The record-union., 1894-12-01

patrons. l opened it and called Mr.. Din
gieton's particular attention to it.
de glanced at its contents hastily, arose
from his chair, tramped up and down the
room for few moments, and finally
turned to me with one of his most WIN
some smiles and said:
"Euston, will you go South for me?'
ITO Patagonia. if you like"
will you take the train for Memphis
within an hour?"
"Certainly.'
''Thankee, thankee! Another South
ern Express robbery. from package in
transit. See superintendent Willis at
Memphis. Confer with him: secure
everything possible bearing on the mat
ter; In fact, make thorough preliminary
investigation upon which we may base
Ineligible future action.'
While he was still saying this, he had
put the mail packet in my hands and we
We're on our way 10 the Cashier for a lib
eral supply of what is termed expense
money"
This supplied, he shook my hand heart
lily. and added, as Il was disappearing
down the stairway:
''lfyou should happen to strike favor
able news L might ask you to go on with
the operation. L will wire your authority
and introduction To Willis. Act under
his instructions as the company's special
agent. Good-byn'
80 lar L was in the dark. I was simply
following the habit of implicit obedience,
the greatest lesson possible to be learned
by young man in business life. But as
soon as L could gather my thoughts to-
gether, realized that l had been given
unuSual latitude, and my affection and
pride plqued Inc into keenest anxiety
and SterneSt resolve.
caught my train just as it was moving
out OF the railway station. | was the
lrRrr 10 a,
MS gave me an opportunity to examine
the documents IN my possession wholly
free from observation.
There was large number of search
ers, as official inquiries regarding lost
ValuaOIeS are called, with their Re
spectlully Referreds." These, read in
order OF date, told that money package,
alleged to have contained SS, 900, had been
transmitted by one Ezra Smith, from
Carollton, Mississippi, to Colonel Eras-
tuS Converly, planter residing near
South ConyerIy Station, North Carolina,
and had been received, over 5000 short,
by the latter.
AS nearly as 1 could judge the money
package had passed through an even
dozen different hands, viz: The agents at
Carrollton; The messengers to Corinth
mississippi, and the agents at that place;
the messengers from Corinth 10 Chatta-
nOoga and the agents there: the messen-
gers from this point TO Atlanta and the
office Cashiers at that city; the messen-
gers to Raleigh and the agents in Ra-
leigh; the messengers thence to South
Converly Station and the agents at that
point; and. finally, the hands of the
planters son, who had receipted for the
package, on authority from his father
and had conveyed to Colonel Converly,
at his plantation home, some twelve
miles distant, where the package had
.lt ha INl 3 t,n
presence OF several witnesses and its con-
tents repeatedly counted by members of
his family and guests.
Among the papers in my possession
was the empty money package envelope
The express company's reports made il
quite clear that IL had been improperly
opened. Without these, the three seals
themselves showed this. 1t was known
that the agent at Carrollton had dis
patched the package under the comuany's
seals. The seals now showing upon the
empty envelope, which were the same as
those upon il when it was received at
Converly Pines, were little hillocks OF
wax, apparently daubed over the orig
inal seals, and stamped with a some-
thing, the impress OF which defied expia-
nation.
1t might have been the metal butt of a
whipstock, the tip of poker handle, a
bit of carved wooden ornament, an over
coat button, the end of d sword hilt, a
large sleeve button, or any one OF count
less articles OF use or ornament which,
through accident or design, might have
been at hand when the robbery OF the
package was committed.
Curiously enough the envelope itself
seemed in perfect condition.
The paper fiber was uniform, showing
| that, after the seals were broken the
| package could not have been opened bv
steamlug or other process OF moistening.
! l peered inside the envelope countless
! times, but without hlnt or suggestion
| upon the mystery. Even when INV Jour
| ney was almost done L had not yet been
! aple to light upon a theory for uresenta-
! ton To the express company's Superin-
| tendent.
! In this mental frame of anxiety and dis
! quietude and with the distractIng enveI-
/ ope lying upon my knee. it occurred TO
/ me to lay il open TO light. With my pen
/ knife l slit the TOD and remaining edge,
/ The TWO inner sides were thus fully
| opened to view, ana the manner of the
| robbery was clearly and instantly ex-
| posed.
! 1t was most adroit instance of what
! is known in criminal pariance as weed
! ing'' a money package.
The wax mad been removed from the
| two approaching edges of the center seal
| and one OF the end seals for the distance
/ Oh a lgl1lb lllOI0 lldll the IOurln OF
! inch. Then the package had been swiftly
| crin<led back ana forth IN the hands
until the dry inUcIiage beneath the edge
| OF the envelope Hap had been cracked
and pulveriZed and its adhesive quality
destroyed.
The thief had now made two delicate
! incisions in the edge of the envelope flap,
/ one close 10 the crisp edge OF each brok en-
seal. This done, IL was but all instant's
work to turn back over upon the envel-
ope, the entire distance between the in
/ cisious, a half inch OF the flap, press ii
! gently into a fold. and with sharp knife
point make a straight incision, nearly
! four inches in length from seal 10 seal. in
that portion of the envelope coming un-
derneath the edge OF the flap, when any
| portion of the contents could be abstract
ed leisurely, alter which the hap had
been gummed, turned back into its place.
| and resealed as already described.
Here. then, was a complete revelation
of the method of robbery.
''W hat would you suggest?u asked SUI
perintendent Willis, after l had shown
| him my discovery.
! That every office where the package
| laid over in transit for even ten minutes
| be thoroughly overhauled and every mes
! senger, cashier and agent who are known
to have handled the package be immedi-
ateiy run OUT "
i The latter expression is a detective
term implying a careful Investigation