The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-17
MYSTERY SURROUNDS LOSS
Agent Got Ner vOus and Took
Money From Office.
Started at Night for Hotel in Ken
lucky Town and Turned Up
Ten Miles Away With
Peculiar Story. =

Louisville, KY, Aug. ia special te
Tue Times from greensboro, KY, says:
The agent of the American EXPIRES:
Company at Fordsville, was robbed OF
$4,000 last night under peculiar circum
stances j. w. Roatner. who shipped tn,
money to Fordsyille. is under arrest al
Irvington and ]. c. Schlitzbaum, tn,
agent OF the company. is being held al
Falls of Rough.
Several days ago, a man giving hi.
name as j. w. Boatner,, of Memphis
Tenn. appeared at the-office of the Anne,
can Express Company at Deasleld, five
miles from Fordville, and wanted Il, ex.
press $4,000 TO the latter point Boatnel
TOOK receipt for II and then the agent
remembered that sc was allowed to shir
only 5000 at one time and made him take
the cash back. Boatner kept the none,
until last night, when 1t was sent &c
Fordnville by express, where 1T arrived
late last night. The express agent, II
Is said, informed a number of people
that the money had arrived. 1t was no,
put in bank as Mr. Boatner sent word
that he would be theme early this morn
ing.
This morning Schlitzbaum turned UT
at Falls of Rough, ten miles away, He
stated that he was held up. robbed and
kidnapped during the night He first de-
cided TO stay at the depot all night, he
says. but finally got nervous and started
to the hotel, which is only one square
away. Between the two places he was
set upon and robbed of the money by
three men.
His story is that they forced him 10
go with them in order that he should
not give the alarm and cause them to
be followed. There was no train out of
town and they forced him to walk with
them to Falls of Rouh. where they
dropped him and went on their way.
Boatner claimed to be from Memphis.
and said he intended to buy large body
of mineral land at Deanfield But when
he fn,tnG tina: II did not suit him he
changed ! Is nd aud WAS going to buy
near F'oraseilie
The express people and the officers be-
lieve the whole affair was conspiracy
to defraud the American Express Com
pany out of $4,000. Boatner is now I'M
der arrest at Ellington. Ky.
The money was placed I'm a package and
sealed in the express office in this city
and addressed to j. II. Boatner, Fords-
vile. Boatner was present at the time,
paying Agent Burch $14 charges. After
he left. the express office he called up
the agent at Fodhville, ever the tele-
phone. stating that the money would be
out on the next Illinois Central train and
that he would call for it that night and
be sure not to put in any bank, but
to place in a safe. Burch. the agent
here. knew nothing about this latter
transaction. Boatner did not call for
the money. giving as an excuse that he
was drunk.
Boatner has the American Express
Company's receipts for $4,000. AS soon
as the robbery was made known to Agent
Burch he at once called UP Mr.. Hodgin.
the president at st. Louis who notified him
to have Boatner arrested. When arrest
ed the money was not found on his per-
son.
Boatner refuses to give any history of
his family record other than he came
from South America and that his father
gave him the $4,000 which he had won on
races.
While here Boatner drank freely. He
is about % years of age and wore glasses.
a red neck tie and low cut shoes. His
hair was brown and his mOustache of
darker hue. His general manner indi-
Gated that he was educated and refined
Memphis. Tenn, Aug. 16-J. II. Boat
ner, claiming to be from Memphis is
not known in this city.