davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

tthcr shares at once. but both were
afraid to trust Pettingill and Howard
with their portions.
The latter were young men upon whom
a sudden and extraordinary success was
likely TO have an untoward effect that
older heads would crafty avoid show
irg. AS Annis expressed it. they would
fash round and say and do things
that might set People to thinking.
1t was finally agreed that the trust
should be temporarily transferred to
Adam Curtis. who should, by the most
ingenious indirectnoss possible, open ne
gotiationS with Mr.. Lord. and that
pending settlement Pettingil and How
ard, each drawing Sl0c on account. should
go quietly to Philadelphia and remain
there until it was safe for them to re.
turn to New York.
They were given power to draw upon
Curtis for more money as it might DE
needed by them. Not the least interest
ing feature of this lart of the transac-
ton is the fact that the small amount
Of cash which Pettingill and Howard re-
ceiVed in this way was all they ever got
for their share in the attempt to dis
burse nearly $2.0O0.00O Of Mr.. Lords
wealth. The Vaccinations of a country
detective, who stumbled into the case.
unbidden and unwelcomed. dissipated
of settlement.
In those days II was held by the fire
departments of the country to be almost
a fupda mental principle Cor. at least, it
was no infraclion of disciplined that in
order to have fire fought with a van
gushing fervor of zeal the best way to do
it WAS to fight it with the aid of firewa-
ter. Hence it could scarcely have been
said that Cart Henry had wholly sepa-
tod y 1t.
when he retired from the command Of cid
Hand Engine No. 13 and opened a fire
mems resort" on Sudbury street, in Bos-
ton.
His saloon was the rendezvous of many
unattached individuals. as well as Of ire
men and well-to-do business men. and
became one of those places in which a
cautious person may from time to time
get valuable bits of Information not a.
ways to be found in the newspapers. A
detective at Boston police headquarters
had been reading such merely speculative
accounts of the Lord robbery as the pa
pers We're able to print and also the ia
nous personal column, in which was a
medium of exchange for thieves in stress,
as well as for some honest people. dis
tressed and otherwise.
The subject was uppermost in his mind
one March morning when, fortuitously
he paid the "firemen's resort" a casual
visit. Capt. Henry asked him. after the
robbery had been well talked over, wheth-
er he would undertake to return the
bonds to Mr. Lord if pat in the way of
securing them. The detective would not
answer directly and referred the ques-
ton. for a ruling on propriety of such An
undertaking, to Chief OF Police Kurtz.
who replied promptly: Get the stolen
property il you can and return it,"
soon after Capt Henry was assured
of what the detectives attitude would
be, stranger called one night at the de-
tective's house in Boston. He declined to
give his name. but stated that friend
In New York had charge of Mr.. Lords
lost property and was anxious to return
II through some safe channel to its right
full owner. The detective said he would
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

arched pipe OF the cylinder stove, stopped
before the open safe. Three large tin
boxes were within his reach. Without
waiting to invest gate further, he seized
one of them and in a moment had passed
out of the office like fleeting wra tn.
At the office door a cloth was thrown
over the box-whioh, had Fettingill been
less considerable. might just as well have
been three boxes as one-and the three
men-Rand, Howard and Petting ll-made
their way, without attracting the slight
est curious attention. to a Broadway bus.
Their acquaintance with each other ap-
peared to have ceased before they board
ed it. They got off at different points
well up town and soon met again in a
the purposes of this enterprise.
Annis did not disengage Mr.. Lord I'M
I'll he felt sure his friends must be we'll
away from Exchange place. He went up
town more leiSurely, and when he re-
Joined them they had broken open the
tin box and were standing over the con-
tents, aghast. They had estimated that
Mr. Lord might we'll afford to divide
some snug sum with them-$1e0,G GOO or so
but nearly $2.00o.0e0! That was too
much.
Mr.. Lords liberality embarrassed
them. He would surely recant and want
most of his bonds back. A general
alarm would be sent out, if it had not
been already given. and BANKERS
throughout the country would be on the
lookout for these particular securities.
A reward was certain to be offered, and
it would be so large that the most venial
police would find it sufficiently profitable
TO warrant them in working in MIR.
Lords sole interest rather than accept
the hazard of dealing the four self
appointed trustees. The boldest fence
would be a dubious security at such a
time From every POINT of view there
WAS a vista of dangers.
The four men sat down upon the flor
and proceeded to separate the boz. Is
into five divisions of as nearly equal
value as possible. Each of the four
present would take his part and the Iifta
share would be claimed by the obserylnt
person who daily passed Mr.. Lords WIN.
dow on his way to Adam Curtis saloon.
They Surmised that in the end the profit
Of the transaction would be found N
working the bonds back into Mr.. Lords
possession.
This would be a delicate undertaking,
for during the process they might either
Lnwittingly reveal their identity or ex>
pose Mr.. Lord to the charge Of COM
pounding n felony through compromising
with the men vino had carried off his
property. They deemed it perilous TO
undertake TO negotiate through the Of
ficers of New York and decided that
SOME one who was supposed to be above
suspicion would have to be selected to
act for them. Annis and Rand wanted
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

him to the hotel and showed him his
prisoner. The marshal was able to tell
a pretty straight story Of the ritIing OF
Mr.. Lords safe. and said he was aware
that there was to be a "whack-up'' and
no prosecution. He then produced the
bonds which Annis had redeemed at the
Nassau street liquor store and which
he had taken from his trunk.
John Young was telegraphed for, and
was soon upon the ground. He refused
point blank TO take Annis back to New
York. declaring that Il would be useless
to do so. as Mr.. Lord was over eighty
years of age. and could not with de-
cency be forced to appear against the
prisoner in court. Westc0tt then refused
liberate him.
Young. in company with the Poston
cfticer went to New York and saw Mr.
Lord and District Attorney Oakley Hall
The latter gave Young a letter setting
forth that there was no necessity of hold
ing the prisoner longer. 9s there was not
sufficient evidence against him. and Mr.
Lord objected to going into court re
district attorney advised the discharge
Of the prisoner. When the communica-
ton was received by Westcott he said
he could hold Annis on the charge Ct
LAYING counterfeit money in his possess
sion. but that he would withdraw from
the case for a consideration. His price
was $3.50
John Young laid the proposition before
Mr.. Lord, who gave check for the
amount. Young cashed 1t. carried the
money to NeWburyport and In the pres
ence of two Boston officers counted out
to Westcott twenty-five 81 900 bills West
colt agreed to turn over to them all the
property found by him in Annis' losses
sion and pledged his honor not to reveal
to anv one a single fact in the case until
he should have received a telegram from
Now York informing him that the final
settlement had been effected.
He could then tell the newspaper report
ers any kind Of story that might please
his fancy and suit his vanity. The i'm
portance Of this comnact lay in the fact
that Adam Curtis had REPEATEDLY declared
that If during the negotiations publicity
We're given his name in any of the details
developed in the process Of settlement,
he would either burn the bonds or carry
them off to Europe. and Mr. Lord would
neVer hear of them again. When Young
and the Boston officers were leaving New
burport with Annis. they told Westcott
he would get the signal of release from
secrecy within three days.
The officers and the thief went that
evening to Ynures hotel in Boston and
took rooms for the night. They awoke
carly next morning to confront another
surprise. and the most serious vet. be-
cause their plans were instantly frus-
trated In the Boston Herald they found
a lang dispatch under date of Newbury-
port March 20. detailing the cleverness
an9 faithfrinFss to duty of Citv Marshal
Vresfrcft IN Interesting himself in the
New York tonf robbery ana arrest -ng one
John Jones. who was on his way from
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

Young suggested subjecting owen Muir
ply to the indignity of the third de-
gree" mo" said Mr., Lord. II will
mot mot allow dlGSCt, you to QUESTION Owen Muir
~ agreed that when the property reach-
ed Boston 1t should pass into the posses
sion of John Young and the Boston Of
fcer. 1t need scarcely ,be said that no
one thought it expedient to inform the
co-trustees' or Adams Curtis that Mr..
Lord would never have, contested their
right to his wealth in Court.
Annis and Rand visited Boston about
this time and Annis Waslobtrusively con-
spicuous in the "firemen's resort" and
elsewhere. Then he returned to New
YORK He had now received his full
snare OF the plumber. as had Rand his.
Inc remainder was under the watchful
eye of Adam Curtis. Annis, being in
need of ready cash, had secured some by
pledg1ng securities worth 50 00o with u
Hebrew receiver OF stolen goods in New
y ork and had borrowed $500 more on
eight I,OOO government bonds from a
man VINO kept liquor store on Nassau
street and whom he had known as the
proprietor of the same kind of a place on
Custom House street in Boston.
he was a man of fine appearance and
stood before the public rs of good repute,
but Annis had confidence in him because
he had had dealings with him in coun-
terfeit money enterprises Having on his
visit to Boston removed the bulk of his
portion of the securities thither and con-
cealed them ir tire tool chest OF {, iendIy
carpenter on Cambridge street. he now
called upon the Nassau street liquor deal
er to recover the eight 81 900 bonds
Never for an instant sUspectinG him of
double dealing. Anuis told him his plans
ana the hour wren ne expected to leave
the city. He even accepted from him scV-
eral IS counterfeit bills for use on n
future occasion: He placed the oigat
bonds in trunk and checked it to Bos-
ton.
When the train left New York there
sat in the seat directly behind that occtI-
pied by Annis man who was Just then
thriving famously by virtue of having
two strings TO his bow. He was marshal
Of the city of Newburyport and n secret
agent of the treasury department of the
government in the pursuit Of counter
letters He did not appear to take anv
interest in the fellow traveller who sat
in front Of him until the train was we'll
within the bounds ofJUne state of Massa-
chusetts. a.
At South Framinghare he abruptly in
timated to Annis that he wished him 20
leave the train at that point and ride
cross country with HIN to Newhuryport
He introduced himself as CITY MARSHAL
Westcott. He stated esGhis reason Zoe
making the arrest his suspicion that
AnDis had counterfefEs1nney in lis pos
session. Arrived at Newb'lryport, the
prisoner was not lodged 7n the city lock-
up but was conducted 10 room In a
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05
EXPANSION IS. PERIODICAL.
Its Observance In Eonrh Quarter of
Last Century Ia the United ntcS.

Its Obsc rTRnce in Enrh Quarter of
Last Century la the United s'nteS.
1t is an interesting fact which every
body may noI have thought 81 that in
each one OF the four quarters Of the past
century q great domain was added 10 tho
territory Of the United States.
/. In the first quarter OF the nineteenth
century our cOuntrys boundaries were
expanded through the louisiana pur-
q In it's second quarter they were
again vastly expanded through our ac-
QUESTIONS from Mexico.
3. In its third quarter there Was vet
another vast expansion through Tie Alas
ka purchase.
d. In Its fourth and last quarter tho
first transmarine enlargement Of terri
tory occurred through the annexation Of
Hawaii, Porto Iico and the Philippines.
]he years cf expansion for the United
States during the past century were 1903
i'm It's first quarter. 1851 In it's second
quarter, 1857 in it's third quarter, and
1878 In its fourth quarter
The Louisiana purchase was brought
about peace fully through the negotiations
OF Mr.. JCfforson win France during his
own pro siGency: and the Alaska purchase
was brought about in like man
rcr through tho resotiltlons Of secretary
Seward " tn Russia during Andr Johu-
sons presidency.
But IL was through war with Mexico
that we acquired a large part 81 her
territory; and il was throug war IN
Spain that we acquired these 81 her over
sea islands. which we now holH.
III the four great acquisitions spoken
Of two were effected under D"mo'-atic
administration and two under Republican
administrations. Ia both Cofcs enc ot
the two acquisitions was peactI Gl ana
one was b. conquest.
The greatest Of any Of our acpT's't ons.
tcrrltorialiy was Alaska; the NEST popi-
lous by far of @ny q thor were inc
Philippines and Porto Rico.
10 reference has been mnie he" 70
tho FloriGa purchase. I" o." f'"fdcn
purchase, or to the result - ''" r"~7-
tiations with England reg 90 ~ the
Oregon boundary.
The American record 0f Tcr.5d -. -
panslnD. oIIug i.t U.1.tt. f. tIiir -.
quarter after Gunit 7 was cot In y a re-
maTlUtDle enc Il VII fDrfn % memorable
chapter in our ccuntry's D. Etlry-
M man C3U "-. r'''-1
t.oth century Wi! bring fotL Perhaps
II may como TO an end with SGT further
enlargement for the TcpulI.'. Perhaps
Il may not zoe any t,..uy.,al cL4HBts
under our faS.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05
OBSERVE

AApwAi & Co. 50 Elm si..N " York
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

not act in the matter In such way as
to come into contact with the New York
officers who were at work upon the case
In consequence of the strangers visit
the detective went over to New York
however, and registered at the I4afarge
Captain John Young called upon him
as soon as he knew he was there and
told him the story Of the robbery The
ONLY defect in the narrative was in the
names. The New York officers were en-
deayoring to fasten 7the' crime upon per-
sons who didn't corihife tit and had never
suspected those WlFss did They were
following false ole~ss@
But in one respecti5Yeung was master
of the situation. HE had exacted q
promise from Mr. AIord that he would
not talk about the ioasee to any one but
him and Capt John, Jordan, who was
at tbs, head of theNew York depart>
of the agreement, he had detectives post
ed in Mr. Lords Office and In his home,
so that no enc could secure an interview
with him The Boston detective returned
home without having q. accomplished a
great deal and not having seen Mr.. Lord.
After the lapse of considerable time
III which no headway1 was made, the
same stranger, whom the detective now
knew to be the alter ego Of Adam Curtis,
called upon MIN az MS HoI-.e again l1S
said his people in New York were will
ing to intrust the whole property to the
Boston officer for safe conduct to it's
owner and would turn 1t ever TO him IL
he would go to New York To receive II.
He again declined to perform any service
within the New York officers field Of
action. But If he found any OF the miss
inc property in the state of Massa-
chusetts, he would undertake, he ex.
planned, to place 1t again in the pos
session Of Mr.. Lord
Curtis alter ego returned to New York
and soon aftePward Capt. Young thought
purpose OF discussing the case anew
with the Boston officer. While the lat
ter did not reveal the names of those he
was in honor bound to protect while
negotiations We're pending. Young new
ertheless gained his first knowledge of
the true situation during his visit and
on returning home he teiegraphed the
Boston detective to meet him in New
York Upon complying with this request
he was introduced by Young to Mr.
Lord. who expressed a willingness to ac-
cept his good offices in enecting the best
possible compromise.
When asked If he wished the guilty
men arrested, Mr.. Lord, who was slow
of speech, but decisive. declared. with
the emphasis Of pause between his
words II don't want them. / was
never in court house but once In my
life and would not go there again for all
that money My housekeeper is going to
leave me and that is frore trouble to mo
than the loss of my bonds"
He had been equally emphatic when
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

stranger, who. after the lapse of a few
minutes. took his departure, having said
that he would call next day.
Thirty-Gvc years have elapsed since
that seemingly trivial circumstance &C.
CURED, but the stranger has not yet re-
turned. Three days after his departure
there was found 10 lie missing from Mr..
Lords safe a tin box, which, when last
invontor,ed by its owner, contained Mr..
Lords viii "a Voluminous document in
book form and government and other
ncgotiat'able bonds amounting in value
no s1,S0),OU
The story Of this remarkable crime is
net 50 mach like ancient history as il
might seem 10 be at the first blush, for
il has ncvcl before been truthfujly de-
tailed 1t las not before been made
known to tho public who perpctratcd the
gigantic robbery nor how many oc the
fugitive bonds and in what manner found
their way lack to the riGed safe in IGX-
change pace.
There Cicd in Brooklyn n few weeks
ago venerable and muca respected citi-
zen, upon whom the dcte ctives Of New
York sought at the time Of the rob-
hery to faston suspicion. and had Mr..
Lord been Euilt NJ less sturdy timber
they wGuid have done So This man
was Owen Murphy, who. from 1851 down
to Dat Il iittc more than year ago.
acted first aS Mr.. Lord S personal agent
ana subs, duortly as agent of the vast
Lord estate. No others than these two.
Rufus Lord ana Owen Murphy, had
riShtfu access TO the safe at the period
III which the robbery occurred.
John Young, captain of the New York
detectives. proposed arrestpg MIR Muir
rny and suhjccting him to the base in
qustorial process then often resorted
10 and known as the third degree" Mr..
Lord cmnha ideally denounced the sug
Eestion If Owen Murphy had wished
to rob me said he che could have
done sn long ago" But Mr. Murphy's
death las ltd to the true story being
now tardny ted.
There lvcs n Boston, in partial ana
comfortable retirement, man who,
though his gears are almost as numerous
as We're thoSn Of Rufus Lord and Owen
Murphy. maintains an unnagging inter
est an Passing events and a lucid recol-
lection Of many that passed long since
lie was dctecJve in the days when
great roihtT,Cs unless committed by the
officials Cf tanks) were more numerous
than they are DOW, ana as he is one Of
thr last. 50 lie was ore Of the best OF
his race JEALOUS, fearless clean, at once
the reliance of honest men OF affairs
and respected among thieves, who knew
his promise, Whether of quarter or Of full
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05
NOW LISTEN!
ST. JAMES ASSOCIATION 227 o st an ss,. Bldg

hotel. The officer had already taken pos
session of Annis's trunk In searching
tie prisoner he found the counterfeit
bills that We're given Annis by his Nassau
street acquaintance.
The Eoston detective was anxiously
awaiting at his headquarters a final word
from New York warning him that a part
of the property was on its way when, I'M
stead, a telegram reached him from tho
Newbury port city marshal The Boston
officer was asked to go there at once. As
he did not connect this request with the
case that was absorbing his attention, he
replied That he was extremely busy and
could no. go. Westcott telegrophed sgl.n,
using the words very important"
still refraining from stating the nature
of his business, made his appeal so urg-
ent that the Boston officer reluctantly
complied with it. Westcott conducted
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

Purely Vegetable. Mild and Reliable.
Cure all disorders Of the Stomach. Liver
and Bowels
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

the saloon were In his baggage West,
colt had received $4,000 for doing an.
parently a million of damage Two
hfths Of the plumber was still in the couu.
try, however. and the detectives deter
mined to save what they could from
the wreck. Annis kept his promise and
the Boston officer had ultimately the
pleasure of turning over to Mr.. Lord as
the net proceeds Of the settlement with
him securities worth S221 900.
Mr.. Lord thanked him. and in MS IN o.
affected way asked him 10 keep the eight
81 600 bonds that WcstcOtt had found I'm
Annis' trunk Rand had disposed Of
some Of the bonds allotted to MIN by
his co trustees on the day Of the rob-
berry. but much the greater part Of them
We're returned in time TO Mr. Lord
A Boston banker named Campbell had
In the course Of speculative dealings with
Rand. accepted S35, go worth Of the bonds
and had pledged son.e ~ them as col
lateral with his New York agents. a
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

retribut:on. to be always equal to his
performance.
Through this man Mr. Lord recovered
so much a part of the contents OF the
Tin box as was worth moro than S22),-
COe. Nor was Mr.. Lord unniindful Of the
value of the service rendered him, for
he asked the detective to keep for his
own use eight bonds of the value Of
$1,000 each. IT. was only the other day
that the old detective fell to talking of
Owen Mlrphys death and of the crime
which the New York detectives would in
vestigate to no better purpose than 10
blast Owen Murphy's honorable career.
and then. naturally. of the men who took
the tin box from Rufus lords safe and
hew they did it. Gradually the whole
story unfolded.
Mr.. Lords Office was on the ground
floor OF the building and consisted of a
large single room. The table at which he
usually sat stood in front OF a window
that looked out upon another street and
at right angles to it. The window was
opposite the Exchange place entrance,
and the table was in line between them.
The safe, in which Mr.. Lord Unwisely
kept his great store of securities stood
in the corner farthest from the entrance
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05
HOTTIE TREHTHENT

New York to Boston with $215, 900 Of the
stolen property in his possession when
captured
had offered a reward OF 500 900 for the
recovery OF the bonds and added: MAR
shall Westcott has attained a high posi-
ton by this act and earned a reward
which places him among our rich men,"
Jones the dispatch concluded, had left
Newburyport in the custody Of two de-
tectiVes for New York, where he would
be tried. This yellow message was well
promulgated by the Associated Press
and was read in New York while 1t was
being read in Boston
Adam Curtis was as good as his word
he was on his way to Europe The Pet
tingill and Howard portions and that
of the cbservant person who had passed
: Mr.. LORD window daily on his way to