Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1887 — RUN TO EARTH. [ARTICLE]

RUN TO EARTH.

“Jim Cummings” and Fire Others Arrested for the Great Express Robberj Near St. Louis. . One of the Most Brilliant Pieces of Detective Work Ever Recorded. How the Various Clews Were Made to Fit with Mathematical Accuracy. [From the Chicago Daily NeWs.l On the night of October 25, between tho hours Of B:3J and midnight, the Adams Express car which left St. Louis for San Francisco, laden with one of the most valuable treasures carried during the year, was robbed of nearly $50,000 in cash. Mr. Wm. A. Pinkerton has given a detailed i.ccount of the manner in which the case was worked up by the detective agency of the Western division, of which he is the chief. Of the five men now under arrest for the crime, four have borne the reputation of being reputable business men. The news of the robbery had no sooner reached St. Louis and Chicago than Mr. L. C. Weir. Manager of the Adams Express Company, placed the matter in the hands of the Pinkertons. The man who overpowered Messenger Fotheringham and rifled the car left the train at Pacific Junction, a small station thirty-six miles from set Louis. Detectives were sent out on the trains from that station, and soon obtained a description of the man. The Pinkertons then secured a list of the employes, past and present, of the express company. Among those who had been discharged was W. W. Haight, who had formerly been on the run between I'risco Junction and Vinita, on which the robbery had been committed. It was also learned that he had been acquainted with I'otheringham. It was learned that he had resided in Chicago, at 243 Huron street, with his wife’s aunt. He had changed his residence, nowever, but the detectives finally ascertained that he had lived with a family named Williams, at 72 Arbor place, and that on Oct. 27 he hod left that place, saying he was going to Florida. A day later his wife received a letter containing money, and immediately afterword she prepared to leave, reporting that she was going to Leavenworth, where her aunt was dying. Among the men whom Haight had worked for in Chicago were Fred Wittrock, a coal dealer at 727 West Lake street, and Thomas Weaver, the proprietor of a laundry at No. 753 on the same street. F’rom these facts the detectives deprived their first clew. Thev learned that Wittrock and Weaver had left Chicago on the 12th of the month, saying they were going to Kansas to look for land and to hunt. They took with them two sochels and two fowling-pieces. The description of Wittrock tallied with that of the description of the robber furnished by Messenger Fotheringham. Weaver returned to Chicago on October 22.

In the meantime Fotheringham was making statements, in all of which he d< elated his innocence. He said the robber, who had told him his name was “Jim Cummings," would exonerate him. Then came the first of the celebrated “Jim Cummings” letters. “Early last January,” said Cummings In the letter, I started out with a d——d poor partner to see if we couldn’t make a stake by holding up an express car. My partner backed out, and I went to Ohio, where I met a man named Tom Raiffe, who had once been an express messenger on the run between St. Louis and Vinita. I learned the name of the routo agent, John D. Barrett, and conceived the plan of counterfeiting the headings of the express company.” Cummings then went into the details and told how the robbery was committed, taking great care to shield Fotheringham from any blame. From this letter the detectives gathered several clews. They knew that Wittrock and Haight were acquainted ; that Haight had been a messenger on the run mentioned, and that no such man as Tom Raiffe had ever worked for tho company. The detectives secured in Chicago a number of bills which Wittrock had made out in his coal business and forwarded them to St. Louis. Experts decided that the Jim Cummings letters and the coal bills were written by the same man. The only difference was that the bills were made out in a flowing hand, while the letter was in backhand. In a letter Cummings had told about a skiff which would be found up the Missouri river a few miles from St. Charles. He also told of a package which he had left in the express office, with|the Intention of showing that Fotheringham had no connection with the robbery. The detectives found the skiff as described, fully provisioned as if for a fishing trip. They also obtained good descriptions of the men who had bought the skiff at St. Charles. Oct. 14. One of the persons was described in a manner to correspond with the alleged robber, according to Fotheringham’s story, andjalso tojsuggest Wittrock to the minds of those who knew him in Chicago. The description of the smaller man tallied with that of Weaver. The most important clew was the fact that two gunß were found in the skiff. When the reports of the detectives reached headquarters in Chicago it was remembered that Weaver and Wittrock left on the 12th, each carrying a gun. Weaver from this on was shadowed, but no trace could be obtained of Wittrock. The package left in the express office and mentioned in Cummings’ letter was found to consist of several rolls of cheap street ballads. On one was scribbled, as if for a memorandum, “2103 Chesnut street.” Inquiry at that address in St. Louis revealed that two men had rented a room there on the 18th. Each carried a valise. The nouse was kept by a Mrs. Berry, and she. her son, and her daughter gave descriptions which closely corresponded to those in the possession of the Pinkertons. A few days later the detectives visited Mrs. Berry. She rewarded them by turning over a lead seal of the Adums Express Company, and several express togs which she found in the room occupied by the strangers. The smaller man left on the 21st. Weaver returned to Chicago on the 22d. While at Mrs. Berry’s the large man received mail addressed to “Mr Williams ” On the 25th (the night of the robbery) this man left Mrs. Berry’s, saying he was going to Kansas City. It was away into the latter part of November when the detectives had pro ressed thus far in their search for the robbers. The antecedents of Wittrock were ascertained. His mother lived in Leavenworth, and the family was in high standing. His mother had loaned him $1,700 with which to go into business in Chicago. Huight’s family consisted of a wife and one child. He had located in Nashville, Tenn., where he was conducting business as a roofing contractor. Mr. Berry and his sister were brought to Chicago, and identified Weaver as the man who had stopped at their house in St. Louis in compfcny with the tall man. It was decided to let Weaver alone and wait for Wittrock to show up. During the work it was developed that one Oscar Cook, of Kansas City, but formerly of Leavenworth, had been a chum of Wittrock. An operative sent to shadow him reported that he had suddenly grown wealthy, and made frequent trips out of the city, although he was working at his trade of cooper. It was also noted that the “Jim Cummings” letters were always mailed from places at which Cook had been, and on the days he had been there. The lines were now growing closer, and the work centered on Chicago. Wittrock’s house, 10 Lincoln street, had been shadowed for almost a month when, on last Tuesday night, the Pinkerton man was astonished to see another shadow appear and parade up and down before the house several times. A few minutes later a tall man slipped along the street and dodged into the house. In the meantime Ed Kinney, a brother-in-law of Wittrock, left for Quincy, HI., closely attended by a Pinkerton agent. There he went on a drunk, and on Wednesday he received two telegrams which greatly excited him. He went into a billiard ball, and hanging his coat on a nail began playing billiards. While he was dripking at thp bar the Pinkerton man slipped the telegrams from his pocket and read them. They were as follows • “Come home at once. F. Is here.” “Come home at once. Fred has returned-.” Both were signed “Rose Wittrock.” Thursday night Robert and William Pinkerton rented a room near Wittrock’s house. In order to divert snspiolon William represented himself as a proof-reader on the morning edition of the Daily News, while Robert was employed in a

similar capacity on tho afternoon edition of the Daily A eus. Thus they explained why one was always leaving when the otber was jnst arriving. A close watch was kept on the Uouse, and at 3 a m. Friday it was feared that tbe big man (Wittrock) had slipped away. Robert and his assistants came on duty at 6 o'clock. At 9 o'clock Kinney came out of the coal office and went to Wittroek's house. A few moments later he appeared with Weaver, and, after giving a signal, started down the street. Ten minutes later tbe big man, who was none other than Wittrock, came out. Robert Pinkerton signaled his detectives teat he recognized him and that the men were to be arrested i»t once. Kinney and Wittrock went into Spar boro Bios, saldon, near Madison and Lincoln streets, Weaver having turned back. The next moment Kinney also stepped , down the street. Mr. Pinkerton and his detectives entered the saloon and found Wittrock talking to the man who had been seen shadowing his house for him. As soon as Wittrock saw the three officers enter he started to walk out. Pinkerton stopped him and Wittrock started back as if to draw a revolver. The next moment two detectives sprang forward witn drawn revolvers and Wittrock threw up his hands. His friend, the shadow, was also placed under arrest. In Wittrock’s pockets were found two 44-caliber revolvers. He had jnst SllO on his person. Half an hour later Kinney returned and was promptly arrested. A roll of SI,OOO in greenbacks was found in Weaver’s pocket, and around his waist was a belt made of four woolen stockings. In each stocking was SI,OOO in bills. The prisoners were taken to Pinkerton’! agency on Fifth avenue. At one o’clock in the afternoon Weaver was arrested while entering the coal-yard. He made a desperate resistance. Wittrock’s house was then searched, and Mrs Wittrock placed under arrest. After some difficulty the officers obtained from her a flannel skirt which was literally lined with greenbacks. There was 51,900 in cash and a valuable diamond- Weaver’s house was also searched, and $3,000 was found dt ne up in wrappers and buried in fruit-jars under the house. There is still 540,0j0 missing. Cook and Haight have been arrested, and the Pinkertons say they have a sure case against all the persons concerned.