The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-23
A Detect.ye's Story.

do you know that the hOld-up OF a
train in Virginia recalls to my mind a
similar occurrence that took place when
1 was a young man in the business up
near pittsburg. at a station named
Greensburg?" said well-known rail-
road detective. The details are very
similar. The train was successfully held
up; the express car robbed of a good round
sum. and the robbers made break for
Pittsburg. after crossing the Conemaugh
river near which the robbery occurred.
] received the details of the robbery in
Pttsburg from my superior officer a
short time after 1t occurred, and some
thing told me they would use ConemauSh
to cover up their tracks.
II had an assistant at the time. who
lived on the outskirts of Allegheny city,
at one of those little summer places.
There was a telegraph Office at the place,
and l at once telegraphed him to be on
the lookout for the men, and that / would
see him I'm the morning. Al the same
time ] took another route, so as to cover
as much ground as possible. The details
of my ASSISTANTS movements That night
! gatherd from him two years later in
the Cook county Jail. Chicago.
1T seems that ne was in the telegraph
Office when nv message was received,
and in a few minutes was on his way to-
ward the river. 1t was pitch dark. but
he kept on until he reached point IN
the road that led through considerable
stretch Of woodland. He then stopped
TO take his bearings when he heard a
wagon coming up the road a. a furious
rate Of speed He left the road and
sol Cht refuge behind a good-sized tree.
The wagon came up and passed on, but
only about a dozen yards away 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 he darted back into the
woods, and saw the robbers-for so they
proved to be-lug out good-sized box
and drag il into the woods. Hastily
digging a hole they buried the box, and
marking several surrounding trees, hur-
ried back to the wagon and continued
their rapid driving toward the city.
My assistant, after assuring himself
that the men were well out of the way,
hastily dug that box up and loaded him
self 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
farm in southern Illinois. About the
same time / arrested a man for breaking
into a freight car.
This fellow was far gone with CON
SUMPTION and l took him to the hos
pital. There he confessed to me that he
was a member Of the gang that had held
up tho express messenger a year and a
half before. and the result of the bury
ing of the treasure in the woods.
went on the road and found the telegraph
operator. who told me of the quick de-
livery of the message l had sent / put
two ana two together, and decided to fol-
low up my assistant. After considerable
trouble / located him, and decoyed him
into Chicago. Then | put him under
arrest and buffed him into a confess
sion. l recovered $1,000 and the presi-
dent OF the company, John Hoey, gave
me a percentage that amounted TO $500
Washington Star.