Allan Pinkerton - The Expressman and the Detective

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ALLAN PINKERTON'S

DETECTIVE STORIES.

cover

---

The Robber

The Robber.

---

THE

EXPRESSMAN

AND

THE DETECTIVE.

By ALLAN PINKERTON.

FIFTEENTH THOUSAND.

CHICAGO:
W. B. KEEN, COOKE & CO.,
113 and 115 State Street .
1875.

---

COPYRIGHT,
W. B. KEEN, COOKE & CO.,
A. D. 1874.

The Lakeside Press.

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CONTENTS

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PREFACE.

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During the greater portion of a very busy life, I have been actively engaged in the profession of a Detective, and hence have been brought in contact with many men, and have been an interested participant in many exciting occurrences.

The narration of some of the most interesting of these events, happening in connection with my professional labors, is the realization of a pleasure I have long anticipated, and is the fulfillment of promises repeatedly made to numerous friends in by gone days.

" The Expressman and the Detective ,"

and the other works announced by my publishers, are all true stories, transcribed from the Records in my offices. If there be any incidental embellishment, it is so slight that the actors in these scenes from the drama of life would never themselves detect it; and if the incidents seem to the reader at all marvelous or improbable, I can but remind him, in the words of the old adage, that "Truth is stranger than fiction."

ALLAN PINKERTON.

Chicago , October, 1874.

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PUBLISHERS' NOTICE.

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The present Volume is the first of a series of Mr. Allan Pinkerton's thrilling and beautifully written

Detective Stories ,

all true to lifefounded upon incidents in the experience of the great chief of all detectives.

At intervals the following will appear:

" Claude Melnotte as a Detective. "
" The Two Sisters and The Avenger. "
" The Frenchman and the Bills of Exchange. "
" The Murderer and the Fortune Teller. "
" The Model Town and its Detective. "

That these Volumes will meet with a cordial reception we have no doubt.

W. B. Keen, Cooke & Co.

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ILLUSTRATIONS.

• Frontispiece The Robber .
• At this inopportune moment Simon gave way to his oars, and left the poor deputy hanging in the air.
• "Yah! yah! yah!" roared both the darkies; "you don't know Mother Binks! Why, she keeps the finest gals on all the riber."
• As he gaily entered the gallery, twirling his handsome cane, he was welcomed by a pleasant smile from a young lady, an octoroon.
• Cox and his friends joined in having a good time at the tinker's expense, and pronounced him "the prince of good fellows."
• Franklin gave his orders, and the delicious bivalves were soon smoking before them. * * * He kept the alderman in such roars of laughter that he could scarcely swallow his oysters.
• "You are my prisoner!" said he. "Nathan Maroney, I demand that you immediately deliver to me fifty thousand dollars, the property of the Adams' Express Co."
• On and on he plunged through the darkness, following the sound of the hoofs and wheels. At times he felt that he must give up and drop by the way; but he forced the feeling back and plunged on with the determination of winning.
• "Wal, stranger, whar yar bound?" was his first salutation. Roch looked at him in a bewildered way and then said, "Nichts verstehe!"
• Mrs. Maroney looked him full in the face with flashing eyes, clenched her little hand, and in a voice hoarse from passion, exclaimed: "What do you want here, you scoundrel?"
• In a second, Mrs. Maroney grasped a pitcher and smashed it over Josh.'s skull.
• Raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, he angrily exclaimed, "That's my dog!"
• As he stood outside of the counter, I was enabled to call off all the packages on the way-bill, but dropped the four containing the forty thousand dollars under the counter.
• The peddler lifted his satchel into the buggy; the Madam hurriedly emptied it of its contents, and holding it open jammed the bundle of money into it, and handed it back to the peddler.

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THE EXPRESSMAN

AND

THE DETECTIVE.

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CHAPTER I.

Montgomery, Alabama, is beautifully situated on the Alabama river, near the centre of the State. Its situation at the head of navigation, on the Alabama river, its connection by rail with important points, and the rich agricultural country with which it is surrounded, make it a great commercial centre, and the second city in the State as regards wealth and population. It is the capital, and consequently learned men and great politicians flock to it, giving it a society of the highest rank, and making it the social centre of the State.

From 1858 to 1860, the time of which I treat in the present work, the South was in a most prosperous condition. "Cotton was king," and millions of dollars were poured into the country for its purchase, and a fair share of this money found its way to Montgomery.

When the Alabama planters had gathered their crops of cotton, tobacco, rice, etc., they sent them to Montgomery to be sold, and placed the proceeds on deposit in its banks. During their busy season, while overseeing the labor of their slaves, they were almost entirely debarred from the society of any but their own families; but when the crops were gathered they went with their families to Montgomery, where they gave themselves up to enjoyment, spending their money in a most lavish manner.

There were several good hotels in the city and they were always filled to overflowing with the wealth and beauty of the South.

The Adams Express Company had a monopoly of the express business of the South, and had established its agencies at all points with which there was communication by rail, steam or stage. They handled all the money sent to the South for the purchase of produce, or remitted to the North in payment of merchandise. Moreover, as they did all the express business for the banks, besides moving an immense amount of freight, it is evident that their business was enormous.

At all points of importance, where there were diverging routes of communication, the company had established principal agencies, at which all through freight and the money pouches were delivered by the messengers. The agents at these points were selected with the greatest care, and were always considered men above reproach. Montgomery being a great centre of trade was made the western terminus of one of the express routes, Atlanta being the eastern. The messengers who had charge of the express matter between these two points were each provided with a safe and with a pouch. The latter was to contain only such packages as were to go over the whole route, consisting of money or other valuables. The messenger was not furnished with a key to the pouch, but it was handed to him locked by the agent at one end of the route to be delivered in the same condition to the agent at the other end.

The safe was intended for way packages, and of it the messenger of course had a key. The pouch was carried in the safe, each being protected by a lock of peculiar construction.

The Montgomery office in 1858, and for some years previous, had been in charge of Nathan Maroney, and he had made himself one of the most popular agents in the company's employ.

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