Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-01-06


an engine on the st. Louis,
Brownsville & Mexico Rail-
road. He is apparently suffering no
pangs of conscience over his crime.
The penalty which he paid for taking
the money was five years in the pen
itentiary, the court giving him that
sentence on a plea of guilty.
What became of the $4,000 is
mystery to the Wells-Fargo people
and the detectives who have been
searching for it ever since, says the
New York Press. It is known that
Beeler never has reaped any benefit
from the stolen money. From the
time he left the doors of the peniten-
tiary until a short time ago there was
not a day that he was not Swallowed
by detectives. At last the express
company Is said to be convinced that
the man lost or misplaced the money.
Now the company has given up all
hope of ever obtaining possession Of it.
The story of this robbery and the
events relating to 1t form one of the
most remarkable in the criminal an
nails of the country. Beeler was
driver of a Wells-Fargo & Co. wagon
in San Antonio and had been in the
employ of the company several years.
One dismal evening in the winter Of
1899 packages of currency and bags
of gold amounting to $4,000 were
counted out to Beeler by the local
cashier in the San Antonio office of
the express company, with instruc-
lions to haul the money in his wagon
safe to the Southern Pacific Railroad
station and deliver it to the pay car
of that road. Local money deliveries
of this kind had been made many
times, but the express agent always
accompanied the driver. It happened
on this particular day that the local
agent was not in the office, and Beeler
drove off alone with the money.
Succumbed to Temptation.
He says he had no sooner left the
office than the thought flashed through
his mind that here was his chance
to get fortune. He did some rapid
thinking while his horse was travelling
toward the railroad station, and he
decided to make way with the money.
1t was a stake worth playing for.
even should he be captured and made
to serve a prison sentence. He turned
the horses heads in an opposite direc-
ton from the station and drove
through the alleys and quiet streets
until he reached the outskirts of the
city. Darkness had settled down and
he drove the horses and wagon out
into the country for a mile and en-
ing the horses to tree, he soon had
the safe open and the $4,000 in his
possession. It was a comparatively
easy matter to carry the currency,
but the gold coins made a weighty
bundle. In order to prevent his trail
being followed Beeler started away
from the wagon on foot. He headed
south, Mexico being his objective
point. He claims that when he
reached a ranch a few miles below
San Antonio he buried all of the
money except $4,000 in bills. He says
that be placed the gold in tin cans and
carefully marked the spot where he
hid it. 1t was his plan to use the
$4,000 to make his escape into Mex
leo and to live there for a time until
the excitement over the robbery had
subsidized, when he would secretly
make his way back to the ranch and
dig up the money.
Officers Soon on Trail.
Having relieved himself of the gold,
Beeler purchased a horse at the ranch
and started off on q wild ride to gain
he other side of the Rio Grande and
the mountains of Mexico. Within an
lour after Beeler left the Office with
he money the express company had
;rread the alarm. but it was not until
long toward noon next day that the
abandoned horses and wagon were
,oGnd in the brush. Meanwhile