The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-03

this was not the case and that the
pouch had been stolen by some per-
son or persons resident in Susque-
hanna, presumably by one or more Of
the railroad employees who had access
10 the office OF by persons intimately
acquainted With some of the men who
had the keys to the safe.
Shadows" were nut on all persons
who might have had access TO the
ticket office and the safe; but al
though this was continued for weeks,
nothing conclusive came To- light
About This time q reorganization OF
The PinkcrtOn agency became neceS-
sary, through the death Of Allan Pink
cTtOR, the founder and George II.
Bangs, the general superintendent,
and Robert Pmkertou assumed charge
of the Investigation at SuSquehanna.
He undertook the difficult task of pick
ing out one guilty man COR possibly
two or three from a body of 1900 work
men. For despite of lack Of evidence
either way, there was no doubt IN the
detectives mind that the money had
been taken by some of the employees of
either the express or the railroad COM
pany. Pinkerton men We're taken ~
Susquohauna and given employment in
various positions for the raliroad ari
express companies. their duty being 10
make friends and hear gossip, and, if
possible, in dO uuguurdcd moment. AT
some saloon or boarding house. on per-
haps "a [ the Chatty noon hour i'm the
works. secure some important cecrct.
Other detectives came with monc.r in
their pockets, and, under the guise of
sporting men. made themselves popular
ut resorts where q Door man come dis
honestly and suddenly into money
would be apt 10 spend il.
Day after day, month after month.
the watch was continued from many
points of view. the conversations Of
hundreds of WOrkmen were carefully
noted, the gambling houses and their
inmates were kent under constant
scrutiny. the lives of this man and
that man and scores of men We're
turned inside out. and all without any
one in Susquehanna suspecting it. the
general opinion being that the robbery
had been put aside along with many
other msolyed mysteries.
A who'll" year passed before any
promise of success came TO cheer the
express company and the patient de-
tectlVes. Ia the Summer of 1854 Robert
Pfnkert6a. having received Information
that q professional burglar. who had
been arrested some weeks preYiO Cor
burglary at Milwaukee. had want sble
information about an express robbery,
Immediately joumeyed from New York
To Milwaukee to interview the man. He
learned from the burglar that some
years before he had operated with
man named John DOnahue; that about
the time of the Susquehanna robbery
Donahue had been away from home,
ana that shortly after the robbery he
had returned With plenty of money and
paid of several old debts. Mr.. Pinker-
ton at once recognized i'm DOnahue a
notorious thief VINO, 20 escape justice,
had taken up his residence at Fort
Erie, Canada, where he had opened a
hotel
The burglar also gave Mr.. Pinkcrjon
description of a man who had visited
Donahue al his hotel on several occa-
sions, and who had the general appear
ance of a workman. He suspected that
this man had been in some way con-
cerned with DOnahue in the SuSque-
hanna robbery; he knew that he had
resided at one time IN Buffalo, y. Y,
and worked i'm the shops there. and he
thought that he might be then living IN
SusQueh4nHa. PA.
From the description Mr. Pmkerton
was able, on going 10 Susquehanna, TO
identify the suspected man with one
George II. Proctor. who had formerly
ny's shops. but had resigned his posi-
Jion some months before and moved to
Buffalo. In the investigation that was
at once begun il was found that Proctor
had recently been Specializing largely
I'm oil and spending money freely, al
though while living In Susquehanna he
was known To have had no resources
besides his salary. il was learned fur
Their that Proctor had deposited money
with three Buffalo banks and had ac-
counts with various firms of brokers.
and also that he was paying frequent
visits 10 gambling houses and i'm gen
eral leading a fast life. Proctor's de-
posits il was learned. had at one time
10 about Sli GOO, but most OF
this sum had been subsequently drawn
out and lost i'm speculation.
All of this was strong presumptive
evidence against q man who was
known 10 have been Door a few months
before, and a moIe significant discovery
was made a little later. when Proctor
went on a trip To Canada, evidently on
important business. The detective who
followed him found that the men with
whom he had dealings. and with whom
he passed nearly the whole time of his
visit We're professional thieves. we'll /
known to the police,
In view Of all that had come to light !
it was decided to effect ProCtOr's ar
rest This was made easy by his habit /
of coming 10 Susquehanna every few
weeks to see his wife and three chill |
dren, who had remained there, During
these visits 10 had been remarked that
he was especially intimate with en-
plOyes OF the railroad ana express COM
panics who We're connected with the /
ticket office.
Al uususpfciouS of the danger that
him. Proctor took the train /
from Buffalo on the night of Saturday /
Nov. Is. with a ticket for SuSquehanna. 7
Word was at once telegraphed 10 Rob |
ert Pinkerton, who I'm company with L. |
W Mitchell, superintendent of the |
United States Express company. start |
ed for Susquehanna. reaching there |
Monday morning. They learned that |
Proctor was still in town, but keeping |
very closely 10 his house II was not |
until 10 o'clock in the evening that he |
appeared on the street, his purpose in |
going out being TO purchase some gro |
ceries AS he came from the store Rob- |
ert PinkertOn stepped forth from his |
place of waiting and took him into GUS /
tOdy. lie was taken 10 private house, ]
where AIR Plnkerton passed nearly the /
whole night in conversation with him. |
Before daylight Proctor had made what |
purported 10 be a full confession.
Proctor stated that he had moved TO /
Susquehanna ~ 1880, having resided ia /
Buhalc' previous TO that time. While /
in Buffalo he had occasionally of b
Sunday visited Fort Erie, Canada. and
there had made the acquaintance of
J0hn Donahue. At first ne did not !,
know that Donshue was anything more |