The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-24

the real one while the two messengers
were going up the stairs. He did not
make this attempt until he saw the
bank detective, McDougals turn back
up Broadway. Crawford said that ne
managed It so as to preceue klafi6 IA
going up the stairs, which gave Bowen,
who was standing at the first turn IN
the shadow, an opportunity 10 open
the satchel and quickly make the sub
st1tutiOn. Crawford declared that me
conspirators gave him only $2,5Oe as
his share of the booty, although prom
Using him more. This sum he put IN
two envelopes and sent to his aunt,
the one to whom he afterWard in
trusted the package supposed TO con-
tain gloves.
Crawford stated further that Brown
and Bowen, having been forced to nee
the country, sent him word from
Paris, some time later. in letter
written by Mrs. Brown, that the great
er part of the stolen money had been
buried in a flower bed in the southeast
corner of a yard on West Thirty eighth
street, and asked him to dig it up and
send ii to them. A remarkable fact
ferred to on West Thirty-eighth street
belonged to the house Of the friend
and benefactor with whom Crawford
was living at the time Of the robbery.
Crawford claimed to have carried
out these instructions, and deposited
the package of money taken from the
flower bed in the safe-deposit vaults in
the Fifth Avenue Hotel building,
where. as a matter Of fact he was
known to have rented a box. He gave
as his reason for not sending the
money to Paris that he was in trouble
himself. being Under constant surveil-
lance, and thought it best to keep the
money. secreted for the time. He ad-
mitted that he had carried this money
with him to Honduras and that it was
the same found on his person by the
detectives. By his description Of
Brown and Bowen. the former was a
man about 25 years old, Of slight build
and light complexion, while the latter
was ten years older, two or three
inches taller. with a sandy mustache
and very fat hands. Mrs. Brown
Crawford described as about 25 years
old, a blonde. with regular features.
He had no idea what had become Of
these people since he left America,
having had no further communications
with them. None Of the alleged con-
spirators has ever been found, and
they are believed to be purely mythi-
cal
Detective Hotchliss also had an in
tervieW with Mike Neiland, Craw-
ford's companion in flight, who de-
scribed his first meeting with Craw-
ford at his boarding house in San Pc
dro. and acknowledged that he had de-
liberately frightened Crawford into
running away by his story of the pur-
SUNG detectives. t1G described T06lT
adventures and hardships in trying to
escape over the rough country, the diff
6culties they experienced in buying
mules, their sufferings from exposure
in the swamps, and finally their cap
ture by the soldiers Neiland said
that Crawford gave him $4,000 in $50
bills, and also allowed him to carry. a
part of the time. a large package
wrapped IN oil-cloth paper and sewed
up tightly Crawford had told him to
Il -
let anyone capture it; for, he said, 1t
contained money which would send
him to prison if found upon him.
AS they pushed along in their fight
Crawford declared repeatedly that he
would put an end to his life rather
soldiers surrounded them he drew his
revolver and tried to blow his brains
out One OF the soldiers, however,
was too quick for him, and struck the
weapon out of his hand. After the
capture Crawford vainly tried to bribe
the guards to let him escape, offering
them as much as $4,000. When the
large package was opened, 1t was
found to contain bundles of bills sewed
together with black thread, and with
about dozen rubber bands wrapped
around them, and a stout covering Of
buckskin under the oiled paper. The
money amounted to $32,500, all in
United States bills-hves, tens, TWEEN
ties. ffties and hundreds, but mostly
f1ves. Ultimately the money was re
turned to the American Exchange
bank.
When organizing the pursuit of
Crawford, Detective Hotchkiss had ar
ranged with the Honduras government
that any letters and kilograms that
might come addressed to the absconder
should be delivered to him. Several
letters we're thus secured from the
young man about town in New York
who had hEfripnFnd Ora J5rFr,HS On
stantly in the past, and who seemed
now disposed to stand by him, even in
adversely and disgrace. The letters
contained counsel and reproaches, and
seemed to indicate that relations of
unusual familiarity had existed be
tween the two men. Besides these let
ters, two cablegrams were Intercepted
from the same source, both being sent
through an intermediary. The first
was dated March IS. 1890, and read:
Tell Crawford go back. Papers bluff.
No treaty exists The second. sent