Omaha daily bee., 1897-06-01
CONSCIENCE DID IT
Workings Of Inward Monitor the Cause Of
Henry Thomas Death.
DRIVEN BY HIS CRIME TO SUICIDE
Search in Dead Mans Barn Reveals Stolen
Package of Money.
BULK OF THE AMOUNT IS RECOVERED
Carefully secrated in Hollow Scantling
Covered with Shellac
EXPRESS COMPANY OFFICIALS FIND IT
Som cthing over One Thousand Dollars
Had Been spent by Thomas
Verdict of the Cor
, oner's Jury.
EXPRESS COMPANY OFFICIALS FIND II

Oner's
II was a guilty and a crime-stained con-
science that drove the bullet through the
brain of Night watchman Henry Thomas
of the Pacific Express company on last Sat
urday night and sent him to I'LL suicides
grave.
Almost two years ago Thomas robbed the
United States Express company, In whose
employe he was jointly with the Pacific Ex-
press company as eight watchman, of $4,000
For these two years he kept the secret OF the
theft locked within his own breast. On
Saturday the burden of guilt became too
heavy Thomas killed himself. He died
self-confessed thief Yet he made what
retribution he could. His last act was to
return what was left of his ill-gotten gain
a sum OF s4.Sso.
When the suicide was found lying in the
basemen. of the building of the Pacific Ex-
press company on last Saturday night. one
OF his rigid hands clutched the handle OF
the revolver with which he had slain him
self. The other crushed sheet OF paper
upon which were scrawled few lines. They
were follows:
"As God is in heaven I found 1t in the
waste paper. 1t is on the first timber In
tho stable Leave my mother alone. l am
insane God blees Mr.. E. NJ Morseman
done 1t when was drunk. Then everything
was quiet THOMAS.
In this note was evidently the key to the
mystery that compelled Thomas to fire the
fatal shot The minds of the officials of the
express company at once reverted to the
$4,000 robbery. They had always suspected
Thomas of having had hand in the crime
They therefore at once determined to inves-
tgate the meaning of the last lines OF the
suicide.
WORKING ON THE SECRET.
Thomas had lived with his mother in an old
cottage at 515 South Fifteenth street HE
had resided there for some four years. 1t
was located far beneath the grade OF the
street. Upon the premises and In the hollow
was long. old, red barn. This was evil
IDENTIFY the stable to which the dead man
referred to in his note.
The search for the treasure was begun i'm
mediately after the body OF the suicide was
discovered. For couple OF hours the police
went through the old structure in the effort
to locate the first timber" The search
was unavailing and was discontinued. On
Sunday morning 1t again renewed and 1t
was once more stopped at noon. No trace of
the money could be found, although the tim
bers of the structure were examined and
the searchers dug into the ground about.
The officers of the company finally decided to
undertake systematic examination. They
would tear down the building and dig up
every foot Of earth that 1t covered. In the
meantime officer was placed In charge OF
the barn.
Early Yesterday afternoon Sylvester A.
Huntoon. joint agent for the Pacific and the
United States Express companies in this city.
. determined to make a personal examination
OF the premises. He was accompanied by his
SON. Edward c. Huntoon and George B.
Stebbins. the superintendent Of the Pacific
Express company. They stepped upon the
premises OF the deceased and stopped before
the open door OF the barn.
''That Is the irst timber in the stable"
jokingly remarked Agent Huntoon.
He pointed to Axe piece of scantlng that
was nailed up near the door Of the barn.
1t eight feet in length. 1t furnished
post to which was attached a wire netting
fence. Ed Huntoon picked up an ak and
chopped 1t down. He examined 1t and then
passed 1t to Stebbins, who looked at 1t with
more care
MISSING MONEY LOCATED.
The piece of wood did not look very prom
islug, but Stebbins thought he detected a
crack. He struck it at this point with the
ak. The blade easily penetrated as IL into
hollow and Stebbins followed with another
stroke. few blows brought to view hole
out OF which dropped package about six
inches In length, four in width and about
three in thickness. 1t was enclosed in thick
robber cloth.
Stebbins unrolled the covering and dis
closed to view thick bundle OF banknotes
OF $40 and $40 denominations. The total
value of the bundle was 81 $50. The money
was AT once taken 10 tne once OF the eX-
press company. The post WAS also carried
away.
Considerable ingenuity had been displayed
In the selection OF the hiding place for the
treasure. hole OF sufficient size had been
cut into one end of the scantling. The inte-
ror had been shellaced to protect the con-
tents from dampness. In this the bundle OF
banknotes. wrapped in the rubber cloth,
had been placed. Long nails had been driven
sideways into the hole to keep the bundle in
place. Finally strip OF board had been
ceverly mortised over the hole, so that II was
difficult 10 End the incision in the original
scantling.
The little hiding place was apparently old.
The nails that held the strip over the hole In
place were rusted II was In such q position
that the bottom OF the hiding place was just
level with the ground. about half a foot OF
the poss being beneath the surface. The
hole was placed against the side OF the barn.
Thomas had built the fence about week
ago. IL was made OF wire netting. and was
intended to restrain number Of chickens.
Before II was put 10 this use the pole was
half a scanting that had lain long on the
floor of the stable.
The recovered money is undoubtedly a
part OF the package OF 81, 900 that was stolen
from tho express employees on July 10. 1895
The missing package was made up OF $40 and
500 bills. The biggest part OF them were
new. Between $500 and 81 900 consisted OF
old bills. The latter are missing from the
recovered package
LOSS OF THE PACKAGE.
The lost package came from Lincoln. It
reached the Union depot In this city all
right and was safely transferred to the Of
fees OF the company. In the office II was
lost. II arrived about 4 o'clock and at 5
was supposed to be safely slowed away in a
safe The next morning It was gone In
its trip passed through the hands of a
half dozen clerks. All were suspected and
one was finally discharged. Thomas at the
time was night watehmaa and was also sus-
pectsd. Special detectives We're detailed 10
ferret out the mystery. but no trace OF the
thief was ever discovered
While Thomas was suspected of the rob
berry II was difficult to see how he could
have accomplished 1t. He was in sole charge
OF the building at night. but could not gain
access to the safe in which the money was
kept Agent Huntoon, however, has evolved
a very plausible theory. He gains grounds
for II In one OF the ssntelces In Thomas