Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1886 — ONE THIEF'S RICH HAUL [ARTICLE]

ONE THIEF'S RICH HAUL

An Express Messenger Duped and Gagged and His Strong Box Tapped. Fifty Thousand Dollars Taken—The Deed Accomplished by a Single Man. [St. Louis telegram.') A big express robbery is reported as having occurred on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, the Adams Express Company being the sufferer. A Gain leaving St. Louis was boarded by a stranger, who handed to the route agent of the express company a forged letter from the St. Louis local agent, stating that he (the stranger) bad been employed as an extra band for the run. While busy at his work, the messenger was seized by his pupil, and at the point of a revolver compelled to submit to a gag. The robber then plundered the open safe, and at Pacific Station made good his escape. Upon the return to this city Messenger Fotheriugham went immediately to the office of Superintendent Damsel of the express company and was closeted with him for some time. Later Mr. Damsel gave tlie following report of the robbery as obtained from the messenger: “Mr. Fotheriugham says that as he was about to go out on his run a man came to him with a letter purporting to be signed by myself and Mr. Bairett, instructing him to take the bearer, Jim Cummings, on his run as far as Pierce City for instructions. In accordance with the proposed instructions, Fotberingham took the stranger and set him to work checking up. Then he began his own work. Fotberingham was standing with his back to the stranger, his coat off, and the handle of his revolver sticking out of liis pistol pocket. About ten or fifteen miles out of the Union depot lie was attacked from the rear. The stranger gripped his neck with one hand and grasped his revolver with the other. Before Fotberingham realized what was being done he was thrown to the floor. He struggled and fought, but tho stranger overcame him and bound him hand and foot.’ Then he put a gag in his mouth and tied him to tho Safe. “Having secured the messenger, he proceeded to go through the safe and take all there was in it. Several pouches of silver he cut open, but left them when he found what they contained. At Mincke some men working in a lime-kiln flagged the train on account of an obstruction on the track. While it was standing still some one tried lo get into the express car, but the robber stood over Fotheringham with a revolver and-prevented his making any effort to cry out. At or about Pacific Station the robber took his plunder, and opening the front door of the car went out on tho platform and closed the door after him, What he did after that Fotheringham does not know. He lay on the floor of the car until the train reached St. Clair, when he was able to get the gag out of bis mouth and cry out for assistance. The trainmen, hearing him, endeavored to get in the back door, and finding it locked, went round to the front door, which the robber had left open. They released him. ‘‘Fotheringham says the robber was about six feet high, 24 years of age, and weighed about 200 pounds. He had dark, straight hair, cut close; a thin mustache, a low forehead, wore dark clothes, aud a darkgray overcoat. Fotheringham was gagged with handkerchiefs tied in knots forced into his mouth and bound around his head. His hands were tied together behind his back with a silk handkerchief. His legs were fastened with straps taken from valises in the car and with cords, and with (he heavy strap which was around the safe. He was tied to the handle of the safe. ” Mr. Damsel added, in reply to questions, that it is customary to send new men out on the road with messengers to receive instructions, and that with such orders as Fotheringham says were presented to him by the robber would be issued either by Koute Agent Barrett or himeelf. He also said that Fotheringham telegraphed into the company’s depot manager that ho had been robbed. Mr. Damsel says he cannot yet name the amount stolen, but as the run was unusually heavy he thinks it will exceed $40,000. Not much is known here of Fotheringham. He is twenty-four years old and lives at Ste. Genevieve, Mo. He had only been on the Frisco run since June. He worked for the company prior to that time in Kansas City. He had runs on the Southern Kansas, the Fort Scott and Gulf, and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas roads. He had been working for the company in all about four years. Superintendent Damsel and Private Detective Newcomb bad a consultation with the police authorities this afternoon, but at the present writing no formal demand for aid has been made upon them by the express company. Mr. Damsel says that every effort is being made to obtain a clew to the robber and to procure his arrest. It seems that so far Mr. Damsel and bis advisers accept Fotheringbam’s statement as true, and that they are working on that theory, but they will not commit themselves fully on this point. Another account of tbe robbery than that of Mr. Damsel says that it was tbe conductor who tried the door of the express car while tbe train was standing still near Mincke. Finding it locked, and supposing the messenger to be busy, he did not ask for admittance. At St. Clair he again tried the door, and again found it locked. He listened for a minule. and beard tbe messenger straggling to free himself, and making all the noise possible by kicking with his feet against the side of the car. The conductor suspected something wrong, aud burst the door open, finding Fotheringhnm as above described, He was quickly released, aud told his experience. The robber had got a start of fully two hours, and it was useless to run back to try to find him. The train therefore proceeded on its way. It is a singular coincidence that the robber gave the name of Jim Cummings, the only member of tho once celebrated James gang who has never been accounted for.

Adirondack Murray has again scandalized the Puritans by publicly insisting that if a show of hands could be compelled the people would discover that two-thirds of the Cod gregational clergy of New England have not believed for the past ten years in the old-fashioned hell.