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

berry, but was instructed to return
home and continue at his work, show
ing no concern, whatever happened.
If there's an earthquake at Susque-
hanna when payday comes around,
you don't know anything about It, do
you understand % Such was the final
order given TO Proctor, and he obeyed
it implicitly
A month passed, and. hearing moth
ing, Proctor went to Canada again,
and had another talk with his two
confederates. They told him that they
had gone to SusQuehanna prepared to
do the Sob but had learned, acct
dentally, 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 to Canada,
and received 81, 200 as his share Of
the plumber Donahue and Collins ex-
planned to him that he did not receive
more because they had been obliged
to give a fourth share to another man
who had worked with them. They
cautioned him not to spend a dollar
Of the stolen money for months to
come, as the detectives would be al
ways on the lookout for suspicious
circumstances. They also advised him
to continue at his work. under no cir
cumstances giving up his position
within a year.
Proctor had strictly followed these
suggestions, living and working as he
had done before the robbery, and not
spending any part of his portion.
Having changed the money into large
bills and sealed it up in a fruit-jar,
so that the moisture could not injure
it. he buried the jar head downward
in his garden. There it remained IN
touched for months. But when the
set in, he dug up the jar, and taking
the money to Buffalo. deposited 1t in
three banks, in the name Of his wife
and his three children, with himself
in each instance as trustee.
Although his trade became very irB-
some to him now that he had a small
fortune in his possession, he prudent
~ stuck to 1t until June, 1884. Then,
year having elapsed since the rob-
berry. he decided that it would be safe
for him to launch out into pleasanter
life. He accordingly went to Buffalo,
where he entered into oil speculations
with a friend who claimed to have
inside Information" from the Stand
ard OIL company. Although fortunate
at the start, the failure of Grant &
Ward brought them heavy losses, and
soon their profits and their original
capital were swept away. Proctor
assured Mr.. Pinkerton that, at the
time of their talk. he was ruined. and
mat he ndQ 4ntGnQEQs curing TINS very
visit to Susquehanna which ended in
his arrest, making application for his
old position as foreman Of the boiler
shops
Having heard Proctor's confession,
MI P1nkerton took counsel with the
officers of the express company. They
believing that Proctor had been only
a tool in the hands Of two smart pro
fessiOnal criminals, agreed with the
detective that the ends of Justice de-
I a . ~
confederates than his punishment
alone. Proctor protested great peni-
tence for his wrongdoing, and declared
! himself willing to do whatever was in
/ his power to make amends.
The first step necessary to the cap
/ ture Of Donahue and Collins was to
( get them both into the United States
4 at some point where they could be
! arrested at the same time. Donahue
was still in Canada, where he could
not be taken. Mr.. Pinkerton ar
ranged with Proctor to write to Dona-
4 hue that he had discovered another
safe which offered a tempting oppor-
/ tunity, hoping in this way to induce
/ him to cross the line into the United
] States To give color to the story ii
/ was necessary to accord Proctor appar-
/ eIlt freedom of movement; but he
pledged himself not to leave Susque-
hanna without Mr.. Pinkerton's permits
sion. and to keep the detective informed
4 by letter and telegraph of all develop
ments. At the same time detectives
were sent to Canada to keep watch over
/ Donahue.
Collins in the meantime. had beer
/ located in Albany, but no attempt was
made to arrest him until Donahue
could be brought over the line. Should
he cross without notifying Proctor, the
men "shadowing'' him were to cause
his arrest. It was arranged with Pros
tor that, In case his letter failed Of its
/ purpose, he should go to Canada him
self, persuade Donahue to send for Col
Inns, and then induce the two to come
/ back with him, when they would be ar
rested the moment they crossed the
! line
on the 29th Of November Rober
PinkertOn received word by telegraph
/ that Proctor had left SusQu ehanna sud
/ denly in the night, telling the agent o,
the express company that he would re-
turn the next day. This looked very
much as If Proctor had played hin
false, since It had been expressly stipu-
lated that he should not go away with
| out Mr.. PinkertOn's permission. Day
went by. and Proctor did not return
Then word came from one of the Pink
erton men at Fort Erie that Proctor
had arrived at Donahue's hotel and hac
been Joined there by Collins. This wa.
a serious setback for the detectives
Not only we're the three robbers safe
from arrest where they were, but being
fully aware OF the danger threatening
them. and being men of shrewdness i
was fair to presume that they would
now move with great caution.
It soon became evident that Dona
hue and Collins were thoroughly
alarmed by the news that Proctor ha(
brought them: for they at once tool
energetic steps to mislead anyone wht
might be watching them. Having re
tired as usual one night, they aros'
later, and drove in wagon to a sta
ton on the Grand Trunk railroad
where they boarded a freight train TO
Toronto. After a brief stay in tina
city they went on to Montreal. wher
they tried hard to lose themselves, bu
We're unsuccessful and returned t.
Fort Erie.
Meanwhile Mr.. Pinkerton discovers
that the story told him by Proctor wa
entirely untrue So far from having
| been an honest man before the rob
berry, it came to light that he was al
raa lw At IT, Elll.a h I'd nd -..-.-,- !