The herald., 1898-01-07
A MAN MISSING
And q Small Fortune Goes
With Him
THE TYPICAL TRUSTED CLERK
GETS AWAY WITH FUNDS OF HIS
EMPLOYERS
The American Express Company Vic
timized by Clark Braden-De-
tectives Set at Work

Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, Jan. 6.-The American
Express company was robbed today of
$40, 5O2 and Clark Braden, jr., trusted
employee, is missing. Central officers
and private detectives are hunting for
him.
Three days ago the night manager In
charge of the office at Forty-seventh
street and Madison avenue was taken
ill, and Braden, clerk of the company
for more than ten years, was temporar-
ily substituted. This office the company
uses as a clearing house for all It's mat
ter sent or received from the Grand
Central station. Among the parcels to
be sent out on the $3.50 train on the
Hudson river road this morning were
several containing cash to the amount
of S55S2, and one containing five $1,000
Chicago Gas bonds. 1t was Bradens
place to take these packages to the
train, return to the office and remain on
duty until o'clock.
When the day employees arrived
Braden was not in the office. The safe
WIS lOChtu NtiC iO itN-iPtc AVi
valua BILE packages by the morning train,
although the books showed that several
such parcels had been received at the
offices.
At first the absence of Braden and the
receipts were set down to carelessness.
But a few minutes later the leather bags
which contained the packages were
found under some other freight. They
had BEEN cut open and the money and
bonds taken.
That the robbery was hastily carried
out is shown by the fact that $4,000.
mostly in cash, was left in the safe, and
that the bonds were taken.
Notices were sent to every bank and
financial institution in the country
warning them against purchasing the
stolen gas bonds. These bonds have a
face value of $4,000. but are worth, in
other markets. $3.50. They are for
$1,000 each, issued in 1896, and bearing
five per cent. They are numbered 1903,
1927, 1859, 1000 and 4191.
Braden, about three years ago, left
the company's employ to go west, and
for a time was a fish dealer in Oregon
Last summer he returned to New York
NOT QUITE A MILLION
CHICAGO, Jan. General Manager
Antisdel of the American Express COM
pany this afternoon said that the story
of the robbery of s10O0,00O at New
York amounted to nothing more than
the loss of one package containing less
than $4,000. The theft was committed
at the Grand Central station, and was
the result of carelessness of a new en-
ploye, who was handling the money, the
idea being that sneak thieves secured
one package.
GROWING BIG AGAIN
CHICAGO, Jan. 6.-The Chicago po-
lice were requested this evening by the
Pnkerton Detective agency to appre-
bend Clark Braden, jr., the absconding
night clerk of the American Express
company in the New York office. In
stead of a 81 600 900 robbery, as rumored
at first, the loss suffered by the express
company through the clerks disappear
ance, is, the Pinkertons allege, $4,000
According to the statement made by
the detective agency of the amount
taken by Braden, $4,000, was in currency
consisting of fifty $500 and five $1,000 gold
bonds of the Consumers Gas company
of Chicago.