The San Francisco call., 1909-07-25
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time terrOuzed by criminals OF his following
and kind He was finally down and killed by
detectives in the employ of the Southern express
company
A tangled of the inside variety the dis
appearance of $4,000 in currency by express
company from New York to Susquehanna for the
payment of employees in the Erie railroad shops. II
was inelosed in canvas pouch, with tag and seal
delivered by the Marine national bank, transported
and locked in the express companys safe at Sus-
quehanna- When the agent opened the bag he found
that it contained packages Of brown paper neatly
clipped and tied to represent bills.
The Pinkertons were called in. They found that
the bag seal and tag were bogus and had been sub
stituted at some point Acting tip" from
professional thief that employe OF the railroad
was concerned, they learned that foreman in the
boiler shop had recently obtained leave OF absence
On this slender cew they followed the man, found
he had squandered money and arrested him. lie
confessed that he had taken impressions OF the
keyholes in the safe and the office door and named
accomplices in Canada. On his representation that
he could lure the others to the United States they
let him go, whereupon he escaped to Canada.
The next move of the Pnkertons indca-
ton of their far reaching influence They caused a
rumor reach the OF the foreman and his con-
federates that they wanted by the Canadian
police for robbery there The foreman boarded
train for Portland, n. H.. at once One OF the Pin
kertons met the train Island Pond VT, after 1t
crossed the border and caught him.
100000 in Potato Sack
A singular robbery was that committed by
express messenger on the Chicago Rock Island and
Pacific railroad. Two packages Of currency each
containing $4,000, in his safe He had brought
along seven sacks of potatoes which he intended 70
leave Davenport, his home While the train was
drawing into Davenport he had sudden impulse -
take money, and he stripped ten dollar bill
from one OF the packages. Then, as he later eN'
planned, he reflected that he might we'll take all
as part so he tumbled the whole 100000 into
potato sack With this his shoulder he left the
at the station and walked to barn the out
skirts where he concealed all but $1,000, after which
he started for Chicago.
The theft was discovered when his car arrived in
Chicago and he captured the moment he set foot
in that city. He accompanied the detectives back to
Davenport and the barn, and the entire treasure
with the exception OF So, was in the hands of the
companys officials exactly "a hours after it had
been removed from the safe. The messenger could
explain what his plan had been or how he
expected to evade pursuit
poorly dressed young entered trunk store
in Milwaukee carrying valise He selected trunk
and left the valise asking that it be inclosed in the
larger receptacle and to address he gave
While the clerk following these instructions the
valise flew open. 1t full OF money, than
$4,000 in all. The police notified and the
young man was arrested when he inquire
for his trunk He was money clerk in an express
Office at St. Louis and had simply walked out with
the money during business hours.
Better planned if equally futile was the adventure
of an express agent in Golden City, Mo- He found
that he had bundle of bills containing $SOOO his
office one day, and decided that this his chance
for European Next day his wife missed her
husband and her best mourning costume, which
she wore on account of her fathers death Mean
while charming widow, quite fashionable in ap-
pearance except as to the feet, a train bound
for St Louis The feet attracted considerable at
tention~in the and the widow arrested
suspicion The express agent went no further with.
his European trip.
Another kind of theft for which the companies and
their secret service forces be the alert
is the stealing packages from express wagons on the
city delivery routes. clever band Of thieves. whose
method was steal horse. wagon. packages and all.
recently gave much trouble They usually operated
by sending small parcel by express to address
on the top floor of building Waiting har.'
until the driver upstairs, they fastened the front
door from the outside with a chain and paddock
mounted the wagon and drove calmly away.
Big Haul from a Truck
Two truck robbers of this kind made rich haul of
eight trunks few years ago. They were identihed
by process OF elimination, the detectives searching
every thief III the city who had ever carried
this form of depreciation. Their rooms were watched
and the wife of of them arrested hrst. When
she was searched she had bracelets and brooches
worth $1,000 in her clothing and bag containing
more jewery Nearly $4,000 worth of valuables
was recovered when the men were arrested
Drivers on an express wagon in Jersey City stole
a small package marked containing jewelry, and
on opening It discovered diamond necklace OF 81
stones, worth $4,000 They arrested when they
tried to pawn the gems for SIS.
Another case OF a similar kind occurred in the same
city last year. collection of leweled ornaments
valued at $4,000 sent from New York in care
of an express company. A boy, II years DID, helper
on the wagon, having been disappointed in some
love affair." bethought him to. win the favor of his
lady fair by gift of gems. When the wagon arrived
at the Jersey City office he picked up the parcel and
walked off with it,
Complete mystery surrounded the case for nearly
a week The boy had chosen, quite accidentally the