The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-24

b A r Susquehanna, Pa. are located
Ha the great shops Of the Erie
railroad, where 1900 men
work throughout the year
~ These men receive their wages
on a fixed day toward the enc
Of each month, the pay roll amounting
TO many thousands Of dollars 1T was
customary, 2 8 years ago, for the com
pany to have a sum Of money su1nclenC
Gor this purpose shipped from ~ eW
York By express a day or two before
the date when the wages were to be
paid. Following out this practice on
the night Of June 20, 1888, the Marine
national bank, of New York shipped
by the United States Express company
a sealed package containing $4,000
Tor the Erie Railroad company, in care
Of the First national bank of Susque-
hanna The package contained United
States currency and bank notes, al
most entirely ia small bills, none larger
than $40.
The usual precautions were observed
In shipment, trusted clerk OF the Ma
rine bank carrying the package TO the
express company Once ana taxing d.
receipt for 1t from tn e money clerk,
who examined it first to make sure that
the seals of the bank were intact and
that in all respects 1T presented q cor
rect appearance Having satisfied
himself on these points. the money
clerk placed the package in one Of the
canvas pouches used by the United
States Express company, sealed 1t
carefully with the company private
seal and attached tag bearing the
address of the cOmpany's agent at Sus-
quehanna.
After a brief delay the pouch was
delivered to Express Messenger Van
Wagenen. who saw it placed in one Of
the small iron safes used by express
companies fin conveying money from
city to city. The messenger rode with
the safe to the train. and then remained
on guard In the express car, where the
safe was placed. as far as SusQuenanna
at which point he delivered the pouch
TO Dwight Chamberlain. a night clerk
and Waterman IN the joint employ Of
the Erie railroad and the United States
express company. The train left New
York at six D. m, and reached Susque-
hanna about midnight.
Watohman Chamberlain having re-
ceived the pouch at the station, carried
Sit into the ticket Office and locked 1t in
side a safe belonging to the Erie rail-
road company He remained on duty
the rest of the night, and at seven
o'clock the next morning a messenger
from tho First national bank Of Sus-
Quehanna came to get the package
Chamberlain unlocked the safe.
and then emptied its contents on
the table. To his great surprise,
the package containing the $40
600 was gone. and in It's place were
several puAule5 OF mania paper cut
to the size Of bank bills and done up
in small packages as money is done up
The agent Of the company, Clark
Evans. was imm ediately notified, and
he at once telegraphed the news Of the
robbery to the officials Of the United
States Express company in New York.
who with very little delay placed the
matter IN the hands of the Pinkerton
Detective Agency. The direct super
vision Of the work was undertaken by
the late George Il Bangs. at that time
general superintendent Of the Pinker-
ton Agency, and a force OF detectives
at once started for Susquehauna.
An important discovery was made on
closer examination Of the pouch. It
was found that this pouch was not the
one that had been sealed I'D in the ex-
press Office in New z ork, but bogus
pouch. so much Ike the other that the
change might easily have escaped no
tice. The chief points OF difference
were the tag and the seal. the former
having been addressed IN a different
hand from that Of the New York
money clerk. and the latter being an
old seal not in use by the company at
that time But the general appear
ance Of the pouch was such that