PARALLEL
STORIES
sT FAMOUS
CRIMES
By HENRY C TERRY
(Copyright by
(THE WELLS-FARGO MILLION DOL
LAR EXPRESS ROBBERY.
f AD the plot to rob the Red
Star express on the Erie at
Port Jervi8, New York,
some twenty years ago suc
ceeded, It would have been
the greatest haul ever
made in a train hold-up.
That It did not succeed Is due to the
cunning' and faithfulness of an old em
ploye. A cool million In gold was the
take played for and so bold were the
men who planned to take It that the
detective assigned to the case refused
to believe that the attempt actually
would be made. The story, as told
by the principal actors on each Bide,
is a splendid illustration of the fact
that no matter how carefully a crime
Is planned the criminal cannot take
Into account all the details, the fail
ure of only one of which will lead to
detection. ,
BOB FUREY'S STORY.
"The touch-off on the Red Star Ex
press? Do I recall It? Well I should
mlle. That was one of the biggest
and neatest Jobs ever put up in New
York. It was a hair-raiser from start
to finish. A Job like that ought to
have been worth a million. It would
have been but for one of the unex
pected things that come around to
crooks as well as to other people.
I tumbled on the business by acci
dent one afternoon as I was going
from Washington to New York. I was
sitting In the smoker puffing away on
sv bit of Havana, when a couple of
gents dropped In and took the seat
1b front. I did not pay any attention
to them until I overheard them talking
about money bags and gold coin. I
picked up from their conversation that
they were agents for an express com
pany that had a contract for hauling
money for the government, and bad
chance of the stuff while It was in
transit from Washington to the mint
In Philadelphia or to other eastern, cit
ies. This of itself did not specially In
terest me, but when I heard them talk
about how carelessly the coin was
handled by the agents east of Chi
cago, a territory In which the cars
were believed to be perfectly safe, I
began thinking a bit. Before I reach
ed New York I had made up my mind
to pick up a few additional facts on
this subject. If It turned out as rosy
as these fellows indicated I would
teach some of them a lesson in the
art of performing their duty. I learn
ed from them incidentally that the
Red Star Express, on the Erie, car
ried more money than any other com
pany, and that the agents guarded
$1,000,000 about as closely as the or
dinary citizen would a nickel.
I gave these citizens a silent vote
of thanks when we parted. Imme
diately afterward I began an official
Investigation. I had learned the trade
of machinist when I was a young fel
low, so the first thing I did was to
make application for a Job in the Erie
railroad repair shops In Jersey City.
While working on the car I got ac
quainted with Pop Thompson. He was
called Pop because of his general good
nature, and not because he was old. I
made myself as friendly with him as
I could. I found out where he lived
In, Lafayette, N. Y., a Uttle station up
the line a ways. I hired a room In. a
boarding house near him. We met
very often, and he seemed to take
a fancy to me. After a while he talk
ed quite freely about his business,
though It was always about trips that
he had made and never about trips
that he was going to take.
When I got this far Into the scheme
I called In Johnny Dobbs, Big Jim
Brady, Walt Herrlck and Pete Dur
and, four of the wisest crooks that
ever lived, and put them onto Pop and J
his car, with the idea that one of
them would sUck to him every day and
go away with him on every trip to get
the run of the business. In this way
Johnny Dobbs picked up In Chicago
that Pop had a weak side. In short,
he was leading a double life. Nothing
could have suited me better, for that
gave me a chance to pull him Into the
traces.
There was no longer any use of my
working In the shop, so I quit and
went to Chicago to wait for Pop to
turn up. It was some weeks before he
landed there, but I fixed it so that I
would meet him coming out of his
home No. 2 In Chicago, which gave
me a chance to call him down. He
wae not as much surprised as I
thought be would be, and It wae not
until he got ready to return home that
be suggested that it would be well to
keep quiet what I had seen.
I promised never to mention It, and
returned with Pop. It was the first
show that I bad to throw out any
feelers. I gently, rather playfully,
hinted that Pop was carrying a large
amount of money for other people, and
It was a wonder to me that none of It
had ever stuck to his fingers. Pop
manifested more Interest In this talk
than I had ever hoped for. He said
be was tired of working for nothing.
ate hinted that If I oould suggest any
THE CRIMINAL Tells
How He Planned the
Deed and Sought to Close
Every Avenue of Knowl
edge Leading to His Guilt.
The Detective Shows How
Futile These Efforts Were and
How the Old Adage, Murder
Will Out, "Always Holds Good."
P. I Nelson
plan to make a big roll of money he
was willing to listen. Then I gave
him the idea, cold and plain, of hitting
a rap at the Red Star car.
Pop drank in all that I said like a
very thirsty man, agreed to meet me
the next day and, give me his views.
He was on deck at the appointed time,
and promised to furnish me with the
Information about the car and its load
of coin, if I would do the rest of the
.work and fix It up so nothing would
point to him. This seemed all right.
If the thing was pulled off he could
get his share of the boodle and quit
his Job when he felt like it He was
willing to make the dust, but had been
trained so long on the honest line that
he could not become a full-fledged thief
at a jump.
Pop went along in the regular way,
as it was arranged that we were not
going to make the strike until the
fall shipment of gold to Chicago. The
time was left to Pop to select. We
got the tip on Monday, that on the
following Wednesday night the Red
Star car would go out from the Erie
depot with the big load of shiny met
al. We fixed up everything to carry
out our trick. I had a Icng talk with
Pop. He was so inquisitive about all
the details of robbery, and Insisted up
on, knowing everything that we were
going to do before hand, that I became
suspicious of him.
One of the gang had been on his
track every day without his knowl
edge, and had never seen or heard
anything wrong, so I thought maybe
I was not fair with Pop to doubt him.
After thinking it all over I concluded
that the safest way to deal with Pop
would be to fool him by giving him a
ghost story about the details. I told
him the train would be flagged about
five miles west of Port Jervis and
the safes dumped from the car. A
wagon would be in readiness to take
the safes. They would then be blown
open on the road. The plan was to
, bury the gold In a safe place and
cart away only the greenbacks.
Wednesday night came. The car
pulled out of the depot with Pop on
the first watch and his partner in the
sleeper. The gang were all in the
smoker. After we got in motion Pop
let us into the car. We started at
once on the big safe and had no trou
ble getting into it. Pop, or course,
did not know the combination. We
got out the small safes there were
four of them and they were very
heavy. Pop said the cargo was near
ly all gold and the prospect was very
bright."
A few miles this side of Port Jer
vis, at a place agreed upon, and about
ten miles from where Pop had been
given to understand that the robbery
would take place, I gave the signal.
We forced the door of the car and
dumped the safes while we were go
ing at full speed. About a quarter
of a mile beyond, a red light was
waved in front of the engine. The
train stopped. We Jumped when the
train slacked up, and the red light dis
appeared. We put Pop to sleep In
the car with a tap on the head and
closed the door, so that nothing was
known of the robbery until the train
reached Port Jervis. Then we had a
hustle for fair.
DETECTIVE M'QUILLAN'8 STORY.
I was sitting In my office late one
afternoon when a messenger called
and said that a detective was wanted
at the office of Wells, Fargo ft Co. for
special business. When I got to the
express office I was told what seemed
to me to be a very fishy story about
an attack that was going to be made
upon the Red Star money car.
The tip that the robbery was going
to come off had been! given to the
company by Ike Thompson, who went
by the name of "Pop," one of the
best agents in the express car service,
but I thought that there must be
mistake in It somewhere. His story
was that while he was in Chicago on
one of the regular trips he went to the
house of his sister-in-law, and when
he left he was accosted by a fellow
whom he had known In Jersey City
aa Luke Sanderson, one of the work
men In the Erie Railroad shops.
In some way or other Sanderson had
got the idea that the woman Thomp
son had called upon was his wife. San
derson knew that Thompson was mar
ried and had a family in Lafayette,
N. Y.. and he took pains to suggest
to Thompson that It would go very
hard with him If the company should
learn that he was not living on the
level, as he was earning bardly enough
money legitimately to run two homes.
Thompson did not stumble to what
Sanderson was driving at until they
were on the way back to Jersey City,
going with an empty money car, when
Sanderson suggested that there was an
easier way to make a fortune than
working for It
Thompson Is a very foxy fellow, and
determined to lead Sanderson on with
the belief that he was ready to go Into
anything that would pay big money.
and he managed his part of the affair
so well that Sanderson never dropped
to the fact that he was being Jollied.
I was not sent for until several
days or weeks afterward, as Thompson
and the officials were not any too
anxious to divide the honors In the
case, as success made a big thing for
all the company's employes who figur
ed in the case. Thompson had several
interviews with Sanderson, and from
what he said had got him worked up
to a high pitch over the robbery and
the gang were anxious to spring the
trick.
I listened to the tale, and was very
skeptical. I did not believe that any
top-notch crooks would have gone into
such a scheme with Thompson without
first being assured that there was no
possible chance of a throw-down.
I asked for a sight of the crook, to
see if I knew him. A meeting was ar
ranged, at which I was present, and
when I got my peepers on the bold
Sanderson my old heart gave a
thump, for I recognized him at a
glance as Bob Furey, a crook on both
sides of the ocean in some first-class
jobs.
Thompson was to figure only as a
second fiddle in the transaction, and
was to get an even share in the swag
with the others when the money was
divided. It was not necessary for him
to have a knowledge of the details of
the plans which Furey had put up to
work off the money bags. The gang
wanted a big boodle, and so long as
we were on to their game I suggested
that we should not give the gang the
tip until there was really a big load
of dust on board the express car, just
to give the gang the laugh when they
got the throw-down for losing such
a dandy bundle.
The day was finally set for the rob
bery- Thompson succeeded in getting
all the details, so that it made the
work dead easy on paper. The sig
nal to hold up the train, it was ar
ranged, would be given after leaving
Port Jervis on the Erie railroad, which
would be the signal for us to do our
little act and land the gang.
The train with the Red Star car was
booked to leave the Erie depot at 6
o'clock in the evening, and in the
morning I sent four men to Port Jervis
to take up a position where the red
light was to be given at night. I got
a telegram that they had landed all
right and in the evening, when the
train pulled out of the depot, I was
aboard with six lusty fellows, who
would rather fight than eat.
I saw Thompson before the train
started but did not speak to him. He
indicated by a nod of the head that
their gang were on board the train in
the front cars, and everything looked
rosy. The train pulled out on time,
and we went humping along at a live
ly rate, as we were on the fast ex
press. I had given instructions to my
men what to do when we got to the
holding-up place.
I knew every foot of the ground on
the Erie, and when we got within a
few miles of Port Jervis I began to
feel just a little bit nervous. While
I was running all the details of the at
tack over in my mind the train slow
ly pulled up, but did not come to a
full stop. I looked out of the win
dow, but did not see anything. In a
moment we were pushing up the hill to
Port Jervis at full speed. When we
pulled up at the little depot I jumped
off the car to take a final look at
things, and as J passed the Red Star
car I heard a moan. I listened and it
was repeated several times. I could
not understand it, but I felt that some
thing had gone wrong.
I did not want to make a foolish
break of any kind, so I first went to
the engineer and asked him what he
had stopped for before reaching Port
Jervis. He said that he saw a red
light swinging on the track, and
slowed up. The light had disappeared
before he got to it, and he could not
understand it. I knew the meaning of
it, and saw the game in a second. The
gang had fooled Thompson by giving
him a wrong description of what was
going to be done. This was verified
when I reached the Redt Star car. The
lock had been broken off, and inside
the car was Thompson. lying on his
back well done up.
He was partly conscious, and knew
enough to tell that the thieves had
fooled him, and had dumped the safes
on the track about three miles east
of Port Jervis. They had jumped oft
the train when It slowed. But If
Thompson had been fooled he had
fooled the gang also, for he had flung
the kit of tools which was to be used
to open the safes off the car, and It
was dollars to doughnuts they would
not be able to find them.
I got an engine at the depot, and In
ten minutes I was on the way back
with my men. Before reaching the
place I noticed lanterns flashing along
the track, and I ordered the engineer
to run past the lights a half mile or
so before slowing up. As we went
by the spot I saw the gang at work
carrying the safes to a wagon. We
stopped after turning a curve and
started back on foot.
The thieves, I concluded, had dis
covered the loss of the tools, and in
stead of trying to open the safes had
decided to carry them away and break
them up at their leisure. When we
got back to the place the gang were
about ready to move and I ordered my
men to wait until they all got into the
wagon before making the attack.
We stood in the shadow of the trees
on the roadside until the wagon came
up, and then I gave the signal. One
man seized the horse's head and
turned him into a fence, and the rest
of us covered the gang with guns.
Two of the gang jumped, and were
shot. The others threw up their hands.
We took the whole outfit to Port
Jervis, and Walt. Herrlck died- on the
way. Durand was shot in the chest,
but recovered In time for the trial.
With the conviction of Johnny Dobbs,
Jim Brady, Bob Furey and Pete Dur
and one of the most notorious gangs
of safe breakers wae broken, up.
rVwcWsTW 711 nivrfc TTnmr
vainJ i i I V i iUN 0 i :T itai ii i
ot mat iArwT
&7rfJCHSG OF THE
LATE on the afternoon of August
19, one hundred years ago. Cap
tain Isaac Hull, one of Ameri
ca's greatest naval command
ers, won a wager of a hat from
Captain James Richard Dacres of the
British navy. In addition to the hat,
the Englishman lost the first action
between frigates in the war of 1812,
and his country suffered a blow to its
pride and prestige from which it was
long in recovering. A few days later
the Constitution, one of the vessels
which the British commanders had
sneeringly called the "fir-built Yankee
frigates flying a piece of striped bunt
ing at their mast-heads," appeared off
Boston lighthouse gaily decked with
flags and proudly passed up the har
bor to tell of the capture and destruc
tion of the Guerriere.
Only a month before this momen
tous engagement Captain Hull had
had an exciting experience with the
Guerriere and her consorts, the Bevi-
dere and Eeolus. These three vessels
pursued the Constitution for more
than 66 hours and Captain Hull es
caped only by indomitable persever
ance and most skillful 'seamanship,
putting into Boston for supplies.
Early in August the Constitution
started out again on a hunt for the
enemy, and on August 19 a sail was
sighted that proved to be a British
frigate which, from her maneuvers,
was evidently desirous of engaging.
When the vessels were three miles
apart Captain Hull sent down his
royal yards, reefed his topsails and
sent the crew to quarters. This crew
was remarkably disciplined and drill
ed at the guns, and more than that,
scarcely a man of them but had a
score to settle with the English. On
the bare backs of most of them were
the scars made by the lashes of the
brutal English press gangs, and many
were descendants of American sailors
who had suffered martyrdom in the
British prison ships during the Revo
lution. Hull himself kept in mind the
fact that his father died in a pest ship
from the cruel treatment he bad re
ceived. Hull Wanted the Hat.
Soon after 4 o'clock the two fri
gates exchanged ineffectual broad
sides while maneuvering for position
and constantly drawing closer. About
6 o'clock Hull, becoming impatient,
ordered the Constitution to be steered
directly for the enemy and rapidly
closed upon his port quarter. By the
orders of Hull the Americans now
ceased firing and made all prepara
tions for an effective broadside, reload
ing the guns carefully with round shot
and grape and training them upon the
British ship. The Englishmen were
to be seen working their guns stead
ily, and their frequent cheers were
plainly heard. What followed Is thus
told by Edgar S. Maclay in his "His
tory of the Navy":
"As yet no order had come from the
quarter-deck of the American frigate
and perfect quiet prevailed along her
decks as the men stood by their guns
nearly all of them barefooted and
many stripped to the waist, ever and
anon casting inquiring glances at their
officers. At this moment a shot
struck the Constitution's bulwarks
and threw innumerable splinters over
the first division of the gun deck
wounding several men. Observing
the effect of this shot, the Englishmen
gave three cheers; but still the Amer
ican frigate remained silent. First
Lieutenant Morris now approached
the quarter-deck, where Captain Hull
was coolly pacing back and forth, and
said: 'The enemy has opened fire
and killed two of our men. Shall we
return it?" 'Not yet, sir," was the
response irom ine quarter-deck, and
the men saw their mutilated ship
mates hurried below to the surgeon's
table, while they stood silently at
their guns in momentary expectation
of meeting a similar fate. Nothing
but the perfect discipline in the Amer
ican frigate restrained the impatience
of the gun crews and prevented them
from returning the Englishman's can
nonading. Three times Lieutenant
ll I
a ja Al
1L
aVEKRIEBG
Morris asked if he could open fire, an
three times he was answered with t
calm 'Not yet, sir."
"But at last, having gained a post
tion about 40 yards off the enemy'i
port quarter, Captain Hull gave th
order to fire as the guns bore. In ai
instant the frigate belched forth i
storm of iron hail that carried deatl
and destruction into the opposing
ship. The splinters were seen to flj
over the British frigate like a cloud
some of them reaching as high as the
mizzen-top, while the cheers of hei
men abruptly ceased and the shrieks
and groans of the wounded were
heard. The Americans had struck
their first earnest blow, and it was a
staggering one. The Englishman felt
its full weight, and perhaps for the
first time realized that this was no
child's play."
British Vessel Shattered.
Serving their guns with extraor
dinary rapidity and accuracy, th
Americans inflicted great damage on
the Guerrlere's hull and rigging, and
a round shot brought down the Eng
lishman's mizzenmast This brought
the Guerriere up into the wind and the
Constitution got in two raking broad
sides. The vessels came together
with the Englishman's jib boom ex
tending across the Constitution's
quarter deck. Both crews prepared
for boarding, but the rolling of the
ships prevented this. Meanwhile the
sharpshooters in the tops were work
ing with energy and several officer!
and many men on both sides were
killed or wounded. Captain Hull
stepped upon a chest to lead the board
ers, but a seaman pulled him down, beg
ging him not to so expose himself
while wearing "those swabs," re
ferring to his epaulets. The ships
were so close together that an Amer
ican sailor, after firing his pistol at
an Englishman, threw the weapon at
his enemy, hitting him in the face.
Another of the Americans, young John
Hogan, won a pension just about this
time. The American flag at the main
top gallantmast - heag was carried
away by a shot and Hogan ran up the
rigging and nailed the flag to the
mast, descending unhurt. Captain
Dacres was among those wounded
by the riflemen, a bullet striking him
in the back.
The frigates now fell apart, and In
dropping astern the Guerrlere's bow
sprit struck the American's taffralL
her forestays were slackened and her
foremast went by the side, falling
across the main stays. This brought
down the mainmast and the vessel fell
into the trough of the sea, a complete
wreck, at each wave rolling the man
deck guns In the water.
Caputain Hull, seeing that the en
emy was done for, drew off to repair
damages so that he should not be
caught by any other British vessel
that might come along, and returning
later, sent Lieutenant Read to take
possession. Captain Dacres reluct
antly admitted that he could not con
tinue the combat and accompanied
Read to the Constitution. As he came
up the side on a rope ladder Captain
Hull assisted him, saying: "Give me
your hand, Dacres. I know you are
hurt." And when the conquered com
mander offered his sword, Hull cried:
"No, I will not take the sword from
one who knows so well how to use It,
but I'll trouble you for that hat"
The wager on the outcome of a pos
sible meeting between their respective
trigates had been made before the
breaking out of hostilities.
Hull did all that was possible to re
lieve the suffering of the wounded
Englishmen. The Guerriere was
found to be in a sinking condition and
was .blown up.
This victory of the Constitution was
the first of moment won by the Amer
icans in the war and cheered up the
young nation mightily. It was fol
lowed by many another, one of th
most famous being Commodore Perry's
victory in the battle of Lake Erie, th
centenary of which Is to celebrated
next summer with great ceremonies
and long continued fetes.
OLD VANDERBILT RURAL HOME)
Little Place, Called "The Stream," Is)
Leased by Millionaire's Wife
in England.
London. Mrs. Alfred Vanderbilt
formerly Mrs. McKlm, has been mak
ing extensive alterations to the house
called "The Stream," at Betchworth,
near Relgate, in Surrey, Of which she
took a seven years' lease last fall, a
few months before her marriage to
Alfred Vanderbilt, She Is much at
tached to the place, although neither)
the house, which is a small one, nor:
the grounds, are particularly attract-
ive. In fact, many of the people atj
Betchworth on learning that she had
plenty of money said . In amazement
Whatever does she want to come tof
a hole like this for?" When she re
turned from her honeymoon almost
her first remark was, "Oh! How glad
am to be back here again. Now I
lan rest and keep quiet." Since her
return this sentiment has grown
Mrs. Vanderbilt's English Home.
stronger and she has bought the
house and grounds.
Since winter many Improvements
have been made that were badly
needed, for the dwelling had been
empty for five years before she tooK
it. An additional plot of land has:
been bought from the trustee of the
previous tenant, an outside broker;
whose business fell upon evil days. A!
garage has been built capable of hold-j
Ing several cars.
Miss Ethel McCormick, who was
Mrs. Vanderbilt's companion at the
time of the marriage, still remains a,
close friend and is constantly at;
Betchworth. Some months ago, while;
she was being driven In a dog cart by
Mrs. Vanderbilt from Reigate the
horse bolted and upset both women
and the groom, who was with them,
out of the cart The horse ' was a
young one from Vanderbilt's stables
at Hendon, and Manager Wilson has
since had Instructions to see that
quieter horses are sent to Betchworth.
COLLIES TO HERD REINDEER
Uncle Sam Hires Blue-Blooded 8c1ons ,
. to Teach the Plebeian Canlnea
of Alaska.
Seattle, Wash. Lass and Major,
blue-blooded collies, who date thel
ancestry back to the coming of some
Collie William the Conquerer to Bon.
nie Scotland, have been hired by
Uncle Sam to educate the dogs ol
Alaska. Their particular field of actiY
Ity will be Instructing collies, shep
herds and huskies of the wild north
In the herding of government rein
deer. When the steamship St Helens sails
from this port Lass and Major as well
as four other collies of less aristo
cratic strain will be passengers. They
will be in charge of A. N. Evans, su
perintendent of the northwest district
for the department of education.
Among the places they will visit will
be St Michael, Teller and St Law,
rence Island. -.:--!siflsS
At the last local bench show Lass
and Major took blue ribbons and spe
cial prizes against the field. They
were purchased from Mrs. A. Stlnson
of this city recently, and Major made
the transfer memorable by falling Into
the hands of the pound master. Ha
was rescued from prison by W. T,
Lopp, chief of the Alaskan division,;
department of education, very much;
soiled and worn out with his adven
tures about the city. At herding col
lies excel every breed of dog known
to man, and -Lass and Major, being
almost Intelligent enough to speak
English, are expected to accomplish
wonders with the native dogs of the
north. Some doubt is expressed wheth
er or not they will readily learn the
Eskimo and Indian dialects of north
ern dogdom, but Mr. Lapp and Mr.
Evans think that a short acquaintance
In Alaska will make them proficient
In tongues.
SPOUSE FLIRTS WITH SPOOKS
Denver Woman, Asking Divorcee
Brings Singular Accusation
Against Husband.
Denver, Cola Charging that her
eighty-year-old husband possesses a
spirit more youthful and that while
.she knows where his mundane form
.reposes at night her own spirit la
unable to follow his Lothario-like rov
ings on the astral "Great White Way,"
I Annie It. Thompson, wife of one of
: Denver's most widely known million-;
aire spiritualists, has filed suit In
.court for separate maintenance, aj
ehare In her husband's fortunes and)
confirmation of the deed to her home
Policeman Prevents Suicide.
Chicago. Had It not been ton
the prompt action of Policeman)
Charles Wilson of the North Halsted
street station, Harry Meyer, 6139,
South Morgan street would have end-
ed his life from suicide bridge In Lint
coin park. The policeman arrested.
Meyer on a disorderly charge.
ill (Bffi ; jU?f
