The Expressman and the Detective | Page 2

holding it open jammed the
bundle of money into it, and handed it back to the peddler. page 268

THE EXPRESSMAN AND THE DETECTIVE.

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.

He was married, and with his wife and one daughter, had pleasant
quarters at the Exchange Hotel, one of the best houses in the city. He
possessed all the qualifications which make a popular man. He had a
genial, hearty manner, which endeared him to the open, hospitable
inhabitants of Montgomery, so that he was "hail fellow, well met," with
most of its populace. He possessed great executive ability and hence
managed the affairs of his office in a very satisfactory manner. The
promptness with which he discharged his duties had won for him the
well-merited esteem of the officers of the company, and he was in a fair
way of attaining a still higher position. His greatest weakness--if it may
be so called--was a love for fast horses, which often threw him into the
company of betting men.
On the morning of the twenty-sixth of April, 1858, the messenger from
Atlanta arrived in Montgomery, placed his safe in the office as usual,
and when Maroney came in, turned over to him the through pouch.
Maroney unlocked the pouch and compared it with the way-bill, when
he discovered a package of four thousand seven hundred and fifty
dollars for a party in Montgomery which was not down on the way-bill.
About a week after this occurrence, advice was received that a package
containing