Daily British Whig (1850), 2 Oct 1912, p. 11

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Oopyright, 1000, by the New York Herald Co. All Rights Reserved.) HILE the golden age of the train wrecker and robber has waned, and the pleturesque holdup man has ceased from troubling to some extent, express companies in the United States still lose thousands of dollars annually dn money, jewels and valuables, and each of them maintains a standing army for defence against ban- dit and defaulter. The annals of crime directed against the express * companies are filled with thrilling incidents. The dar- ingwof outlaws, the bravery of messengers, the skill and persistence of agents of Justice go to make a story more stirring than that of any other phase of the 'war waged by the desperado upen property. Although armored cars, burglar proof safes and powerful pri- vate detective forces have set some bar to activities of robbers of the James. type, such men have by no means disappeared. The chances against them are x * Craft and Courage of Old- THE. DAILY Time and Modern Express Robbers Matched by Organized Secret Service and the Mandate That Makes Capture Alone the End of an Unflaaging Man Hunt greater, but they have still to be reckoned with. And = the situation has been complicated further by the clever inside manipulator, the package snatcher, the thief who relles upon cunning and wit rather than upon mask and revolvers. | > In the management of €n involved transportation entgryrise each separate joint in the machinery offers some weakness, however slight. The companies have learned costly lessons in the guarding of their elabo- rate systems, but never have they reached the point where they can say that evéry wile and every danger has been foreseen and warded off. Express companies do not advertise their losses, and more frequently than not nowadays the thefts are unaccompanied by ostentation. When a bundle of bills is quickly flicked from sight they do not rush to the police with their complaint. They have a more effective method than that. In their employ are the best criminal trackers they can find or train, cod: stituting a secret service ss formidable and expert as that of & sovereign sqvernment. Frequently they are aided by the detective frees of railroads, such as that of the New York Central. "Except in rare cases they expect little of the regular police, and the first part played by the authorities in their affairs is to take charge of the captured fugitive. When seen recently Me. William A. Pinkerton said that the situation as to express companies is made sat. fifactory only at the expense of constant vigilance. The result is obtained by tireless persistence and watching. : Mr. Pinkerton's View of kt. "The greatest.belp we bave at present lies in the reputation we have built up and are maintaining among the criminal class," he sald. "The Adams Company has always taken the position that the criminal aud not the money is the thing to land Consequently we have never had fo compromise, When we are aftef a thief he knows that we want hm and he cannot dicker for immunity. We get what he has stolen, of course, If we can. But it Is much better to make an example of him than te recover every cent he has taken." In this Mr. Plokerton struck the keynote of the attitude of the companies toward the class that preys upon them. They bave been forced Into un- relenting tactics as the price of reasonable safety, and when a robber makes vne of them his victim he can count upon having on his trail a pursuer that will never rest until he has paid the penalty. "For the last quarter of a century," said Mr. Pinker ton, "the 'yeggs' and holdup men have been chiefly a Western product from the cattle country with criminal lostinets passed naturally through the development of camp thieves, horse rustlers, stage and, finally, train robbers. Their followers and dis ciples were drawn from among mechanics who came out during the great raliroad develgpment and Who were familiar with the use of dynamite and nitro- glycerine. The original train robbing basd was usually from five to eight strong. It dwindled to frof three to five, and of late years a number of robberies have been handled by but one man, . "Recently we have had to contend also with the dishonest employe, Who maps out a smooth plan for inside théft and covers his tracks skiifuily. This 1s a Jifferent gaine and calls for another kind of detective ability." A typical instance of the real train holdup con ducted In traditional melodramatic Style took place in Montana recently. A Northern Pacific passenger train was stopped hear Bear Mouth by two masked men. They entered the tender at a water tank and crawled forward over the coal to the cab. Revolvers atthe nape of his neck induced the engine driver to s¢1 his brakes, and the bandits turned their attention to the express car. The messenger locked his doors, of Cowboys Their employers do not ask they give their hives, but it is expected and they do it remarkable single handed robber who ever lived. Miner always worlad alone, never took n life and never posed as a "bad man." He made a startling record In the West. A $200,600 Job. One of the largest hanis in an express ear le was that of a Lake Shore train near Kessler, ind Thé halt was obtained hy swinging a red light upon the tracks. When the driver slowed down he was shot through of twelve robbers were grouped on either held at xpress car express dup engine the shoulder hy one the 1 side who The passengers and tra Crew wer bay by with was was estimated safe. Before messenger succeeded in hiding 'taining $100.000 in gold coin under a « overlooked. The lacked and the masked men rifles while the ried fron however, disa taken blown open and the that $2 entrance Hessenger 000 was was gained two strong boxes offin and ti rol the profes Hoosier were bers laid 10 dre sional touch iffair was youths who had héen reading A similar saving fer an ex made about the St. Joseph Railroad, in Missouri were forcing an entrawce th package containing 310.000 ur The rol penny same time ked ove aud was overlooked. rs from safe and were satisfied Muny are the 'uniauded bravely to their duty in the defer Express her PEOSS CAPs, fessenger taken the utmost risks in resisting holdy of them have paid for their courage witl The man who undertakes to garrison a bundreds of through vast stretches of country where train thousands of dollars um have been operating displays no mea a fearsome thing to hear pound ig am anand ready to Kil butts upon the doors reckless men who are and arjued with dynamite. Yet, single handed, off the fiercest attacks. Tie of them that they give their that they will contest the attempt 10 the mst uch, and they do it Mystery still surrounds the killing of an Awerican Express Cotapany messenger in Dallas, Texas, a few years. ago. The train was moving though the yards messengers have stood ask if' is expected r employers do not Hives, bat aud the messenger. Concannon, was seen standing at the open door of his car as it passed a polul six hun dred yards from the piniform There was a brief de lay at a switch and the rain drew into the siat m suspecting the cause of the suiden bait, and the Ageats ran a track to the side of the car, but Conena- robbers forced the engine driver to light the fuse to a stick of dynanilte that made an entrance for them. vi dn Having bound aud gagged the messenger they tried to open the safe, and after seiting off five charges of dynamite without result they placed an enormous charge that blew the side out of the car and hurled the safe forty feet. They obtained about $65,000 aml made off. Ove of those to bead a posse in pursuit was "Kid" Curry, himself a notorious train robber. It 'was believed that the two men were / members of his former band. A little more than a year ago the Oriental Limited, of the Great Northern. was held up by four robbers near Rondo, Mont. Thelr tactics were similar to those - adopted on the former oceasion, beaniing the tender and begiuniog operations with the engine driver. Re wards of $13.000 were offered for their eapture, but they escaped. NL : The most desperate amd dangerous of the expres car bandits have Geen those whose method has been to wreck 'tmaliis ik conducting robberies. Dynamite or shi ractions on the track have been thick tools, awd joss of Hife frequently has resulied frow tele crimes non did not appear. They bed Inside to find the 'messenger stretched upon There were evidences of a strugsgie, beens crushed with an frou bar. The jocked sud S10000 was missiog from i. The affalr. murder and robbers, had been accoiiplished within five minutes and no trace of the simi the way be had entered and departed was ever covered, "Joe" Stmunan, oue of the best seangers of the country. wi in uf the Adams Express Company for twenty dive years. He prevented robberies a score of times, was the wenus of sending twenty-two Saudis «© the penitebtiury aud killed two. He was overpowered In one stack and was tied fo a tree in the wolllx near Montgomery, Ala. Five days passed before he was discovered. When he was released bis first remark was of satis faction at having shot ine of his assailants At Corinth, Miss, a messenger for the Southern Ex- press Company was fatally shot through the open door the floor fatally His sku! injured bad was safe tnt wlnile Kitswn express mes the employ of bls car, but contianed fo fre is reviiter while he' tay dyiug. The ohiber took a large sum of wioney frou the sale. - i from BRITISH WHIG, IEDNESDAY, OCTOBER Willam Miner, an Old Time Paciric Coast Train Robber. v wo I From Tra: 'Rovbenes, Train Robbers and "Hold -Up™ Mem SiN of them that they will contest the attempt to the last inch. Fred Whitrock, alias Jim Cummings, Lone Train Robber. From Train Robberies, Tran Robbers and "Hold-Up~ Men Copyright by Wm. A. and Robert A. Pinkerton. press car and sawed out a panel of the door. I tered while the messengers back was tarbe d picking up a revolver from the top of the safe fired to the man's ear. After introduction of an ol this Kind ible to persuade the messengersio it close he was apen the strong box y he detectives whose lives have been spent in ad express robbers yield a grudging without down mirat 1 to the an confederate a train, overawes messenger There such assistant, holds up crew and makes his sfully quality in a b capable of an 0 mean antagonist frequently have vies with the connivance or a While is hig! compa Onest messengers ployed in capacity redd by the positionghave proved to bh stra records, : W order n express robberies has been absoiutel sitys Mr, Pinkerton, "He is subjec the muzzle at the mess submitted escaped with $65,000 re and was bou ~interest was added to the chase by a series of to a St "Jim the arrest of FI he letter he had presented bad been forged a rd wived, spaper by the fugill Iu 'otheringbam, exj Louis 1 signed Cumumin these inst ining the messenger had been. colgpigiely de Fotheringham Vindicated Patient tracking brought about Fred Witrock, a id these proceeds of the robbery win a the Almost % recovered and the uw were sent Fothering! Of more serious character sam wai am was fioally vied: the Istand and fur long terms was of express car onthe Chicagy, Rock Fras Latiroad between Joliet and Moors and the murder of ogg Ni When Willa I Pinkerton received word of affaic © robbery '(le messenget, Ke fc hed until his at I ose 1 have the express caf kept nrsi I nus inkerton fond nd hair, was & #1 he thing wd when fimbed ins "was that the poker, coved ou Ils Uses ring the with beaten aboul head witle The thous uo onisikler would Nicholls bad been and Mw im poker fis throat bad been cull struck nediately that the ifouble to return the poker to Hs ple conld only be the uutidnking act of a wan aocusioue to keeps a ear ueat and orderly. fd nothing a the cirenuistance, however, crew ya The todd Schwartz, a brake mtg, was that robbers bad bell thew up through toe ~ transond of the buggage O88 uid furced them iv give wp a Key to the express «ar, wits Kid, §owid dows with Wat net cliaited colt § upevived thal Le wore g pai of gloves Yaad lie sahil adi shir whoeds. MN ochodin Copyright by Wm. A. and Robert A. Pinkerton. - ~ ly 3 =y" Harvey Logan, ahas "Kid" Curry From Train Robberies. Train Robbers and "Hold-Up' Men. Copyright dy Wm. A. and Robert A. Pinkervon. Schwartz From Tram Robberies. Tram Robbers ind "Hold Up~ Men Copvright by Win. A. and Robert A. Pinkerton. agreed and peeled them off » back of his left y iprint * finger nals. Later body of Niche hand I saw a dee I found shreds of After that 1 examining ti s on his right hand. bond paper io the caboose where the and accepted the worked He' hw % to Ph ¥ where he visited hls ned his was of the wore ntere t Schwartz ty married a woman On the kerton caused his Phila Just bigain well Known oy was brought on to defend him was bailed out on the be hwartz spirited ton caused him to Grundy county authorities, who Nicholls enced to life imprison arrest" in the ase the $21,000 I ' I'he Chicago wife had been rolled Into to + had turned it oy this vigorous Mr. Pink at his own nfortunate woman dups is not without , a famous bandit, Northwestern fo could » on the iffalo constructed he himself In 1 which oeefl buffalo shipped by his express The ance of the former monarch of the F the train passed Dead startled to observe Presently messel sat admiring the lifelike appear- prairies that eccu pied one corner of 8 He e of the glass eyes had disappeared recogrized- as a rifle barre 'and a volre that spirit of a dead bison or- de. Quick as a flash and with a his ear um was suddenly that throug IE ese t the sockét pushed at him came apparently from the dered hin up his-ha had z to one side he the messe seized the situation sprir wax out of range. Then o the Lack of the buffalo, reached forward and gripped the gun barrel in both hands. The stulled figure beneath his weight unt t rested on e shoulders of the helpless bandit, vaulted ot bo sank aimed uwutil pext station brought Missouri Their Lair. fing to Mr, Pinkerton, SMissouri has produoded of than say State the the traditional from 1 uring the war gueriliss, "and Young Tompkins cibers, they held high caruival, robbing « individuals right snd type outlaws Lh DOR desperate of Quuntrell's John and "Be bays we memoers th Cale Pits fier bays, the CLpTess Cars I known chara ter was Charles Bul J? whe with "Ike on the Hudson River Bullanl. afterward opened the which became a Kind ¢ resdoaveus for (hieves of ali nations. fle died in prison affer having been associated with Adam Worth, he man wis evaded the Pinkertons for years; stole pillows OF dollars sad the famous Galas Brough eairadl, and whe cate vo 8 wisersbie end rudd, of ELL pus Awerican bar ju a ress oar "Captain Bob" 'Bunch was ore of the most active of express car robbers in the South, wiich at one time was terrorized by criminals of his following and kind He was finally ron down and killed by detectives in the employ bf the Southern Express Company. foty was the dis A tangled case of the "inside" var ppegrance of $40.000 In currency se v Al express company from New York to Susquehanna for thé pay It was delivered ment, of employes in the Erie Railroad shops enclosed In a canvas pouch, with tag and seal by the Marine National Rank, transported and lockad in the express company's safe at Susquehanna. When the agent opened the bag he found that it contained packages of brown paper, neatly clipped and tied to represent bills The Pinkertons were called in. + They found that the bag, seal and tag were bogus and had 'heen sub- stituted at some point. Acting on a "tip" from a pro fessignal thief that an employe of the railroad gras concerned, they learned that a foreman in the boller shop had recentiy obtained leave of absence. On this "slender clew they followed the man, found be had squandered. money and arrested him He confessed that he had taken wax Inipressions of the keyholes in the safe and the office door and named accompli! in Canada. On his representation that he sonld lure the others to the United States they let him go, where- upon he escaped to Canada The next move of the Pinkertons was an indication of their far reaching Influence. They caused a rumor fo reach the ears of the foreman and his confederates that they were wanted by the Capadian police for a robbery there. The foreman boarded a train for Port One of the Pinkertons met the train Vt. after it crossed the border and & reR land at once at Island. Pond, caught him $100,000 in a Potato Sack. committed hy an Rock packages of currency. each He had brought which be intended While the had a sudden Impulse to A singular robbery was that express messenger on the Chicago, Island and Pacific Railroad ¢ Two containing $3H.000, were in bis safe seven -sficks of potatoes to along along leave at Davenport, his home in was drawing into Davenport he taken some money, from of the plained, he and he stripped a ten dollar bill one packages Then, he later ex that ns refi he might as well take all whole $100,000 potato sack With this over 'his shouldgs. he left the car at the station and Swalked to a HBaFH"eh 'the out skirts, where he concealed §H but $1,000, #fter which he part, so he fumbled the into a as started for Chicago ~ The theft Chicago and heas captured the moment he set foot in that city Davenport and the barn, and the entire treasure, with wan discovered when his car arrived In He accompanled the detectives back to the exception of $6, was In the hands of the company's officials exactly twenty-four hours after It had removed from the safe I'he messenger could never been expinin what his plan had been or how he expected tosevade pursuit A poorly dressed young man entered a trunk store He selected a trunk In in Milwaukee carrying a valise and left la¥ger the valise, asking that It encldsed in the receptacle and sent to 1wddress he » the clerk Ah was following these instructions val flew open It was full of money, mm $H0.000 in nil. The police were notified for x offices at mn wis arrested when he to In his trmuk came He was a money clerk ln an expr St. Louis and had simply walked out with the money * business hours » adventure Mo He nialuing $8,000 er planned, if equally futile, was tl a express agent (nn Golden City found that be had a bundle of bills oe his office chance for a European tour her best she wore and decided that This his Next in one day was day his wife missed her which Mean In appear husband and mourning costume, on accou r father's death a charming widow te fasiionabie feet feet mttrae while was on a traln bound for attention 1s 10 the Iie ots ance ¢ xeept St. Louls ted consideriible in the sire The trip widow was arrested on sus- picion express went no further with his European d of tb or rel service packages routes A cle was to steal gave much by sending a small parce fioor' of a building until the driver was upstairs, they from the outside! with «a mounted the wagon and drove « vies and nlert is Another kin which the comp their se must be ever un the stealing of 1 express wagons on the city delivery er band of "thieves, whose packages and ail, hey usually operated by #tpress to fin addréss on Waiting band fastened the front and padlock, » method horse, wagon recently trouble the tog near st door chain timly away Big 'Haul from a Truck. a rich han! of identified searcing Armed om watched When Pwo truck robbers of this kind made sight trunks a few years ago iY 4 pro of eilminat the wit every. thief the city wh this form of depredation Fis and the wife of one of them was ary she was searched had bracelets Fifogc nes worth $2000 in her clothing apd a antaining more jewelry. Nearly $20000 worth of valuables was recovered when the men were arrested Drivers on an express wagon In Jersey stole a small package marked as contalping jewelry, aod oh opening 4t discovered a diamond necklace of Af1)- seven stones, worth $5,000. They were arrested when they tried (0 pawn the gems for $75 Another case of a sity r kind occurred in the same y last year ) tion of Jewelled ornaments valued at $82.000 was sent from New York In care of ag express company A boy, seventeen years oid, helper on the wagon, having been disappointed in some love affair, bethought bim to win the favor of his lady fair by a gift of gems. When the wagon arrived at the Jersey City office be 'picked up the parcel and walked off with jt. Complete mystery surrounded the case for nearly a week. The boy had chosen, quite aceldeuntally, the exact moment when the package was not watelisd aud there was 10 one to observe bis movements, The first real clew that the detectives obdalued cute from the manager of a large business concern He sald that an office boy in his establishment had exhibited a pearl necklace. The boy was arrested and produced the article, It was made of eighty-five pearis, worlh $3,000, and he bad purchased it from the thief for twenty-five fentx. He sald that be had also been offered another neckince, subsequently found to have beet 40 emerald and diamond dog coliar worth 215.500, for seventy five cents, but would not go #0 high The express helper was traced and all the gems were revoversd. Most of them were found in a rag and tucked beliod ag jee box. For thelr own préservatiou the exprass companies have been forced to adopt an whvarying svstem in their treatment of thieves of all kinds that prey upon them. This was illustrated in a striking manger a few months ago, when one of the [argest companies in the country pressed the prosecution of a wash. woman in their New York office who had stolen half & cake of soap. It was part of the sceepted rule and it had to go furward As oie of he mos! avaliable basnels threagh which great wealth in 1angibie form passes they have ovvugied ab expised posiiion from (he fest, and uueewitiiog care is ali 'that speils (ite te They wers detectives y had eve e 1 FOOLS Were first and ested she Clty i ih 4

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