Gunnison news-champion. [volume] (Gunnison, Colo.) 1905-1932, 1923-07-06
True
Detective Stories
ALLAN PIEKERTONS
RECORD CASE

.a@IE-sE& - 4ss HEss4sr - Ecl1sfs. las
~ HERE was no response to the
inpatient knocking On the heavy
doors Of the Adams Express com
lany's building near the end Of the
Columbus CoD Union station. on.
2 .hJ in the middle Of winter. There
Sod the train. with the usual hustle
sld ciamor preparatory to departure.
Tut the express clerk and his assist
ant had no; made their appearance.
Bang! Bang! Bangi
This time John GrosSman, the e1-
Ir-ss messenger. knocked harder than
szer. fos IL wAs beginning TO dawn
CIUn him that something must be
q rung. A moment later be tried the
Knob Of the door. To his amazemeIr
Is turned easily and he stepped for
Vard into utter darkness, stumbling
over boxes and packages until he
-earhed the gas Jet In the center Of
The room. Papers and parcels lay
n Wild confusion all over the
inor, the door Of the safe stood open
and the clerk and his assistant were
,y.nE In one corner. In q sort Of stupor
Il was evident that the two men
had been chlorOforIDed-the slckening
dor Of the drug stIll peryaded the
rBom-and that the company had been
Ribbed, In spite Of the fact that hun
1rsts Of people had been just outside
the building all during the evening.
Thes. circumstances. coupled with tho
sac, that $1,000 was missing from the
safe, were all that Allan Pinkert0n
had to work upon when he reached
columbus the following morning.
The details OK the robbery were OBJ
aimed directly from John Barker, the
cypress clerk.
According TO Barker. he and his as
>iStnHt were stretched out on two cots,
as usual about ten o'clock In the eve
Ulng taking a nap before going on
duty on the train which was due TO
leave Columbus shortly after mid
night.
Il was awakened by what appeared
TO be mufhed pounding or pushing
at the door" Barker continued.
"was the door lockedT" inquired
Pinkerton.
at was-and bolted. I didn't pay
any attention TO the matter because,
while We did have $1,000 In the safe
$1,000 OF IL In revenue stamps
We had often guarded good deal
more. and | thought the noise had
been made by some one who had
stumbled against the door in the dark
ness. Then. before got really awake.
heard the bolt give. and the next
thing | knew some one had pinioned
my arms. and caught a Whit II
something which / recognized as chic
reform. struggled. but II was ne
messenger. was bending over me. and
the whole place Looked Ike a cyclone
had struck II. The $4,000 In cash
was gone, but they had overlooked
or deliberately left the $4,000 In
stamps"
time, but continued his examination
of the room where the robbery had
taken place. A careful scrutiny Of
the door revealed two interesting
90. IN. hoI, baa non, Non, .s !,
II had been In place when the door
was forced. but II was bent far more
than wns necessary m secure nm en-
trance to the room. and there were ne
scratches or other signs Of violence
on the outside OF the door.
All the evidence appeared to point
N the fac, tbs, the ,oh had heen
hond,aa from the inside and p,nrer.
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