Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-10-04
PINKERToN ON THE JOB.
One of the Famous Detectives
Shrewdest Feats.

One of tho Famous Detectives
shrewdest Feats.
| 1T Is probable that few Buffalo
people know that one Of the shrewd-
est detective feats ever performed by
Robert A. Pinkerton, the famous de-
tective who died a few days ago, was
pulled off in Buffalo," said the Rev.
Byron H. Stauffer the other day to a
reporter of the Buffalo Express.
"A most remarkable express rob-
berry occurred at Susquehanna, Pa, in
1885, in which $4,000 sent by the
Erie railroad from New York to its
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 until 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 at first supposed. The bags
were Of a 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 a 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.
Bob Pinkerton arrested Proctor
and took him to the old Tiff House, on
Main street, where, after an hour or
more Of the sweating process, Proc
tor confessed that two other men
were implicated in the deal-Clutch
Donahue, who was at that time keep
ing the Queens hotel at Fort Erie,
and another man named Collins.
Proctor promised to lure his ac-
completes over to Buffalo from Fort
Erie and put up all he had left Of his
share of the robbery as sort Of Sc
curity to do the job. Two detectives
shadowed Proctor for several days,
and finally he eluded them and cross
ed 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
delivered his pal, Proctor, on Ameri-
can soil. BY promise Of immunity
.Donahue was finally persuaded to give
up what he had left Of his share OF
the $4,000, and to lure his accom-
plice. 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 off the
train at the station before the train
crossed the Canadian border into New
Hampshire, and Proctor was to be ar
rested 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
boarded the train on which the rob-
bers were riding three or four sta
tions before the train came to the
Canadian border. The conductor
agreed to run the train through the
last station before the border without
stop, so that Donahue and Collins
could not leave 1t. But the two men
played a still more clever game. get
ting off the train before the Pinkerton
men boarded 1t and leaving Proctor
asleep in his berth as the train cross
ed the line after midnight. Proctor
was arrested and sentenced to long
term in the penitentiary.
Thomas C. Platt, 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 Donahue was convicted
on another charge and his property at
Fort Erie confiscated.
Bob Pinkerton was a good hearted
chap. After sending Proctor to the
penitentiary he felt sorry for his fam
lily and raised $1,000 for Proctor's
wife and set her up in little business
in Pennsylvania, where she is still
making a 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, a cub reporter on the St Louis
Chronicle. A big robbery occurred at
the little town, and Mr.. Stauffer went
out to cover it for his paper. Bob
Pinkerton went to the scene Of the
robbery on a special locomotive. Mr..
Stauffer tried to get aboard the engine
and was refused. He boarded an ac-
commodation. Something happened
to the special locomotive, so that Mr..
Stauffer arrived at 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 there was maintained between
them for many years.
"As I remember him." said Mr.
Stauffer, "he was a tall man with
broad shoulders, a bulldog face, and
an exceedingly silent man who inher-
tied all the courage Of his famous
father, Allan Pinkerton, the founder
of the famous detective agency"
THE BLACK SCOURGE.