Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-03-16
True
Detective Stories
MATTER OF MINUTES

4 OF Ille N0CK island Express had
been effected in less than a quar-
ter of an hour. The express car had
been hitched on Immediately behind
the engine, and one of the firemen
recalled having seen kellogg, the mes
senger, checking up his accounts about
fifteen minutes before the train pulled
into Morris, IL. The next time he
glanced up a shade had been pulled
across the window of the express car
and the first he knew of the robbery
was after the train stopped at Norris
and Pitney, the brakeman, shouted
out that Kellogg had been killed and
that thousands Of dollars was missing
from the safe.
Jameson, who was in charge Of the
baggage car, directly behind the ex-
press car, provided what appeared to
be the only clue to the crime, by stat
Ing that shortly after the train left
joliet, a man in red mask had en-
tered his car, held him up at the
point of revolver, and had then
passed through to the car beyond, Ieav-
ing Jameson in charge of another
masked man who had disappeared as
the train slowed down at Morris.
Il was scared stiff" admitted the
baggageman, "and didn't dare bulge
The express authorities at Morris
promptly sidetracked the express car,
and wired the details of the case to
William A. Pinkerton, who arrived
only a few hours later. Meanwhile,
however, the contents of the safe had
been checked up, and it was dis
covered that more than $4,000 was
missing. Kellogg, the messenger, was
dead, but before dying, he hal evil
IDENTIFY given good account of himself
Before he did anything else, Pinker-
ton walked hack over the track on
which the train had come into Morris
Less than half mile out he dis
covered a red mask, lying close to the
track. and he also noted most sig
niticant fact-althOugh there was more
than a foot of snow upon the ground,
there were no footprints within a
quarter-mile Of the mask.
Returning to Morris, the detective
commenced his examination of the ex-
press car, but failed to find anything
of value.
Close inspection of the body of the
dead messenger, however, brought to
light another point which Pinkerton
felt certain ought to prove valuable.
Under KeIlOgg's finger nails was a
considerable quantity of what at first
appeared to he wet paper or pulp of
some kind but which the detective
recognized rs the outer layers of
human skin, torn off during the
struggle when the messengers fingers
were fighting to secure a hold upon
his assaiant!
Upon returning to Chicago. Pinker-
ton at once requested the officials of
the road to have all the men employed
on the train come to his office, one
by one, to be interviewed Jameson, he
directed was to be the last man sent.
When Pitney, the brakeman, en-
tered, PinkertOn die not overlook the
fact that he was dressed in new
outfit which was distinctly above his
sphere in life. From the points of
his glossy shoes to the top of his new
derby, the brakeman had evidently
treated himself to- brand-new ward
robe in honor of his interview with
the famous detective, in spite of the
fact that he had very little to tell.
II was he who had discovered tie
robbery. but he had seen nothing Of
tie man in the red mask, though
Jameson's excited recital of the hold
up had caused him Immediately to
investigate the express car.
"TLat was just as we were pulling
into Norris" concluded the brakeman,
"and I gave yell the minute I saw
whA1 they. had done to. Kellogg.
THAT'S what l wanted to talk to
you about" said 'Pinkerton. "Sit
down, won't you? And take off your
coat. it's warm in here D.. . Your
CLOVIS, too, he added netting that Pit
'nSy kept his hands coveted
After a moments hesitation the
brakeman peeled off his new gloves,
and Fullerton had difticgtyfn conceal
ing Sstart of satisfaction. The backs
of the mars hands were 'se6med and
scored with a network. of scraRlns! O..
Been playing with the@tat?"' fns
Quireg .Pinkerton casually. ~ - 80"
!"SG'no," Pltney replied. 81 ,go&those.
handling a busted trunk a few. nights
ago" and then he launched into a
description of his experiences ON the
night of the robbery when he had
finished, Pinkerton thanked him and
bowed him out of the office but the
muflled buzz of bell in the anteroOm
Informed the men stationed there that
Pitney was to be followed night and
day.
$50 far ash was concerned" Pinker-
ton said later, "the case ended right
there. The backs, Qfa Ritney's' hands,
compiled with the absence of footprints
in the vicinity of the red mask
which proved that the Job had been
handled by someone on the train
,,o,-o thn ,rbo1a thing Aood owoy