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Robert A. Pinkerton’s Solution of a $40,000 Robbery Passion for Gaming Table Turns Promising Master Mechanic Into a King ol Crooks More than three thousand men, Women and children resi dents of Sus quehanna, Pa., put under sur veillance in connection With big theft. (Robert A. Pinkerton was born in Dun dee, Illinois, in IS4B, and educated at Notre Dame university in Indiana. He was the son of Allan Pinkerton, the founder of the famous detective agency. "Bob” Pinkerton, as he was familiarly called, had a marvelous memory for names and faces, and his gallery of crim inal photographs and biographies was supposed to be the finest in America. He made a big reputation by his method of handling great crowds at the race tracks. He was a man of pleasing personality and did much toward introducing purely business systems into a concern which Is regarded as rather romantic. He died August 12, 1907, aboard the North German Lloyd steamer "Bremen” while bound for Europe.) One morning before daylight the United States Express company was robbed of $40,000, and, sad to say, there was not a shred of evidence to tell the story of how this small for tune was permitted to slip from the grasp of a corporation that had the 'reputation of being one of the most careful and conservative in America. The scene of the robbery was at Sus quehanna, Pa., and the local authori ties did everything in their power to locate the cash, but all to no avail. in this emergency the company en listed the services of Robert A. Pink erton. It is probable that no detec tive in the world was better equipped to grapple with a problem of this kind than "Bob Pinkerton.” He had the experience of a lifetime in following crime of this particular character, and although his adventures were little known to the public at large, he en joyed the reputation of more suc cesses than any other man in the agency. On June 20, 1883, the Marine Na tional bank of New York sent to the First National bank of Susquehanna a sealed package containing $40,000 In currency and national bank notes. The money was to be used in the payment of wages of more than 1,000 employes of the Erie Railroad com pany in the local shops. The pack age was carried to the United States Express company's office in New York by a clerk of the Marine bank who received a receipt for it. The money clerk of the express company took charge of the cash and inclosed It in the regular canvas pouch, sealed with the company’s stamp and at tached a tag on which was the name of the company's agent at Susquehan na. The pouch was duly delivered to Messenger Van Wagenen, who placed it in the safe with other valuables. It was midnight when It reached Sus quehanna and he turned the expen sive package over to Dwight Cham berlain. a night clork and watchman, who was Jointly employed by the ex press company and the Erie Railroad company. Chamberlain placed it in the safe in the ticket office and locked It with a key which he carried in his pocket. After that he was busily em ployed in his usual duties about the station, frequently being away from the ticket office until seven o’clock on the morning of the 21st. While casting up his accounts the messenger from the Susquehanna bank arrived and called for the sealed package. The pouch was taken from the safe, but instead of the $40,000 in cash, a number of small packages of brown manilla paper, cut about the size of bank bills, were found in the receptacle. This being the case, either Chamberlain, the night clerk, one of the employes, or some other person, unknown, was guilty. Chamberlain was subjected to a rigid cross-exam ination, and at Its conclusion Mr. Pinkerton expressed the belief that he was entirely Innocent of any com plicity In the theft. A careful watch kept on all of the employes of the company brought no developments. At this stage of the game tho detec tive broadened the lino of Ills Inquiry ■o as to Include every man, woman and child In the town of Susquuhannu. Bome Instinctive feeling—probably the result of his long years of experience —made him believe that the crime ked originated In the little town In Pennsylvania. After learning as much as possible about the personal hletory of the Inhabitants, he began By GEORGE BARTON \^h'l "fVHAT \r>o yocr tze-ajv?' G43I2ED 7T£EASTQNZS&ED the process of elimination, dropping out names of all those to whom he was morally convinced on suspicion could be attached. Then he ascer tained the names of all persons who had left the town within the preced ing 12 months, and as a result of this learned that George H. Proctor, the foreman of the boiler shops of the Erie Railroad company, had gone to Buffalo about a month after the rob bery. This was a rich lead and the detective followed it up with great eagerness. Ho located Proctor in Buffalo without any difficulty and learned that the man was engaged in speculating In oil, and that he had made considerable profit from that oc cupation. The man came in the course of a few weeks, and Pinkerton, who had as sumed an ulias, casually found an op portunity of having himself presented to Proctor. He invited him out for a stroll and finally suggested that they go to his room at the hotel and smoke a cigar. Once there, the de tective turned to Proctor and said sharply: ‘it’s no use, Proctor, the game is up!” “What do you mean?” gasped the astonished man. “I mean that my name is Robert Pinkerton, and that I have all the facts in the safe robbery.” “You have!” exclaimed the other. “I have,” was the response, “and tho sooner we close it out the bet tor.” After this Proctor threw off all re serve and admitted his guilt. He said, however, that he had been the tool of two men named Martin and Collins, who were now In Canada. They had given him SII,OOO as his share of the booty which he had placed in a glass Jar and burled it in the yard of his house, leaving it there until his removal to Buffalo. Pinker ton believed this story and arranged to permit Proctor to go at liberty, de termining to hold him as a witness for the prosecution and also as a de- coy to bring Collins and Martin from Canada where they had gone to be beyond the reach of the American law. Proctor was allowed to remain at his home in Susquehanna, pledging himself to keep Pinkerton’s agency constantly Informed of his move ments. One morning, however he broke his parole without warning. Much chagrined at the mistak* he had made in the character of Proctor, Pinkerton set about to recapture the three- robbers. His first step was to put out a rumor that the trio wore being sought by the police for a bur glary committed in Canada. On hear ing this, Martin, Collins and Proctor purchased tickets to Portland, from whence they had taken passage by telegram on a steamer scheduled for London. Pinkerton was Informed of this through the various agencies at his control and stationed himself at Island Pond, a point in Vermont where the Grand Trunk railroad crosses the line Into the United States. Ho boarded the train and interviewed tho conductor, who told him that .Mar tin and Collins, evidently suspecting trouble, had Jumped from the train during a temporary slow-down on the Canadian side. He said, however, that the third man was still in his berth. "That is enough,” said Pinkerton, and he started for the berth whore Proctor was sleeping. Pushing his hand in, ho shook tho man roughly. "What is it?” was tho sleepy re sponse. “Time to get up,” said the detec tive, “hurry.” Proctor Jumped out of bed and stood in the passageway of tho car rubbing his eyes with his fist. “I want you on a matter of great im portance, Mr. Proctor.” As soon us he heard his voice, Proc tor recognized the detective. He smiled grimly and said: "All right. 1 guess the Jig's up.” And the Jig was up. In the trial that ensued the full de tails of the crime became known. About a year before the robbery Proc tor secured employment In the boiler shops of the Erie Railroad company at Susquehanna. In six months his su perior skill made him foreman of the shops. In this position he learned that the money used to pay the em ployes was brought from New York city, and that it was frequently kept in the safe of the express company for 48 hours before being paid to the men. He next discovered who carried the keys of the safe and learned that the agent of the express company at Susquehanna and two of the clerkß each had a key. His af fable manner soon made him a warm friend of the three men. One day, while in the shops, Proctor asked one of these clerks to loan him his keys in order to unlock his tool chest. In nocently the man handed Proctor his bunch of keys. They walked togeth er towards the tool chest. Proctor easily picked out the safe key as ho walked along. Ho had a small piece of white paper In his hand, and while he conversed with tho clerk he rubbed the key tightly on the soft paper. The impression was perfect. It was all Proctor needed. That night before going to bed he had a key exactly like the safe key on tho clerk’s bunch— such is the expertness of “fitters” In the burglar’s world. Before morning he had a plan of all the details of the robbery. He did not deem it safe to attempt the enterprise alone, so he secured the aid of the two Canadians, named Collins and Martin. At the time they were living near the Suspen sion bridge. Proctor now found that the pouch containing the $40,000 would leave New York city at six o'clock In the evening on June 20. The train ar rived in Susquehanna at threo o'clock in the morning. In CO minutes the pouch had been put In the safe by the agent and taken out by the con spirators. The bogUB bag and seal had already been prepared and as soon as the genuine pouch was taken out the other was put In its place. Thief George H. Proctor, a Wit, skilled mu sician, foreman in boiler shops and athlete,sue. cumbs to great detective's mar velous powers of reasoning. The substitution took place while the agent was busily engaged in the way bill department of the station at four o'clock in the morning. The agent was out of ear-shot at the time Martin opened the safe with the key that Proctor had made and took the bag containing the money. The substitute was put in its place and the safe locked, and in ten minutes' time Col lins and Martin, carrying a valise with the $40,000. took a train for Corning, N. Y.; from thence they went to Sche nectady, and then to Suspension bridge, where Proctor was waiting for them. The object of this circuitous journey was to throw anyone off the trail in case they were followed. At Suspension bridge the three conspira tors met and divided their loot. Proc tor received $13,000 as his share of the booty, and calmly returned to Susquehanna, and, putting on his over, alls and working clothes, resumed his employment in the boiler shops. Robert Pinkerton was much chagrined to think that Proctor had been able to hoodwink him in the early part of the affair. Instead of being an inno cent accomplice, he was a profession al burglar with a checkered career. Proctor, when he began the serious part of his life, was a first-class me chanic and at an early age became the foreman of the Portland boiler works. The passion for gambling caused him to lose his position, and in a few years he had Joined a group of east ern burglars, acting for them as a "fitter” in opening safes. In the Cen tennial year, after he was convicted of a safe robbery in Lowell, he was sent to the Massachusetts state prison at Charleston for four years. He be came organist of the prison and had unusual privileges. As a result he became acquainted with Charles Bul lard, a fellow convict, who was serv ing a 20-year term for breaking Into the Boylston bank, Boston, and together they conceived a plan of escape. Proc tor made Impressions of the cell door keys and made keys out of old knives. From time to time he gathered enough clothes to be used by himself and Bullard when their plans of es cape had fully ripened. The clothes in the meantime were deftly hid in the top of the organ. One eventful night Proctor, Bullard and seven other long-term convicts escaped. Proctor and Bullard went to Canada byway of New York. In Toronto they robbed the ticket office of the Grand Trunk Railway company at Brockville of $3,000. A few days later they robbed another ticket office near Quebec of $4,000. Aftetr that Proctor got work In the Toronto safe works, and after awhile was promoted to a traveling salesmanship. When ho sold a safo he arranged the combination, and Bul lard would follow him a little later and rob the safe. The suspicion of the safe company eventually caused his dismissal. On another occasion Proctor at tempted to break jail but did not meet with his usual success. Ho pried the bars off the cell door, but when he reached the corridor the sheriff stopped him at the point of the pis tol. As a result of this he was sen tenced to eight years’ solitary con finement, part of this for his original offense and two years for attempting to break Jail. A week after this pieces of paper were found on the floor of his cell bearing the impres sions of tho key of his cell door, the corridor door, and the door leading to the street. It was after he had served this sentence that he went to Sus quehanna and lived as an honest man until the opportunity came for him to take part in the great safo robbery. The "King of Burglars,” as Proctor was called, was given a long sentence for the Susquehanna express rob bery at hard labor in tho Eastern pen itentiary at Philadelphia. His accom plices, as far as known, were never captured. Soldiers Live on Nuts. The Somali soldier keeps himself In perfect fighting condition on a diet of nuts. He eats only 20 a day, but they are of a very nourishing kind. The Smiths at Denver. About 8 o’clock last night a bellboy in the lobby of the Albany got out in the middle of the floor and yelled: "Call for Mr. Smith.” Immediately there was a regular football rush around the boy. He was rescued with difficulty. The Smiths are here all right, all right.—Denver Post. Impossible. He—Do you think it would be fool ish of me to marry a girl who was my inferior intellectually? She—More than foolish —impossible. His Very First. W. C. Philips of the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, said recently in New York that among infants artificially fed, fifteen times more died than among those fed natu rally. "We will learn in the end to live cor rectly,” said Mr. Philips. "As things stand now, we are not much wiser in our way of living than an immigrant of whom I heard the other day. "This immigrant, a Magyar, was ar rested for stealing a bottle of whisky. At tho station house the sergeant said to him, pointing toward a tub: "‘Strip and take a bath.’ "‘Vat, go in de vater?” shrieked the Magyar. “ ‘Yes,’ said the sergeant, ‘take a bath. You need It. How long is it since you have had a bath?’ "The Magyar lifted up his hands and rolled his eyes. " ‘Oh,’ ho said, ‘I never vaß arrested before.’ ” Down by the Lake. Summer Girl —What a queer looking boat! What kind is it? Boatman —That’s a catboat, Miss. Summer Girl —Indeed! And where are the kitten boats? * A Real Artist. Oscar Hammerstein, at a dinner in New York, said that he imputed his great success to the fact that in his opera house he put art ahead of mon ey-making. "I like to think,” said Mr. Ham merstein, "that in some small degree I share the artistic feeling of the great Handel. “Handel, when the curtain would rise upon a nearly empty house, would say soothingly to his associates: ‘“Ach, never mind; tho music will sound all the better.’ ” A Difference in Yards. John and Pat were two friendly workmen who were constantly tilting, each one trying to outwit the other. "Are you good at measurement?” asked John. "I am that,” said Pat quickly. "Then, could you tell me how many shirts I could get out of a yard?" asked John. "Sure,” said Pat; "that depends on whose yard you got into.” —Human Life. A Matter of Wonder. "Tomorrow,” announced five-year old Sidney proudly to his kindergarten teocher, "is my birfday.” "Why,” returned she, "it is mine, too.” The boy’s face clouded with perplex ity, and, after a brief silence, he ex claimed, "How did you get so much bigger’n me?” —Human Life. Too Much for the Old Man. "Good morning.” said the artist, po litely, "that’s a perfect cow of youra down there in the field. I'd like to paint her if you don’t mind.” "By Heck!” exclaimed Farmer Korn top, "I reckon ye won’t. Git outer hyar! I’m tired o’ you ’Perkins Purple Pills fellers.' ” —Philadelphia Press. 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