Willmar tribune., 1908-07-22
&4444Q 41k41

(Robert A. Pinkerton was born in Dun
dee, Illinois, in 184S, and educated at
Notre Dame university in Indiana. He
- was the son of Allan Pinkerton, the
founder of the famous detective agency.
Bob Pinkerton, as he was Familiarity
called, had marvellous memory for
names and faces, and his gallery of GRIM
inal photographs and biographies was
supposed to be the finest in America. He
made big reputation by his method Of
handling great crowds at the race tracks.
He was man Of pleasing personality
and did much toward introducing purely
business systems into a concern which
is regarded as rather romantic. He died
August II, 1907, aboard the North German
3 Lloyd steamer Bremen while bound
for Europe)
One morning before daylight the
United States Express company was
robbed Of $4,000, and, sad to say,
r. there was not a shred of evidence to
tell the story of how this small for
tune 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 Sus-
queh:nna, Pa, and the local authori-
ties DID everything in their power to
locate the cash, but all to no avail.
In this emergency the company en-
listed the services of Robert A. Pink
erton. 1t is probable that no detec.
tive in the world was better equipped
to grapple with problem of this kind
than Bob Pinkerton" He had the
experience of lifetime in following
crime of this particular character, and
although his adventures were little
known to the public at large, he EN-
= jOyed 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 awhile
had difficulty in obtaining a connect
ed 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 re-
garding the queer disappearance of
the money.
On June 20, 1883, the Marine Ma
tional bank Of New York sent to the
First National bank of Susquehanna
"a sealed package containing $4,000
in currency and national bank notes.
The money was to be used in the
payment of wages Of more than 1000
employees of the Erie Railroad COM
:. pany in the local shops. The pack
age was carried to the United States
Express company's Office in New
York by clerk of the Marine bank
who received receipt for it. The
money clerk of the express company
took charge of the cash and inclosed
it in the regular canvas pouch, sealed
with the companys stamp and at
tached tag on which was the name
of the company's agent at Susquehan-
ma. The pouch was duly delivered to
Messenger Van Wagenen, who placed
it in the safe with other vauables.
1t was midnight when it reached Sus-
quehanna and he turned the expen-
sive package over to Dwight Cham
berlain, night clerk and watchman.
who was jointly employed by the ex-
press company and the Erie Railroad
company. Chamberlain placed it in
the safe in the ticket office and locked
it with a key which he carried in his
pocket. After that he was busily en-
ployed in his usual duties about the
station, frequently being away from
the ticket Office until seven o'clock
! oD the morning of the 21st.
While casting up his accounts the
messenger from the Susquehanna
bank arrived and called for the sealed
: package. The pouch was taken from
the 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.. Pinkerton found himself con.
froated by one of the biggest jobs of
his professional career. He made a
careful personal examination of the
premises and cross-examined all the
witnesses that could be reached. Be-
fore he had been on the ground many
minutes he made the discovery that
the pouch found in the safe was a
dummy made up to resemble the
pouches used by the company, but
with a different seal and tag. The
purpose was plain; the substitution
had been made in order to give the
thieves ample time to get away with
their rich booty. Further investiga-
tion convinced Pinkerton that the
right pouch had been delivered to the
clerk at the Susquehanna ticket Of
fee. This being the case, either
Chamberlain, the night clerk, one of
fhe employees, or some other person,
unknown, was guilty. Chamberlain
was subjected to rigid cross s-exam.
ination, and at its conclusion Mr..
Pinkerton expressed the belief that