Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-09
$4,000 STOLEN
FROM PORTLAND
EXPRESS POUCH
MYSTERIOUS THEFT BATTLES
THE POLICE
BUNDLE is TRACED TO OFFICE
AT DESTINATION
Detectives Claim to Have cIew and
Are Working on Case Diligently
but Apparently Are un-
successful
by Associated Press.

by Associated Press
noRTLAND. Ore, Sept. s.-A package
- entrusted to the care of the Wells
l. : Fargo Express company at salem,
ore. by j. II. Albert. president Oh IIS
Capitol National bank or TINS CITY, aI.o an
addressed to Joseph Meyers at @ .he 30. ot
land hotel in this city, containing t. no.es
and other valuable papers representing
over $4,000. is strangely missing.
mot the package reached foIt
sa,, salem on the Southern Paclns
4rain arriving here at 1880 O'CLOCK Oh
the night of August Il has peen eseap.
lished beyond doubt, but what pecaIre ailne
of 1t after that hour would De "elooii'e
A. soon as the robbery was reported
20 tbe EXPRESS company detectives We're
nut to work on the case, ana tnat @ tLiel'
afforts TO unearth cleW TO Inc pSIpe
tra+ors of the robbery have not peeh
entirelv unsuccessful is indicated ny VIC
foIlowing statement of superintendent
Beckwith of the Portland once OIL ehe
Wells-Fargo Express company
VIII sift to Bottom
eve have detectives at work on the
casa and will never let up unth We
catch the thief no matter how long J.
nav require. We have some olews, out
what they are we are not ready "
make public. ,,,,stad "a
How the theft was accoliPiiaitoU sile -
eln1ost as great a mystery to the ex-
press company omclalS ds 'io
The package was taken from the
1rn,on deOot office, they believe, some
time between 1880 p. m. August Il ana
i 80 a. m. August o. . 49,
During these hours the men III tLle
express office are rushed win WoIh'
"a door
office was left open for few moments
and that the thleI sllppeu III "-'N
the package. ..s 4to
When Banker Albert entrusted tne
valuables to the express company ne
snecified SO as its value, ana ior Ihat N
reaso the package was not placed III
the company's strong box.
Contents of Package
From the best information at hand II
"a understood that the package con-
tanned jewelry, promissory notes anu
other papers valued at $10,O00.
Three of the notes were executed y by
Meyers. Two notes of $4,000 ana sIo'oo0
were payable on demand.
Another note of $SSOOO was pay @nio
in fen years with interest at per cent.
since the theft of the papers the
larger note has fallen due.
Pavment of the notes has Deen re-
fused unless a bond be given, as Is
customary in case of missing hslru-
ments. - ,,.,,, eur.
This bond is said to have been tur.
nished by Joseph Meyers anu d. II
Albert, the Salem banker.
The hond was deemed insufficient
and bond on real estate by Joseph Mey-
ers was demanded.
Believing there was an Interior mo
tive behind this latter demand OF I ms
son, the aged father refused to furnlsh
the security asked. 49,
Suit probably will be hled py @ @tne
father to compel payment OF interest,"
now due. e.
Joseph Meyers declines to give for
publication his theory, If he has one, as
to what became of the box or to dis
cuss the affair in any way.
Romance Is Involved
Incidental to the robbery is a story
of the romantic marriage of the olu
man, Joseph Meyers, aged n years. "
Mrs. Zenalde Durette, a mlddle-dgeu
widow of Portland--a marriage winch
was not consummated without an uh-
usual amount of strife ana enulesa
troubles on account of the opJectIonS
OF the two sonns-H. w. and M. l.. nay
ers-Who sought to prevent the we'd
ding by having their father arrested
August II, in this city, just as ne was
about to apply for a marriage license
The charge preferred against tie ole
man by his sons was insanity.
But the aged father was Vlndicateo
and the right to marry the woman ol
his choice was established in the
courts.
Meyers came to Portland to be mar.
ried August II. A peremptory demand
was made upon County Clerk Fields
August 10 for marriage license, Whlcf
was issued. The couple were married
at the court house the same day by
Judge Morrow.
Ask for Guardian
A proceeding was then started il
Marion county on August 20 by th'
sons to have a guardian appointed fol
their father as an incompetent, and th'
insanity charge was dropped. But 10
seph Meyers and his attorneys insist
ed that the hearing should be held.
When the sanity commission report
ed the aged bridegroom was cleared
and all doubt of his mental balance re
moved.
The action in Marion county is still
pending, the time for the defense L
appear expiring September 10.
After the marriage with Mrs. Du
rette and the accompanying annoy
ances to which the old man was sub
iected, and for which he felt bite
toward his two sons, he decided I
move to Portland to live, and this wa
the reason he sent to Salem for hi
box at the bank, where he kept hi
private papers.