Jim Cummings | Page 5

train commenced slacking up, and as it
stopped, Cummings, opening the door, with his valuable valise, leaped
to the ground, closed the door behind him, the darkness closed around
him and he was gone.
Inside the car, a rifled safe, a bound and gagged messenger, and the
Adams Express Company was poorer by $100,000 than it was when the
'Frisco train pulled out of the depot the evening before.

CHAPTER III
.
PINKERTON TO THE RESCUE.
The next day the country knew of the robbery. Newspapers in every
city had huge head lines, telling the story in the most graphic style.
JESSE JAMES OUTDONE! The Adams Express Company ROBBED
OF $100,000!
THE EXPRESS MESSENGER FOUND GAGGED AND BOUND TO
HIS OWN SAFE--THE ROBBER ESCAPES--ABSOLUTELY NO
CLEWS--PINKERTON TO THE RESCUE!
Mr. Damsel, the superintendent of the St. Louis branch of the Adams
Express Company, was pacing anxiously up and down his private
office. Fotheringham was relating his exciting experience, which a
stenographer immediately took down in shorthand. At frequent
intervals Mr. Damsel would ask a searching question, to which the
messenger replied in a straightforward manner and without hesitation.
It was a trying ordeal to him. Innocent as he was, his own testimony
was against him. He knew it and felt it, but nothing that he could do or

say would lighten the weight of the damaging evidence. He could but
tell the facts and await developments. When he was through Mr.
Damsel left him in the office, and immediately telegraphed to every
station between Pacific and St. Louis to look for the linen and
underclothing which the robbers had thrown from the car. The wires
were working in all directions, giving a full description of Cummings
and such other information as would lead to his discovery.
Local detectives were closeted with Mr. Damsel all day, but so
shrewdly and cunningly had the express robber covered his tracks, that
nothing but the bare description of the man could be used as a clew.
Fotheringham was put through the "sweating process" time and again,
but, though he gave the most minute and detailed account of the affair,
the detectives could find nothing to help them.
That Fotheringham "stood in" with the robber was the universal theory.
The story of the letter and order from Mr. Barrett was received with
derision and suspicion.
Mr. Damsel himself was almost confident that his employee had a hand
in the robbery. It was a long and anxious day, and as it wore along and
no new developments turned up, Mr. Damsel became more anxious and
troubled: $100,000 is a large sum and the Adams Express Company
had a reputation at stake. What was to be done?
Almost instantly the answer came: telegraph for Pinkerton.
The telegram was sent, and when William Pinkerton wired back that he
would come at once. Mr. Damsel felt his load of responsibility begin to
grow lighter, and he waited impatiently for the morning to come.
The next morning about 10 o'clock Mr. Damsel received a note, signed
"Pinkerton," requesting him to call at room 84 of the Southern Hotel.
He went at once. A pleasant-faced gentleman, with a heavy mustache
and keen eyes, greeted him, and Mr. Damsel was shaking hands with
the famous detective, on whose shoulders had fallen the mantle of his
father, Allan Pinkerton, probably the finest detective the world has ever
seen.
Mr. Damsel had his stenographer's notes, which had been transcribed
on the type-writer, and Mr. Pinkerton carefully and slowly read every
word.
"What sort of a man is this Fotheringham?"
"He is a large, well built, and I should say, muscular young fellow. Has

always been reliable before, and has been with us some years."
"Has he ever been arrested before?"
"He says twice. Once for shooting off a gun on Sunday, and again for
knocking a man down for insulting a lady."
"You think he is guilty--that is, you think he had a hand in the
robbery?"
"Mr. Pinkerton, I regret to say I do. It doesn't seem probable that a
strong, hearty man would allow another man to disarm him, gag him,
tie him hand and foot, get away with $100,000, and all that without a
desperate struggle, and he hasn't the sign of a scratch or bruise on him."
"N-n-no, it doesn't. Still it could be done. You have him under arrest,
then."
"Not exactly. He is in my office now, and apparently has no thought of
trying to escape."
"Well, Mr. Damsel, I am inclined to think that this man Fotheringham
knows no more of this robbery than he has told you. If he is in
collusion with the robber, or robbers--for I think that more than one had
to do with it--he would have made up a story in which two