The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-01-04
A FRUITLESS ROBBERY.
The Thief Loses the Money He
Had Stolen.
an Express Messenger Who WAS I'M
prisoned Two Years Turns Out
to be Innocent of the
Crime.

''The robbery of the keg of gold that
was shipped to French bankers from
New York on the steamer La Touralne,
and the loss of which was not discov-
cred until the rest of the consignment
reached its destination" said Henry
T. Cranmer, of st. Louis, to New
York Recorder man recently, reminds
me of the loss of a 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 correspondent in st. Louis.
The package was placed in the express
safe, together with other valuable
bundles, and when Omaha was reached
where a 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
QUESTION 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
o. re A orfvr Of
surveyors were making the preliminary
measurement Of such work and
when the axcman was clearing away
some UnQerbrush at the side of
small creek one day, SO the surveyor
could operate his level. he picked up
widowed package that had evidently
been lost from a passing train on the
road. Without taking into considera-
ton 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 long-rniaeing money That had been
sent from Helena to St. Louis. The
facts were reported, and another inves-
tigation was put on foot, with a view
of relieving the express messenger
from the suspicion that still chung 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-
ceivcd tho safe from the company in
Helena and had kept it In the condi-
tion il which it was given to him I'M
til they reached Omaha. lie remem-
bered, however, that another Wells
the road from Helena to meet
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
the Wells-Fargo districts and was i'm
mediately charged with being RESPONSE
bic for the loss Of the package. When
pushed into 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 ear after opening the safe, and
he naivcly remarked that he had spent
six months looking for it without sue
cess. Only powerful friends prevented
his prosecution and conviction. 1t may
be said, however, that he did as far as
he was financially able to reimburse
TIE messenger who had suffered for
his crime, and that the latter was given
Il better place than he had held before
by the express company.