Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-03

through the night but lying there fully
dressed. with weapons ready, was a Pinker-
ton detective, whose instructions were TO
accompany the three. robbers as long as
they We're together and to stay with Proc
tor to the last.
1t was ; o'clock in the morning when
the train drew up at Island Pond. On the
platform stood Robert Pinkerton, carrying
requisition from the governor of Pennsyl-
vania on the governor of Vermont for the
arrest of Donahue, Collins and Proctor,
charged with robbing the United States Ex-
press Company of $4,000 at Susquehanna.
Pa. The first man TO leave the train was
the shadow" who informed his chief that
Proctor was sound asleep in berth No. II.
Donahue and Collins, he said. had left the
train long before ii reached the last sta
ton on the Canadian side so that the plan
for their capture had fallen through. Mr..
Pinkerton went aboard the sleeper at once,
and going to berth No. u, pushed aside the
curtains. He could not see distinctly for
the darkness. but borrowing a lantern from
one of the trainmen. let the light fall on
the face of the person within, and saw IL
was Proctor, slumbering in complete un-
consciousness that his hour of reckoning
had come. gentle push In the ribs awak-
ened him with start. Recognizing Mr.
Pinkerton, he said with admirable GOODNESS:
You have spoiled The whole business. If
you had not come In here to arrest me,
would have had those men across the line
next week"
When he said this, Proctor supposed that
Donahue and Collins were asleep In an a4
joining berth; but, even to save himself, H.
never thought of betraying them. which
goes to show that he was 'stancher" man
than Donahue and Collins had been led to
believe. For some time he endeavored to
maintain his old character with Mr.. Pfnker-
tom but on the way to Susquehanna, realiz-
ing the hopelessness of his case, he ac-
knowIedged the deception he had practiced.
and his full responsibility with the others IN
the Susquehanna robbery. He also admitted
n csrat.a long .rir final
X
At Susquehanna, Proctor was placed In
Jail to await trial, and there Mr. Pinkerton
visited him some time later. Something
in the prisoners manner convinced the DE-
tectiye that all was not as Ii should be, and
he urged the sheriff to put Proctor In an
other cell and search his clothes and his
cell thoroughly. This was done, and there
were found a number OF keys that fitted
the locks of various doors In the jail, ana
also large key fitting the gate from the
jail yard into the street. Proctors rare
mechanical skill had enabled him to make
these keys in his cell, from Impressions fur
nished him by a woman who had been al
lowed to visit him. Being a good talker.
Proctor had won this woman's sympathy.
and had also made strong appeal TO her
self-interest by promising, on his escape, 70
share with her large sum of money he had
buried
At his trial Proctor pleaded guilty, and
ment in the penitentiary at Cherry Hill.
Pa. Here, again, he was caught in the act
of making keys to aid him to escape. He
laid various other plans for regaining his
liberty indeed but all were frustrated His
Imprisonment worked no reform In him.
After he had served out his sentence, some
burgIaries committed in Maine brought him
again under arrest and, having been iden-
tilted as a convict from the Massachusetts
state prison, he was taken back To that
institution, to serve out his unexpired SEN
tence
Donohue and Collins returned TO Montreal
well satisfied with the work they had done
and thinking themselves safe from pursuit.
AS Donohue coVd not be reached and pun
ished for the robbery at Susquehanna, he
should be made TO suffer for the early rob-
barry at Quebec, already referred to. he
was now arrested and on trial was con-
yicted and sentenced to five years inpris-
onnent In the Kingston penitentiary.
AS for Collins, he remained a fugitive
from justice for some time after the con-
ylctlon OF Proctor and Donahue. Several
years later, however, seeing himself con-
stansly threatened by the express company
and lie detectives he decided to placate his
sisrs*es hy ssepr<as plt from the ranks OF
tlle 'awbfea}sa ana trying 10 lead "a
hoS5eSk ii<f~ Ard he 11n4 <ucceedef. 81 th1
<<fI6u6 HnXns <<@51cu ~ + CT