The Ordway new era., 1908-07-17

tRobert 4. Pinkerton was bora il D-z-
dee. Illinois. in isSs. and educated -
Notrs Dame university In indlArA- He
was the son OF Allan Plnks-tor. thr
founder of the famous detective asezcy
Bob" Pinkerton, as he was tauihA-.y
called. had marvellous memory f1s
names and faces. and his gallery Of Grin
inhl photographs and biographies vas
supposed to be the finest in America he
made big reputation by his method ot
handling great crowds at the race tracks
He was a man OF pleasing personality
and did much toward introducing purely
business systems into a concern which
Is regarded rather romantic. He died
August u, 1901. aboard the North German
Lloyd steamer Bremen while bound
for EuropeD
One morning before daylight the
United States Express company was
robbed OF $4,000. and. sad to say.
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 corporation that had the
reputation Of being one of the most
careful and conservative in America.
The scene of the robbery was at Sus-
quehanna. Pa, and the local authori.
ties did everything in their power 10
locate the cash. but all to no avail.
In this emergency the company en-
listed the services of Robert A. Pink
erton. It is probable that no detec.
tive in the world was better equipped
TO grapple with a problem Of this kind
than Bob Pinkerton." He had the
experience of q 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
On June 20. 1883, the Marine Ma.
uonal 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 company's 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 valuables.
1t was midnight when 1t 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
1t with 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
on 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 100000 in
cash, a number of small packages of
brown MANILA paper, cut about the
size Of bank bills. were found in the
receptacle.
This being the case, either |
Chamberlain, the night clerk, one of |
the employees, or some other person, |
unknown, was guilty. Chamberlain |
was subjected to rigid cross exam. |
fnation, and at its conclusion Mr..
Pinkerton expressed the belief that
he was entirely innocent of any com.
plicity In the theft. A careful watch
kept on all Of the employees of the |
company brought no developments.
At this stage of the game the detec.
tive broadened the fine of his inquiry
% as to include every man, woman
and child in the town of Susquehanna.
Some instructive feeling-probably the
result Of his long years Of experience
made him believe that tho crime
bad originated In the little town in
Psnnsylvania. After learning as
mnch % possible about the personal
history Of the Inhabitants, he began