Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-29

- NE morning before daylight the
United States Express Company
was robbed of $4,000, and. sad
~ to say, there was not shred of
evidence to tell the storJ of how
this small fortune was permitted to slip
from the grasp of a corporation that had
the reputation of being one of the most
careful and conservative in America. The
scene of the robbery was at Susquehanna,
Pa, and the local authorities did every
thing in their power to locate the cash,
but all to no avail.
In this emergency the company enlisted
the services of Robert A. Pin. nrton. 1t
is probable that no detective in the worlu
was better equipped to grapple with
problem of this kind than Bob Pinker-
ton. He had the experience CT a life
time in following crime of this particular
character, and although his adventures
were little known to the public at large,
he enjoyed the reputation of more sue
cesses than any other man in the agency.
He called in person at Susquehanna to
learn the facts in the case. He found
every one in the little town wrought up
to an intense state of nervous excitement,
and for a while had difficulty in obtaining
a connected story of the mysterious case,
but his own .calmness communicated it
self to the local officers and he was soon
possessed of all they knew regarding the
queer disappearance of the money.
On June 20. 1888, the Marine National
Bank of New York sent to the First Ma
tional Bank of Susquehanna a sealed
package containing $4,000 in currency
and national bank notes. The mone,- was
to be used in the payment of wages of
more than 1000 employees of the Erie
Railroad Company in the local shops.
The package was carried to the United
tot Evr0r nv off ir, wv
York by a clerk of the Marine Bank,
who received a receipt for it. The money
clerk of the express company took charge
of the cash and inclosed it in the regu-
lar canvas pouch, sealed with the COM
pany's stamp and attached a tag on
which was the name of the company's
agent Susquehanna. The pouch was
duly delivered to Messenger Van Wage
men, who placed it in the safe with other
valuables. 1t was midnight when it
reached Susquenanna and he turEed the
expensive package over to Dwight Cham-
berlain. a night clerk and watchmcn,
who was jointly employed by the express
company and the Erie Railroad Company
Chamberlain placed it in the safe in the
ticket Office and locked t with key
which he carried in his pocket. After
that he was busily employed in his usual
duties about the station. frequently -eing
away from the ticket office until Z o'clock
on the morning of the 21st.
While casting up his accounts the mes
senger from the Susquehanna Bank ar
rived and called for the sealed package.
The pouch was taken from TIE safe, but
instead of the $4,000 in cash. number
of small packages of brown MANILA
paper, cut about the size of bank bills,
were found in the receptacle.
Mr.. Pfnkerton found himself confronted
by one OF, the biggest jobs of his profess
stonal career. He made careful personal
examination of the premises and cross
examined all the witnesses that could be
reached. Before he had been on the
ground many minutes he made the dis
covery that the pouch found in the safe
was dummy made up to resemble the