The St. Johns herald., 1894-11-15
A FRUTTLESS ROBBERY.
Tho Thief Loses tho Money He
 Had Stolen.
An Express Messenger Who Was Im- pr:soned Two Years Turns Gut to be Innocent of the
 Crime.

''The robbery of the l1eg of gold that was shipped to French bankers from New York on the steamer La TOuraine, and the loss of which was not discov- cred until the rest of the consignment reached it's destination" said Henry T. Cranner, of St. Louis, to a New York Recorder man recently, reminds me of the loss of money package once by the Wells-Fargo Express company on the Northern Pacific road. Between seven and eight thousand dollars in bills were sent by depositor of Tom Cruse's banking house in Helena, Mont, to a correspondent in St. Louis. The package was placed in the express safe, together with other valuable bundles, and when Omaha was reached where transfer of the stuff was made, the parcel of bills was missing. An in- vestigation resulted and the express messenger was arrested. He insisted that he was innocent and could not ac- count for the loss. His guilt appeared to be so palpable that every means known outside of processes of the in quisition was used in an attempt to make him make confession, but without avail. He was sent to the penitentiary for two years, and pro- tested his innocence as vehemently when he came out as he did when he went in. Seven or eight months after the messenger was released the North ern Pacific company decided to change the numerous small trestles along it's main stem into culverts. A party of surveyors were making the preliminary measurement Of such work and wlen the axeman was clearing away some underbrush at the side of small creek one day, so the surveyor could operate his level, he picked up mildewed package that had evidently been lost from passing train on the road. Without taking into considera- tion the express company's labels and seals, which even long exposure had not effaced from the bundle, the sur vering party opened it, and there was the lopg-Inissing money that had been sent from Helena to St. Louis The facts were reported and another inves- tigatiOn was put on foot, with view
 
 from the suspicion that still clung to him. He was informed of the discov- cry of the money and requested to make some explanation of its loss. He still insisted that he had nothing to do with the loss of the package and knew nothing of it. He said that he had re- ceived the safe from the company in Helena and had kept it in the condi- tion in which it was given to him un- til they reached Omaha. He remem- bered, however, that another Wells Fargo man, who had been sent down the road from Helena to meet a car, was in the express car, while it was running near the point where the package was discov- cred. This man had been promoted to quite prominent position in one of 1 the Wells-Fargo districts and was itu- mediately charged with being responsi- ble for the loss of the package. When pushed into a corner he confessed that he had used his knowledge of the com bination of the safe and had stolen the package and thrown it out of the door | of the car after opening the safe, and he naively remarked that he had spent ] six months looking for it without sue cess Only powerful friends prevented his prosecution and conviction. It may | be said, however, that he did as far as l he was financially able to reimburse ] tAe messenger who had suffered for his crime, and that the latter was given better place than he had held before by the express company.