The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-14
W0ULDFAIN BE-FREE
j. j. MEIGGS, WHO WAS "SETTLED"
AT THE SAME TIME AS
FLEURY,
TO ASK BOARD OF PARDONS
FOR A RELEASE so THAT HE CAN
RETURN TO HIS HOME IN
CALIFORNIA.
PETITION NOW IN CIRCULATION.
j. j. McCafferty VIII Present the
Case to the BOard-StOry of the
Merchants Robbery.

A movement is on foot to secure the
release from the state prison at Still
water Of James Jonas Meiggs, one Of
the quintet of supposed crooks arrested
and convicted a few years ago for COM
plicity in the robbery of $4,000 from a
messenger of the Merchants National
bank, who was on his way to the clear
ing house with something like $4,000
in his possession. An application for
pardon will be presented to the board
of pardons at it's next meeting.
Meiggs, who has at this time served
a little more than half Of his eight
year sentence, it is claimed was con-
victed on evidence which was largely
circumstantial in it's character, the gist
Of 1t being that the elevator man in
the bank building in the entrance to
which the job was pulled off testified
that he had seen Meiggs in the vicinity
of the entrance just prior to the seizure
OF the bag containing the coin. MeiggS
is getting on in years, has been an in
valid for some time, and, although he
is hard at work in the binding Irvine de-
partment Of the prison shops, his con-
finement is beginning to tell on him.
On the occasion of the visit made dur
ing the week by the legislators and
their friends Meiggs was permitted to
converse with several persons, and he
then stated in no sensational way, but
with much earnestnesS, that it was
hard to have to be obliged to stay in
prison while he knew that his health
was failing him, and especially when
hn inn af %La fO,, ,I.s ,I-
he is doing penance. He certainly pre-
sented pathetic spectacle bending
over the loud buzZing Irvine machinery,
his frame racked with rheumatism
from which he has suffered for several
months. His friends here argue that
he was a respectable citizen in Cali
fornia, in which state he held the posi-
lions of deputy marshal and deputy
constable for some time. A petition is
being circulated in st, Paul, and this
Will be submitted to the state board of
pardons with the application for
Meigg's release. Meiggs has been al
lowed by the prison authorities to write
letters to several people in this city
who are known to Meiggs, and in them
are contained the statement that he
wishes to be allowed to pass the rest
of his life with his wife and family
in California. He maintains his limo
cence, and says that, if released, he will
at once leave for the coast.
Hon. j. ]. McCafferty will present the
application to the board of pardons for
the release of Meiggs. "Meiggs is get
ting along in years and has not been
in good health said Mr., McCafferty
yesterday. He has served half of his
iC oil
so far as being able to do much work
is concerned. Then there was always
some doubt as to his connection with
the robbery. He was convicted on cir
cumstantial evidence, and taking all
things into consideration, I do not
think the ends of justice would be in
terferred with, if he were released and
allowed to go to his home in Califor-
MA"
The fact that Fleury, another man
convicted Of this same crime will also
ask for a pardon at the same time
makes brief history of the crime of
interest just now.
On the afternoon of Aug. IA Lonaldo
Lares, a messenger on the Merchants
National bank, accompanied by J. H
Jacobs, porter of the same bank, had
just come into the First National bank
to make a settlement with the clearing
house. They had three bags of gold
containing $1,000 each in $40 gold
pieces in small steel box, and other
money, making in all about $50, 0O0 A
medium sized man grabbed one of the
bags, lodged around post out of the
door and into the street In an instant
everything was excitement The clerks
iii the clearing house rushed out. and
in the general offices, but the robbers
were completely gone. 1t was learned
that two confederates had impeded the
egress of the bank teller and messen-
ger so completely that when they
reached the sidewalk after going down
stairs, no trace could be seen of them
The matter was at once placed in the
hands of Superintendent c. M. Web
Der, of Pinkertons National agency,
of this city, who also co-operated with
Chief Albert GarVin and Chief of De-
tectiVeS John c.. McGinn. On the even
ing Of the 10, Chief McGinn arrested
James Howard, one of the men coming
from his lodgings. The others escaped
and the baggage of the party was ship
ped to Chicago. A systematic search
was begun at Chicago by William A.
PinkertOn, and every avenue covered
as it was clear from the information
received from here, that the men had
left for the East.
The next day Mr.. Pinkerton and a.
friend dropped into a sporting place in
stranger with a marked English ac-
cent, who inquired for certain Aus
tralian sporting men. Pinkerton's
friend requested him to sit down, in
troduced him to Mr.. Pinkerton, and
said that the latter was we'll acquaint-
ed with Australian sporting men, and
might tell him where his friends might
be found.
The conversation enSued, and it grad
ually dawned upon Mr.. Pinkerton that
the man he was talking to was none
other than the noted bank robber. Tom
Fleury. He engaged him in conversa-
ton, lasting several minutes, and after
concluded that 1t was F'leury. He sent
& messenger to his office, where he had
left pictures of the bank sneaks hav-
ing received them from here that day
The messenger returned with the pho
tographs. and on the back of Fleury' s
picture it stated that he was in the
habit Of saying beg pawdon" Mr.
Pinkerton placed his hat on the edge
of the table, and Fleury inadvertently
knocked it off. and instantly exclaimed
beg pawdon.'
Mr.. Pinkerton hesitated no longer
but placed the man In custody and
took him to the central station. A
search was kept up in Chicago, and on
Aug. Is j. ]. Meiggs was arrested on a
Van Buren, street car, having been fol-
lowed from his lodgings at the Union