The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-17
THE ROCK ISLAND EXPRESS

Sompany. This sum had been sent nv
chicago bank 10 be delivered at the
principal bank in Davenport Ia. IN
ADDITION 10 the usual passenger
coaches, the train drew two express
cars-the first for express ONLY. lust
pehlhd the engine; and, following this
cue Tor express and baggage These
cars had end doors. which offer the
pest opportunity 10 train robbers. Mes
eehger Nicholas was in the first car.
ana was duly at his work when the
ram stopped at Joliet, a town about
.orIy miles west of Chicago. But at
the next stop, which was made at Nor.
us Harry Schwartz, a brakeman,
Came running from Nichols car. cry
ing: THE messenger is dead"
The messengers lifeless BODY was
round lying on the floor of the car. The
mead had been crushed BY some heavy
weapon, ana there was a pistOl-WOund
~ the right shoulder. Apparently he
had been overcome only after q hard
light His face was set with fierce de-
termination. His fists were clenched.
Hnd the hands and fingers cut and
scratched in a curious way. while un-
DER the nails were found what proved
10 be bits of human flesh The pistol
go
ibcr, but II was not the cause of the
mans death This, unmistakat'y, was
u(le TO the blow. or blows. on the head
Probably after the shot was fired All
no knew Messenger Nichols We're
fstrprlSed al the desperate resistance
he seemed 10 have made for he was a
small, light man. NOT more than five
feet five in height nor Weighing over
SoO pounds, and of no great credit
among his fellows for pluck and cOur-
age
The express car was Immediately de-
tached from the train and left at Nor
fis, guarded by all the train crew eX-
i cept Schwartz. who was sent on with
The train 10 Davenport. After the first
scursory inspection no one was allowed
20 enter the car where Nichols lay and
'Iiothing was known precisely as To the
extent OF the robbery. The safe door
had been found open and the floor OF
the car Uttered with the contents of
/ the safe
An urgent telegram was at once sent
10 Chicago, ana "a force of detectives
ARRIVED NJ Morris on a special train
4 few hours later. Search parties We're
cat once sent out i'm all directions along
zthe country roads and up and down the
tracks. Hundreds of people joined I'm
zthe search. for the news Of the murder
Iepread rapidly through the whole re
etOn, and not "A square gard of terri
Itory for miles between Morris and Mi
sDooka station was left UNEMPLOYED II
happened that the ground was covered
with snow, but the keencSt scrutiny
sSailed 10 reveal any significant foot
prints, and the search parties returned
|aftCT many hours, having made only
H. single discovery. This was a mask
ssOuud in q cattlc-guard near NiEouka
a mask made Of black cloth with
white strings fastened ar either side,
5Cue of which had been torn out of tho
scloth as IT in "a struggle.
Meantime, Mr.. pmkerton himself en-
$tered the car and made a careful in
kestigation. His first discovery was q
sheaVy poker, bearing STAINS Of blood
znnd bits of matted hair II was hang
aAng in its usual place behind the stove
3The significance Of this last fact was
zlgrcat. i'm Mr. Pinkerton'S opinions from
b. ne concluded that the crime had
sbecn committed by q railroad man. his
reasoning being that the poker could
Shave been restored to its usual place
snftcr such a use only mechanically
hand from force OF habit, and that an
.assailant who was not a railroad man
kW0uld have left il on the floor or
Thrown il away.
Coming 10 the safe, Mr.. Pnkerton
q 0und that the go. 900 We're missing. and
NAT other papers had Deen hastily
81 aTChed over, but left behind as value
- Among these was a bundle of can
j eled drafts that had been roughly
oTn open and then thrown aside. Mr..
sPmkerton scarcely noticed at the mo-
sment. but had occasion 10 remember
J. a al 90
1 of these drafts was missing, as if a
.rorner had been torn of.
All the train hands We're immedi-
ately questioned. but none of their
Stories was i'm any way significant. eN-
rent that Of Newton Watt the man
b. charge Of the second car. He said
hat while busy counting over his way
bills and receipts he had been startled
10y the crash of broken glass in the
Iventilator overhead, and that at the
Esame moment "a hcav1Iy built man.
Z hearing a black mask, had entered the
& rar and said: If you move the man
10 there will bore YOU" Looking up.
4 WATT said further. he saw a hand
hrust through the broken glass and
holding "A revolver. Thus inundated
he made no attempt TO give AN alarm.
! sud the masked man presently left him
&Inder guard of the pistol overhead.
(Which covered him until shortly before
he train reached Morris, when it was
sWithdrawn. lie was able TO locate the
olace where the crime must have been
Committed, as ne remembered that the
Engine was whisuing for Mmooka
When the stranger entered the ear.
zrhis left about thirty minutes for the
murder. robbery and escape.
Returning To Chicago. Mr.. Pinkerton
Investigated the character Of the man
Matt, and found that he had a clean
record. was regarded as a trusty and
nicient man. and had three brothers
Who had been railroad men for years
nd had always given perfect Satisfac-
ion. Watts good reputation and
ztraightfOTWard manner were strong
points i'm his favor and yet there was
omething questionable i'm his story OF
zhe mysterious hand. For one thing
s % footprints We're found in the snow
IN the ton of the ear.
8 Bra KEENAN, Schwartz. the only man on
The train who had not vet been Ques-
toned. ''deadheaded" his way. i'm rail-
yav parlance back from Davenport
he following night on Conductor Dan
orth's train, and reported Ia Ar. Pink
Tton the next morning. He was a
4 10 fine-lookins young fellow, about
Il. with thin lips and "a face that
bowed determination. He was rather
apper in dress. and kept on his
loves during the conversation. Mr.
,inkerton received him pleasantly.
nd after they had been smoking and
hating for an hour or so. he suggest
4 10 Schwartz that he would be more
comfortable with his gloves on.
4 chwartz accordingly removed them.
nd revealed red marks on the backs
f his hands. such as might have been
lade by fngernails digging into them |
How did YOU hurt your hands /
,bwartz?" asked Mr., Pmkerton.
"Oh did that handling baggag !