Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-30
.P||NK[RION ON The JOB
Recital of One of the Famous
Detectives Shrewd and Re-
markable Feats
STORY OF INTIMATE FRIEND

Rev. Byron H. stauffer Tells How
Pinkerton Made an Arrest at Buffalo
In Connection With Remarkable Ex-
press Robbery In 1ss5-His Kindness
at is probable that few Buffalo PEG
nile know that one Of the shrewdest de.
tective fsats ever performed by Rob
ert A. Pinkerton, the famous detective
who died few days ago, was pulled
off in Buffalo," said the Rev. Byron Ii.
Stautfer the other day to reporter of
the Buffalo Express.
"a most remarkable express robbery
occurred at Susquehanna, Pa, In 1885,
in which $4,000 sent by the Erie rail
road from New York to It's shops in
Susquehanna was stolen from the safe
Of the United States Express company
at that place. The robbery occurred
on a Saturday night. Bags containing
bogus coin were placed in the safe, SO
that the crime was not discovered I'M
til the next Monday morning. Robert
A. Pinkerton was sent for.
HE soon made the discovery that
the job had not been done in New
York, as ut first supposed. The bags
we're OF kind discarded by the com
pany six months before. The safe had
been opened by some one who solved
the combination. George Proctor. an
employee OF the express company, had
left on Saturday for two weeks va
cation. Bob Pinkerton started on his
trail and located him in Buffalo. where
he was risking money freely In the
pool rooms and bucket shops.
'fBob Pinkerton arrested Proctor and
took him to the old Tiff House, on
Main street, where, after an hour or
more Of the sweating process, Proctor
confessed that two other men were i'm
plicated In the deal Clutch Donahue,
who WIS at that time keeping the
Queens hotel at Fort Erie, and an
other man named Collins.
Proctor promised to lure his accom-
plices over to Buffalo from Fort Erie
and put up all he had left Of his share
of the robbery as sort Of security to
do the job. Two detectives Swallowed
Proctor for several days, and finally
he eluded them and crossed over to
Fort Erie, where he was safe because
the extradition laws Of that time did
not cover robbery cases.
Bob Pinkerton did not give up
hope. He found that Donahue, the
Fort Erie hotel keeper, was wanted in
Canada for several bold robberies, SO
he crossed the river to Fort Erie and
had long talk with Donahue. He sat
up all night with the notorious Clutch,
threatening him with arrest by the
Canadian authorities unless he deliv-
cred his pal Proctor, on American
soil. BY promise of immunity Dona-
hue was finally persuaded to give up
what he had left Of his share of the
$4,000 and to lure his accomplice,
Proctor, to the United States.
''It was agreed that the three men
should start for England for safety.
They were to take train by way of
Montreal for Portland, Me-, where
they could ship to England. Collins
and Donahue were to slip of the train
at the station before the train crossed
the Canadian border into New Hamp-
shire and Proctor was to be arrested
as soon as he crossed the line.
'"Then Bob Pinkerton planned a
coup d'etat to bag the whole bunch.
With three or four detectives he board
ed the train on which the robbers
were riding three or four stations be-
fore the train came to the Canadian
border. The conductor agreed to run
the train through the last station be-
fore the border without stop, so that
Donahue and Collins could not leave
It, But the two men played a still
more clever game, getting off the train
before the Pinkerton men boarded it
and leaving Proctor asleep in his
berth as the train crossed the line
after midnight. Proctor was arrested
and sentenced to a long term in the
penitentiary.
Thomas G. Plat, president of the
United States Express company, was
not satisfied, however, to let the other
two men off so easily and carried the
matter to the Canadian authorities,
where Clutch Donahlue was convicted
on another charge and his property at
Fort Erie confscated
''Bob Pinkerton was good hearted
chap. After sending Proctor to the
penitentiary he felt sorry for his fam
lily and raised 1000 for Proctors wife
and set her up in little business In
Pennsylvania, where she is still max
ing living"
Mr.. Stauffer was well acquainted
with the famous detective. He first
met him at Glendale, Mo-, about fif-
teen miles from ST. Louis. Mr.. Stauf-
fer was at that time nineteen years old,
cub reporter on the st. Louis Chron-
icle. A big robbery occurred at the
little town, and Mr.. Stauffer went out
to cover it for his paper. Bob Pinker-
ton went to the scene of the robbery
on special locomotive. Mr.. Stauffer
tried to get aboard the engine and was
refused. He boarded an accommoda-
ton. Something happened to the spe~
cial locomotive, so that Mr.. Stauffer
arrived ut the scene Of the robbery
as soon as the detective. They rode
back together in the same train to
st. Louis. and the acquaintance started