Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-18

Copyright 1902 by the
aNEp HILE the golden age Of the train wrecker
Nv and robber has waned, and the picturesque
NAI holdup man has ceased from troubling to
wv some extent, express companies in the United
States still lose thousands of dollars annually
in money Jewels and valuables. and each of them
maintains a standing army for defence against ban
dit and defaulter.
The annals of crime directed against the express
companies are filed with thrilling incidents. The dar
ing of outlaws the bravery of messengers. the skill
and persistence agents of justice to make story
more stirring that of any other phase of the
waged by the desperado upon property. Although
armored cars, burglar proof safes and powerful pr
vate detective forces have set some bar activities
of robbers of the james type such men have by no
means disappeared. The chances against them are
greater but they have still TO be rcckoned with And
the situation has been complicated further by the
clever inside manipulation the package snatcher. the
thief who relies upon cunning and wit rather than
upon mask and rcvolyers.
In the management of involved transportation
enterprise separate joint in the machinery offers
some weakness however slight. The companies have
learned costly in the guarding of their eabo
rate systems but have they reached the point
where they say that every vile and danger
has been foresren and warded Off.
Exprcss companies do advertise their losses,
and more frequently than not nowadays the thefts
nre unaccompnnicd by ostentation. When a bundle
of bills Is quickly hcked from sight they do not rush
10 the police with their complaint They have more
effective method than that. In their employ are the
best criminal trackers they can find or train con-
stutng secret service formidable and expert as
that of sovereign government. Frequently they are
nded by the detective forces of railroads, such that
of the New York Central Except in rare cases they
expect little of the regular police. and the first part
played by authorities in their affairs is to take
charge of the captured fugitive
When seen recently Mr.. William A. Pinkrrton said
that the situation as express companies is made sat
isfactory only at the expense OF constant vigilance
The result is obtained by tireless persistence and
watching.
Mr. Pinkerton's View of 1t.
"The greatest help have at present lies in the
reputation we have built up and arc maintaining
among the criminal class" he said. The Adams
Company has always taken the position that the
criminal and not the money is the thing to land.
Consequently we have had TO compromise.
When we are after a thief he knows that we want
him and LIE cannot dicker for immunity. We get
what he has stolen. of course. If can. But it Is
much better to make example of him than to
recover every cent he has taken"
In this Mr.. Pinkerton struck the keynote OF the
attitude of the companies toward the class that
preys upon them. They have been forced into un-
relenting tactics the price of reasonable safety,
aud when a robber makes one of them his victim he
can count upon having his trail pursuer that
will never rest until he has paid the penalty
"For the last quarter of a century" snid MIR. Pinker
ton 1.-THE 'yeggs' and holdup men have been chiefly
Western product from the cattle country Cowboys
with criminal instincts passed naturally through the
development of camp thieves, horse rustlers. stage
and, finally, train robbers. Their followers and dis
cples were drawn from among mechanics who came
out during the great railroad development and who
we're familiar with the Of dynamite and nitro
glycerine The original train robbing band was
usually from i've eight strong. 1t dwinded to from
three to ive and of late years number of robberies
have been handled by but one man.
Recently have had to contend also with the
dishonest empoye, who maps out smooth plan for
inside theft and covers tracks skilfuly. This is
different game calls for another kind Of detective
ability"
Quoted In traditional melodramatic style took place
in Montana recently. A Northern Pacific passenger
train was stopped Bear Mouth by two masked
men, They entered the tender at water tank and
crawled forward the coal to the cab. RevoVers
at the nape of his neck induced the engine driver TO
set his brakes and the bandits turned their attention
to the express car The messenger locked his doors,
suspectng the cause of the sudden halt and the
robbers forced the engine driver to light the fuse
to stick of dynamite that made an entrance Tor
them.
tried to open the safe, and after setting off five
charges of dynamite without result they placed an
enormous charge that blew the side out of the car
and hurled the safe forty feet They obtained about
$65 600 and made Off One of those to head posse
in pursuit kid Curry. himself notorious train
robber 1t believed that the two men were
members of his former band
little than year ago the Oriental Limited
Of the Great Northern, was held up by four robbers
near Rondo Mont. Their tactics similar to those
odoDted on former OCCASION boarding the tender
and beginning operations with the engine driver. Re
wards of $4,000 were oHefed LOT thelr capture pul
they escaped
The most desperate and dangerous of the expires
cnr bandits have been those whose method has been
10 wreck trains in conducting robberies Dynamite
ar distractions the track have been their tools, and
loss of life frequently has resulted from their crimes
which have been the object of legislation In
contrast with such reckless these Is the bandit
of the type of "Old Bil Miner, said to be the most