The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1926-08-20


nTAEX lar bills in the keeping oil
40 Kellogg Nichols, an old
n~ time messenger of the Unit
~ ed States Express com
u pany. This sum had beer
ezszzHS sent by a Chicago bank tc
be delivered at the prin
elpal bank in Davenport, Iowa. In
addition to the usual passenger
coaches, the train drew two express
ears: the first, for express only, just
behind the engine, and, following this
one for express and baggage. These
ears had end doors, which offer the
best opportunity to train robbers
Messenger Nichols was in the first car
and was duly at his work when the
train stopped at Joliet, about forty
miles southwest of Chicago But at
the next stop, which was made at
Morris, Harry Schwartz, a brakeman,
came running from Nichols car, cry
Ing, 1.-THE messenger is dead"
The messengers lifeless body was
found lying on the floor of the car.
The head had been crushed by some
heavy weapon, and there was a pistol
wound in the right shoulder. Appar-
emily he had been overcome only after
hard fight. His face was set with
fierce determination. His fists were
clenched, and the hands and fingers
cut and scratched in curious way,
While under the nails were found what
proved to be bits of human flesh. The
pistol wound was from a weapon Of
81 caliber; but it was not the cause
of the mans death. This, unmistak-
ably was the blow or blows, on the
head, probably after the shot was fred
All who knew Messenger Nichols were
surprised at the desperate resistance
he seemed to have made, for he was
small light man.
The express car was Immediately
detached from the train, and left at
Morris, guarded by all the train crew
except Schwartz, who was sent on
with the train to Davenport After
the first cursory inspection no one was
allowed to enter the car where Nichols
lay; and nothing was known precisely
as to the extent of the robbery. The
safe door had been found open and the
door of the car Uttered with the con-
tents of the safe
An urgent telegram was at once sent
to Chicago, and force of detectives
arrived at Morris on special train
Il few hours later. Search parties
were at once sent out in all directions
along the country roads and up and
down the tracks. Hundreds of people
Joined in the search, for the news of
the murder spread rapidly through the
whole region, and not square yard
of territory for miles between Morris
and Minooka station was left unex-
plored 1t happened that the ground
was covered with snow, but the keen
est scrutiny failed to reveal any sig
nificant footprints, and the search par
ties returned after many hours, having
made only'a single discovery. This was
a mask found In cattle guard near
Minooka-a mask made of black cloth,
with white strings fastened at either
side, one Of which had been torn out
of the cloth as If in struggle.
Meantime Mr.. Pinkerton himself en-
tered the car and made careful in
vestigation.
Coming to the safe, Mr.. Pinkerton
found that the twenty-five thousand
dollars were missing, and that other
papers had been hastily searched over,
but left behind as valueless.
Among these was bundle of can
celed drafts that had been roughly torn
open and then thrown aside.
All the train hands were immeditely
questioned, but none of their stories
was in any way significant, except that
of Newton Watt, the man in charge OF
the second car. He said that while
busy counting over his way-bills and
receipts he had been startled by the
crash Of broken glass in the ventilator
overhead, and that at the same mo-
ment heavily built man, wearing a
black mask, had entered the car and
said, IF you move, the man up there
will bore YOU" Looking up, Watt said
further, he saw hand thrust through
the broken glass and holding a re-
volver. Thus inundated, he made no
attempt to give an alarm, and the
masked man presently left him under
guard of the pistol overhead, which
covered him until shortly before the
train reached Morris, when 1t was
withdrawn. He was able to locate the
place where the crime must have been
committed as he remembered that the
engine was whistling for Minooka
when the stranger entered the car.
This left about thirty minutes for the
murder, robbery, anG escape.
Returning to Chicago. Mr.. Pinkerton
investigated the character Of the man
Watt, and found that he had a clean
record, was regarded as trusty and
efficient man, and had three brothers
who had been railroad men for years
md had always given perfect satlsfac-
lion. Watts good reputation and
straightforward manner were strong
points in his favor, and yet there was
something questionable In his story OF
the mysterious hand. For one thing,
no footprints were found In the snow
hu the top Of the car.
Brakeman Schwartz, the only man
on the train who had not yet been
questioned, "deadheaded" his way, in
railway parlance, back from Daven,
port the following night on Conductor
RI