Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-08-16

and the officials were not any too
anxious to divide the honors in the
case, as success made a big thing for
all the companys employees who flgur-
ed in the case. Thompson had several
interviews with Sanderson, and from
what he said had got him worked up
to high pitch over the robbery and
the gang were anxious to spring the
trick
l listened to the tale, and was very
skeptical. l did not believe that any
top-notch crooks would have gone into
such scheme with Thompson without
first being assured that there was no
possible chance Of throw-down.
l asked for a sight of the crook, to
see If knew him. A meeting was ar
ranged, at which l was present, and
when l got my peppers on the bold
Sanderson my old heart gave a
thump for / recognized him at
glance as Bob Furey, crook on both
sides of the ocean in some ffrst-class
jobs.
Thompson was to figure only as
second fiddle in the transaction, and
was to get an even share in the swag
with the others when the money was
divided. 1t was not necessary for him
to have knowledge of the details OF
the plans which Furey had put up to
work off the money bags. The gang
wanted big Doodle, and so long as
10 7
that we should not give the gang the
tip until there was really big load
of dust on board the express car, just
to give the gang the laugh when they
got the throw-down for losing such
dandy bundle.
The day was finally set for the rob-
berry Thompson succeeded in getting
all the details, SO that it made the
work dead easy on paper. The sig
nal to hold up the train, it was ar
ranged, would be given after leaving
Port Jervis on the Erie railroad, which
would be the signal for us to do our
little act and land the gang.
The train with the Red Star car was
booked to leave the Erie depot at
o'clock in the evening, and in the
morning / sent four men to Port Jervis
to take up a position where the red
light was to be given at night. | got
telegram that they had landed all
right and in the evening, when the
train pulled out of the depot, I was
aboard with six lusty fellows, who
would rather fight than eat
I saw Thompson before the train
started but did not speak to hin. He
indicated by a nod of the head that
their gang were on board the train in
the front cars, and everything looked
rosy. The train pulled out on time,
and we went humping along at a live
ly rate, as we were on the fast ex-
press. had given Instructions to my
men what to do when we got to the
holding-up place,
/ knew every foot of the ground on
the Erie, and when we got within a
few miles of Port Jervis 1 began to
feel just a little bit nervous. While
I was running all the details of the at
tack over in my mind the train slow.
ly pulled up, but did not come to a
full stop. I looked out of the win
dow, but did not see anything. In
moment we were pushing up the hill to
Port Jervis at full speed. When we
pulled up at the little depot jumped
off the car to take a final look at
things, and as I passed the Red Star
car / heard a moan. | listened and it
was repeated several times. [ could
not understand it, but felt that some
thing had gone wrong.
/ did not want to make foolish
break Of any kind, SO l first went to
the engineer and asked him what he
had stopped for before reaching Port
Jervis. He said that he saw a. red
light swinging on the track, and
slowed up. The light had disappeared
before he got to it, and he could not
understand it. knew the meaning of
it, and saw the game in a second. The
gang had fooled Thompson by giving
him a wrong description Of what was
going to be done. This was verified
when reached the Red Star car. The
lock had been broken off, and inside
the car was Thompson, lying on his
back well done up.
He was partly conscious, and knew
enough to tell that the thieves had
fooled him, and had dumped the safes
on the track about three miles east
OF Port JerVis. They had jumped off
the train when it slowed But if
Thompson had been fooled he had
fooled the gang also, for he had flung
the kit of tools which was to be used
to open the safes off the car, and it
was dollars to doughnuts they would
not be able to find them.
got an engine at the depot, and in
ten minutes | was on the way back
with my men. Before reaching the
place noticed lanterns flashing along
the track, and l ordered the engineer
to run past the lights a half mile or
so before slowing up. AS we went
by the spot saw the gang at work
carrying the safes to a wagon. We
stopped after turning a curve and
started back on foot.