The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-02-09
True
Detective Stories
ALLAN PINKERTON'S
RECORD CASE

Copyright by The wheeler syndicate. Inc.
T-HERE was no response to the
impatient knocking Oh the heavy
doors Of the Adams Express COM
pany's building near the end of the
Columbus CO., Union station, one
night In the middle Of winter. There
stood the train, with the usual hustle
and clamor preparatory to departure.
but the express clerk and his assist
ant had not made their appearance.
Bangl Bang Bangl
This time John Grossman, the e1-
press messenger, knocked harder than
ever, for it was beginning to dawn
upon him that something must be
wrong. moment later he tried the
knob of the door. To his amazement
II turned easily and he stepped for
ward into utter darkness. stumbling
over boxes and packages until he
reached the gas Jet In the center OF
, the room. Papers and parcels lay
| In wild confusion all over the
floor, the door Of the safe stood open
and the clerk and his assistant were
lying in one corner. In sort Of stupor
1t was evident that the two mem
had been chloroformed-the sickening
odor Of the drug still pervaded the
room-and that the company had been
| robbed, In spite of the fact that hun
dreds Of people had been just outside
the building all during the evening
These circumstances. coupled with the
| fact that $4,000 was missing from the
safe, were all that Allan PinkertOn
had to work upon when he reached
| Columbus the following morning.
The details Of the robbery were OBJ
tained directly from John Barker, the
! express clerk.
According to Barker, he and his as
sistant were stretched out on two cots,
as usual about ten o'clock In the eve
ming, taking a nap before going on
duty Oh the train which was due to
leave Columbus shortly after mid
night
81 was awakened by what appeared
to be mufhed pounding or pushing
at the door," Barker continued.
"Was the door locked2" inquired
= Pinkerton.
ut was-and bolted. didn't pay
| any attention to the matter because.
while we did have $72 900 IN the safe
$50, 600 OF 1t in revenue stamps
we had often guarded good deal
more, and l thought the noise had
| been made by some one who had
stumbled against the door in the dark
ness. Then, before I got really awake,
I heard the bolt give, and the next
thing knew some one had pinioned.
| nf
something which l recognized as chic.
roform. / struggled, but it was no.
use. When I came to, Grossman. the
messenger. was bending over me, and
the whole place looked like a cyclOne'
had struck 1t. The $4,000 In CASH
was gone, but they had overlooked
or deliberately left the $4,000 Inn
stamps"
Pinkerton made no comment at the,
| time. but continued his examination
! Sf the room where the robbery had
taken place A careful scrutiny Of
the door revealed two interesting:
facts: The bolt had been bent. as IT,
1t had been in place when the door.
was forced. but 1t was bent far more,
, than was necessary to secure an en-.
trance to the room, and there were n0
/: scratches or other signs Of violence,
: on the outside Of the door.
All the evidence appeared to point:
! to the fact that the job had been,
handled from the inside. and Pinker..
ton Immediately ordered the arrest OF
Barker and his assistant. The two
men protested their innocence.
Upon looking into Barker's ante
cedehts. Pinkerton found that the ex-
press clerk had a brother living i'm
Chicago. a man who was reputed to be-
quite wealthy and whom Barker STAT
ed would willingly 60 on his bail II
permitted to do so. But the Chicago
branch Of the Pinkerton agency re-.
ported that the other Barker was not
only not wealthy. but was prominent:
In the life Of the underworld.
"Where was this man on the night
Of the Columbus robberyT Allan Pink.
erton inquired by wire.
"Unable to obtain DEFINITE informs-
tion." came back the reply; "but he
was not in Chicago"
Trail him closely, and arrest him
the instant he attempts to leave the
city," were the telegraphic directions
which followed.
Early the following morning, less
than 80 hours after the crime in Co
lumbus. Henry Barker was arrested
EN- route to Canada. and $4,000 was
found in the lining of his valise. Later
after having been given a taste of the
famous Pinkerton silence cure" he
II revealed the hiding place OF the other
$4,000 and the details OF the whole
affair. which he had claimed his broth.
er had planned. The scheme was
simplicity itself. John Barker had
administered chloroform to his sleep
ing assistant. Then he opened the out.
side door, admitted his brother, and
opened the safe. After strewlng pa.
/ pers all over the floor. Henry Rarker.