Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-11
FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS
Express Safe with This Amount 10 Lifted
from Transfer Truck st Manila, Ia
THREE MEN ARRESTED ON SUSPICION
They Are All Young Fellows Living
Near the Towp-No Part of
the Booty IL He
covered.


gram "A $40, 900 haul was made by the
robbers who boldly stole a United States
Express company's route safe at Manila
la. Saturday night while express and bag
gage we're being transferred from a train
on the Sioux city division OF the Chicago
Milwaukee & st. Paul railway to a Chicago
train. The express officials will not state
that this sum was lost. but It is known
that about S12, 900 in cash was taken on in
Sioux City and about $4,000 in drafts and
other valuables.
Three men were arrested at Q o'clock this
morning in the country near Manila, after
an all night hunt by citizens posse under
the direction OF the city marshal. The pris-
oners are John Jackson. Charles Hayes and
John Stovall, all young fellows who live IN
or near Manila. The officers who arrested
them declare that the evidence against them
is conclusive. The tail led Enthusiastically
to their lair, although no part OF the booty
was found on them. They persist in declar-
lug themselves innocent.
Consummate nerve characterized the rob
berry. The Sioux city train arrived in Ma
nilla at sos p. m. and Immediately there
after the express messenger James W.
Sturtevant OF Sioux city, and a couple of
baggage rustlers employed at the Manila
route safe on n platform truck with other
freight. The Omaha train was an hour or
more late and the men climbed into the car
to get out OF the cold while waiting. About
$40 o'clock the messenger stepped out
side and for the first time noted the loss
of the safe.
safe Carried on Bodily.
The heavy iron box had been picked up
-
carried away. Usually the depot platform
is crowded at train time, but the extreme
cold weather kept the curious depot
loungers inside and the men we're not de-
tected as they worked at the dark end
Of the platform The men carried the heavy
box about two blocks, where they loaded
II into u buggy and drove away.
A mile and a halt in the country north
of the town the box was found several
hours later forced open and it's valuable
contents gone.
When the robbery was discovered
there was great excitement. and no time
was lost in spreading the alarm. City Mar
shal Ferrell hastily assembled posse
md vigorous work was begun. Snow lay
thick on the ground and it did not take
long to discover the tracks of two per-
sons. who evidently had been carrying some
heavy object directly from the truck, as IL
stood upon the depot platform.
The thieves carried the safe a distance
OF two blocks and then loaded It into a
wagon which had evidently been left there
In waiting. The wagon was driven about
mile and half out into the country and
there the safe was forced open and the
contents distracted. The men there aban-
doned the safe and went their way on a
new track 1t was not difficult to trace
them, however. and this morning the three
arrests were made. All are well known.
Their regulations heretofore have not been
bad.
Robbery Planned Deliberately,
while the robbery undoubtedly was de
ilberately planned as the horse and wagon
were In waiting in a convenient SPOT Il
Is not believed that the men knew tbey
were making so rich haul They had no
means or knowing the contents of the safe
only that it was used for CARRYING valuable
Ihey found an Unusually favorable oppor-
tunlty when Sturtevant left the safe on
the truck, and had It not been for the
telltale tracks in the snow 1t is not likely
that the arrests would have been made SC
promptly
Jackson. stovall and Hayes have beer
:" WV Haplt Vi hanging about the depot
AT train time, but that was not corsid.
cred significant, as it Is the custom of q
number OF townspeople at Manila.
Mrs Jackson, wife OF John jackson ais,
was arrested, but at a preliminary hearins
heid this evening she was released. Th,
| examination will be continued tomorrow
The three prisoners are in Jail, having beer
unable to furnish bonds OF $4,000 each.
Ihe authorities says the shoes of tw,
OF the men exactly fit the tracks in IN,
snow at the depot where the safe was car
| ried Off
Detectives Hurry to Iowa.
| CHICAGO Feb. 10.-Detectives of IN,
chicago, Milwaukee g. st. Paul road ant
OF the United States Express compan,
were hurried to points in Iowa near tb,
scene OF the mysterious express robber,
at Manila. the junction OF the Sioux Cit,
e. Omaha branches.
The local officials denied all knowlede,
or the amount secured or the details n
the robbery and asserted that the matter
was in the hands of the officials of IN,
Iowa division.
The safe stolen contained currency mn,
money orders in transit to the Cbicae,
ofhce. 1t was an oblong iron box weiebin,
about 400 pounds.
|