisco
some months ago, is another OF the sus-
poets. A third, named Frank Sherclft,
is serving seventeen years term IN the
Iowa Penitentiary for robbing jewelry
salesman on a railroad train.
Black was arrested with Edwards for
the San Francisco robbery, but managed
to escape conviction.
Suspicion was directed to these men by
Detective Pinkerton in connection with
the Wachhorst robbery, and he wrote to
Chief Crowley and Captain Lees to that
effect after he had learned OF ShercllHS S
participation in the job.
PINKERTON WANTS INFORMATION.
Shercliff is not without backing, and
In order to prevent him from obtaining
new trial Pinkerton wrote to Chief
Rodgers last October for information con-
cerning the Wachhorst robbery, he hav-
ing learned that Sherclitf was engaged in
that job. Following is his letter:
OH1CAGO, OClOD0I 1Js I0J0s
Chief of Police, .SdcramentO, CdE.-
DEAR SIR:-inclosed 1 send you picture
of a man recently convicted by this
agency who gives the name of Frank
Shercliff, alias Jas. Burke, alias KID
Mccoy, alias Ed. Wilson. He was sem
fenced to seventeen years in the Iowa
Penitentiary on a charge OF assaulting
and robbing jewelry salesman named
w. @. Pollock, of New \ York City, on
passenger train on the Z. u n. w. r. r.
Novem Der 4th last. He calls himself y
years of age, but is in reality about Is,
but being fair and light-compleXloned
does not show his age.
| first heard of him in 1856 at Aurora,
Illinois, where he sneaked a safe in a
lumber Office. On being caught he made
a desperate resistance and tried to Kill the
officers who took him into custody. He
did not succeed, however, and was SEN
fenced to two years in the Joliet Peniten-
tiary, by Judge Wilson OF the Circuit
Court, getting off with a light sentence
on account Of his youthful appearance.
He afterward went West and held up
faro bank in Colorado City, Col, then
went to Salt Lake, Utah, where he held
up and robbed couple of women of a
lot of diamonds but escaped capture.
After sneaking a safe in Ogden, Utah, he
was sentenced and served one year IN the
Utah Penitentiary in Salt Lake City.
Oh coming out Of the penitentiary he
committed the Pollock diamond robbery,
above spoken OF, and since then has been
in your city and smashed light of glass
in jewelry store window in Sacramento
and succeeded in getting away with lot
OF diamonds. This is within the last ten
months. The next heard of him was his
holding up and robbing the faro bank of
Malone d sawyer at Tacoma, Wash.
VIII you kindly write me the particu-
@Ft tl,T in iEx-
and the date on which it was committed.
This fellow is backed by a big gang Of
Western crooks and is making strenuous
efforts to get new trial, but l intend to
have his history complete when a new
trial is called for.
You may keep this picture for use of
your gallery. Yours truly,
W. a. PINKERToN.
THE RIGHT MAN.
Chief Rodgers sent to Pinkerton the
desired information, and received from
him another letter, in which he said:
CHICAGO, November t, 1898.
John B. Rodgers, Chdef Of Police, Sdcr0-
mentO, CoL.-DEAR SIR: L am in receipt
of your favor of the 9th ult., in reference
to the picture of James Burke, alias
Frank SherclI1f, alias kid" Mccoy, etc.
There is no doubt whatever he is the
man who committed the diamond rob-
berry in your city know that positively
and also the other robberies which have
been accredited to him. As he is in the
penitentlary, however, for the next sew
enteen years to come, unless he makes
his escape there is no danger of his rob-
bing anybody else of diamonds. I'm
doubtedly the goods stolen in your city
were disposed of as all other goods taken
by him have been-turned over to his
gambler friend in Western city. This
man has always been behind this fellow
in the work he has done.
If L can serve you at any time l shall be
most happy to do so.
don't know whether I wrote you or
not, but l have found that this 1nan
Shercliff served two years sentence in
the Joliet Penitentiary under the name of
John Cummings, from Aurora, Ill, in
1856, for robbing safe in that city. Yours
truly, w. A. PINKERToN.
AN ORGANIZED GANG.
On the following day Pinkerton wrote
again to Chief Rodgers, as follows:
CHICAGO, November 5, 1893.
j. B. Rodgers, Esq, Chief Of Police
Sacramento, CdE-DEAR SIR: / am in
receipt of yours of the 1st inst, inclosing
a postal card describing the jewelry stolen
by Shercliff from II. Wachhorst. L see
no prospect of my being able to recover
any of this jewelry at the present time
the iewelry which was stolen by Sherclitf
on the case which we convicted him Oh.
This man is in colleague with a danger
ous gang of thieves who have their haunts
all through the West
have not quit searching in the mat
ter. and am very glad to get the informa-
tion contained in your letter. and should
I hear anything of the jewelry, you can
depend upon it [ will communicate with
you.
Kindly show this picture at your hotels
and other places, particularly gambling
houses, and you will be apt to get some
clew to him in some gambling house in
your city, as he is an inveterate gambler
may be in California in the next
thirty days, and viii certainly look you
up. Yours, truly,
W. a. PINKERToN.
EDWARDS AND BLACK.
District Attorney Ryan, Sheriff O'Niel
Chief Rodgers and Captain of Police
Summons recently had an interview with
Edwards, but he refused to talk on the
subject of the Wachhorst robbery. Au-
gust Gerlach. clerk in Wachhorsts store,
did not identify him as one of the two
men who robbed the store.
Black was in the city at the time of the
Wachhorst robbery, having secured
Temporary employment on the street rail-
way in order that suspicion might not
rest upon him. A photograph of him
was shown to Gerlach, who said it was
the portrait of one OF the men engaged in
the robbery.
After Blacks release in San Francisco
he sold large number of diamonds to
Ned Foster of the Belle Union Theater
there, the estimated value of which was
$1,000. Foster told Captain Lees he bought
"--
"Emphatical