The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-03-18
CONVICT "sALTED" $4,000
Just Finished q Sentence Far Rob-
bling an Express Company.
Only 80 Of the Loo Has Been Rseoy.
cred. while the Thief Hss Main
taiEed . Coa,pIets Silence.

Houston, Texas.-Charles A. Beeler.
who robbed the wells-F Fargo Express
Company Of $4,000 ut San Antonio
four years ago. has been released from
the State Penitentiary. after having
served out his sentence Of five years.
with time allowed for good conduct de-
Quoted.
Becler ought to have about $500 0
Of the stolen money on hand. or should
know where II Is concealed.
Only so Of the large sum stolen was
found on his person at the time he was
arrested. but this was the sum total Of
all that was recovered. The money IL
supposed to be safely hidden. or resting
In the hands Of some unknown accom-
pIice. who Is expected to turn a large
portion of 1t owe to Beeler when he re-
gains his liberty.
1t Is known that the defraudcd ex.
press company has engaged detectives
to watch every movement OF Eee!er,
from the time he leaves the prison
doors. with a view to locating the sto-
len money. or at least some portion Of
Ii. After Beeler was convicted the
company sued him and obtained judg-
ment for S:jO.OOO.
Charles 4. Beeler had been with the
Wells : Fargo Express Company for
many years. working up from an Insig-
nificant post.
The funds referred to. amounting to
$50 600. consisted of n shipment Of
cash from Houston to San Antonio. and
was to be used In paying OF the en-.
ployes Of the Southern Pacific Railroad
west Of that city. 1t was consigned to
tile paymaster there.
Beeler took the money package from
the office safe. duly receipted for 1t.
and drove away. ostensibly to deliver
1t to the paymaster. whose car was to
go west later In the day.
1t was early In the morning when
Beeler left with the $50. 900 In his us
tody. That was the last seen Of him.
At first 1t was supposed that the deliv-
cry had been made. Toward the mid.
die of the afternoon the paymaster
called up the express Office and asked
that the money be sent over immedi-
ately. as his car was ready to proceed
on the westward trip.
At dusk the wagon and team OF the
delinquent and trusted employe were
brought to headquarters by m old ne
gro who had found tie Eorses still at
tacled to the vehicle. quietly grazing
in a chapparal thicket west Of the city.
After n long search on the part Of the
officers Beeler was located and arrest.
ed In Mexico. duly extradited and land.
ed In jail in San Antonio. Excepting
the $40 mentioned above no trace OF
the enormous sum Of money that dis
appeared with BeeIer was ever found.
When the trial came up Beeler took
a short cut to avoid the legal probing.
and pleaded guilty to embezzlement.
The jury assessed his punishment at
I've years In the ~penitentiary.
After DOMINIC the stripes Beeler con.
tInued to keep his W counsel. dis.
charged the arduous duties put upon
him without q murmur and secured all
the communication time possible on the
contingency Of good behavior. The
demands Of the criminal law have been
met. and the prison doors gave exit to
a rich man.
Beelar has steadfastly refused to
even discuss the theft Of the money
with officials Of either the express COM
pany or the law. and has returned
threats and entreaties alike with smiles
Of derlsion and with IN indifference
that has been tantalizing.