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

ing no contents. ne had thrown il out
on an ash pile. The only thing he had
found IN the valiSc was a piece of
paper that attracted his attention be-
cause IT was marked with red lines.
Examining this piece of paper care
fully, Mr., Piukerton saw that il had
been torn from "A money draft and at
once thought of the package i'm the
messenger express safe. Now il IS
remarkable fact that no human
power can tear two pieces of paper in
exactly the same way; the ragged
tibers viii only nit perfectly when the
two original parts are brought to-
eethcr. There remained no doubt,
when this test was made I'm the pres
ent case, that the piece of paper found
ON Conductor Danforth's castbOund
train had been torn from tire draft
I'm the express car robbed the night
before ON the westbOund train The
edges fitted, the red lines coTesponded,
and unqueS tionaDly some one had car
ried that piece of paper from the one
train TO the other. In other words.
some one connected with the crime OF
the previous night had ridden back To
Chicago twenty-four hours later with
Conductor Danforth
Mr.. Pinkerton at once ordered a
search made for the missing valise,
and also an inquiry concerning the
passengers who had ridden on Con-
ductor DanfOrth's train between Dav-
export and Chicago on the night fol-
lowing the murder. The VaIise was
found on the ash-heap where the con-
ductOr had thrown il, and in the course
of the next few days the detectives
aa oil
sengers on Conductor DanfOrth's train.
with the exception of one man who had
ridden ON a free pass The conductor
could only recall this mans features
vaguely; and while some of the pas
seugers remembered him we'll enough,
there was no ciew 10 his name or iden-
THY. As il appeared that no other of
the passengers could have been con-
neCted with the crime. efforts We're re
doubled 10 discover the holder of this
pass.
So great was the public interest in
the crime and the mystery surround
ing II that three separate. well-organ-
lZed Investigators of IL were under
taken. The Rock Island railroad Off
Gals. with their detectives. conducted
one; Chicago newspaper with its de-
tectlNes, another, ami the PinkertOns,
in the interest of the United States
Express company. O. third.
Mr.. Ptnkerton. as we have seen. con-
cluded that the crime had been COM
mitted by railway men. The railway
officials were naturally disinclined to
believe IN of the employees. and an in
cideut occurred about This time which
turned the investigation i'm an entirely
new direction and made them the more
ID
theory. This was the receipt of a letter
from a convict in the Michigan City
penitentiary, named Plunkett, who
wrote the Rock Island railroad officials
saying that he could furnish them with
important information.
Mr.. 81, John, the general MANAGER
OF the road, went in person 10 the
penitentiary 10 take Plunkett's state
ment' which was in effect that he knew
the men who had committed the rob
berry ana killed Nichols. and was
willing 20 sell this information in ex-
change for "a fun pardon. which the
railroad people could secure by using
their influence. This they promised 10
do if his story proved true, and
Plunkett then told them OF plot that
had been worked out a year or so be-
fore, when he had been grating"
with mob" of pickpOckets at county
fairs. There was with him at that
time Butch" Mccoy, James Connors
(knoWn as 'YellOWhammer'O and
man named 'Jen.' whose surname he
did not know. These three men.
Plunkett said. had planned an express
robbery on the Rock Island road. TO be
executed in precisely the same way.
and at precisely the same point on the
road. as the case in question.
The story was plausible. and won
Mr. St. Johns belief. II won the be-
lief. also, of Mr.. Melville Z. Stone,
publisher Of the Chicago newspaper:
and forthwith the railway detectives.
working with the newspaper detec-
tiNes. We're instructed to go ahead on
new lines, regardless of trouble or ess
pense Their first endeavor was 10
capture Butch" Mccoy, the leader Of