True Detective Stories from the Archives of the PinkertonsMoffett, Cleveland
History
True Detective Stories from the Archives of the Pinkertons
Moffett, Cleveland
Crime -- United States; Criminals -- United States; Detective and mystery stories, American
Evans said that for several weeks preceding the Northampton robbery
the gang had concealed themselves in the attic of a school-house which
stood four or five rods from the highway and apart from other houses.
His statement was substantiated by the discovery in this attic, after
the robbery, of blankets, satchels, ropes, bits, pulleys, and
provisions, including a bottle of whisky bearing the label of a New
York firm.
After the vault had been rifled, the money and securities were placed
in a bag and a pillow-case, and carried to the school-house, where
they were stowed away in places of concealment that had been
previously prepared. One of these was underneath the platform where
the teacher's desk stood. Another was a recess made behind a
blackboard, which was taken off for the purpose and then screwed
carefully in place. For nearly two weeks this treasure, amounting to
over a million dollars, lay unsuspected in the school-house, the
teacher walking over a part of it, the children working out their sums
on the blackboard which concealed another part. It was left there so
long because the robbers were unable to return for it, owing to the
strict watch for strangers that was kept at the railway-station and
along all the roads. Finally Scott bought a team of horses for nine
hundred dollars, and, with Jim Brady, drove over to Northampton from
Springfield. After securing the booty, they had serious trouble in
getting away. Brady fell into the mill-race, which they were crossing
on the ice, and this accident necessitated their camping out all night
in a cabin in the woods.
After hearing Evans's story, the question foremost in Mr. Pinkerton's
mind was where the stolen securities had been concealed. From what
Evans said, and from what he knew himself about the methods of the
gang, he was satisfied that Dunlap possessed this secret, and would
intrust it to no one unless absolutely compelled to do so. The
likeliest way of compelling him was to put him under arrest, which
might very well be done now that Evans had consented to turn State's
evidence. For weeks Pinkerton "shadows" had never been off Scott and
Dunlap, who spent most of their time in New York, the former living
with his wife at a fashionable boarding-house in Washington Square.
Instructions were accordingly given to the "shadows" to close in upon
them, and on February 14, 1877, both men were arrested in
Philadelphia, as they were on the point of taking a train for the
South.
Despite the large sum of securities in their possession, the men had
run short of ready money, and, while awaiting a compromise, were
starting out to commit another robbery. They were taken to
Northampton, and committed to jail to await trial.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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