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

| tnan the keeper of a hotel. He found
: nm an entertaining companion, Il good
/ slory-teller and singer of comic songs
/ and very generous with his money
They came TO see much of each other
/ and after PrOctOr's removal to Sus-
quehanna they kept up an occasional
correspondence. Proctor. having a
monthly pass over the Erie railroad
and being able to procure passes on
other roads. made several trips 20 Fort
Erie always stepping at Donahue's no.
| tel On one of these visits he CHANGED
To read aloud to his friend the news
paper account of a clever robbery i'm
Montreal. where a band of sneak
thieves had robbed a paymaster of a
/ sum of money he had i'm a bag 10 pay
off employees. This turned the CONVEX
sation to criminal exploits. aud Proctor
related the circumstances Of the eX-
press robbery AT Susquehanna some
years before DOnahue showed great
Interest and inquired how il happened
that the express company had so large
sum of money at Susquehanna. Proc
tor explained about the extensive rail-
road shops there and Incidentally re-
marked that the same system of pay
ing the hands was still i'm practice. Don
ahue then requested Proctor 10 ascer-
tain for HIM how much was being
shipped each month at that time, tho
day of shipment, the train. the kind OF
safe used on that train. and full de-
tails about The lOck-WhetheT opened by
combination on a key. DOnahue pro-
fessed that his only motive in seeking
this information was curiosity and
Proctor promised TO learn what he
could
II was about a fortnight after this
that the two men met again. Proctor
having secured all the facts about the
monthly transfer of money from New
York 10 Susquehanna. These ne con-
tided TO Donahue, who seemed greatly
pleased at The report. He showed
proctor the greatest attention. spend
ing money freely. Then he pressed
Proctor with further questions, asking
how the money was wrapped up, what
kind OF a pouch il was carried IN. and
SO on. Finally he came out bluntly
with the opinion that Proctor was a
fool 10 waste his time working in a
dirty shop when he might be living in
luxury. Then. seeing that the foreman
took no great umbrage at this sugges-
ton, ne asked him if he could get an
impression of the safe key, and also
one of the key to the door of the ticket
office. After some show Of reluctance,
Proctor finally consented 20 tIy.
Returning 10 Susquehauna, Proctor
took advantage of his friendship with
employees about the ticket office to get
possession of the keys long enough to
take he desired impressions, and these
he mailed 10 DOnahue, in whose service
he was now fully enlisted. DOnahue
wrote back, expressing satisfaction,
and saying that he and another man,
named Collins. had paid a secret visit
To Susquehanna, and had found every
thing as Proctor had represented. 4
little later Proctor went 10 Canada
again, and was introduced TO Collins.
At this meeting it was arranged that
DOnahUe should procure a canvas bag
like the one used by Che express COM
pany. and that a dummy money pack
age should be placed inside. so that q
substitution might De effected ON the
arrival Of the next shipment. Proctor
was 10 take no active part i'm the rob
berry, but was instructed TO return home
and continue at his work. showing no
concern. whatever happened
IF there's an earthquake at Susque-
hanna when payday comes around, you
don't know anything about ii. do YOU
understand" Such was the final order
given to Proctor, and he Obeyed it i'm
plicitly.
y month passed and. hearing nothing.
Proctor went 10 Canada again, and had
another talk with his two confederates
They told him that they had gone to
Susduehanna prepared 20 do the Job, -
but had learned, accidentally that the
money that month had been sent in
gold which would have been too heavy
for them to carry away, and they had
therefore decided TO wait until a month
later
This was in May and the following
month the robbery occurred. Two
weeks later Proctor Went 10 Canada
and received Sll,000 as his share of the
plunder. DOnahue and Collins ex-
planned TO him that he did not receive
more because they had been obliged to
give fourth share 20 another man who
had worked with them. They eau
toned him not to spend a dollar of the
stolen money for months to come, as
the detectives would be always on the
lookout for suspicious circumstances.
They also advised him to continue at