hom you procured to help you?" inquired William.
Edwards hesitated for some time, as though he was loth to divulge the
name of his companion, but finally he said:
"His name is Thomas Duncan, and he was in the clothing business, in
Denver, Colorado."
"Now tell us how much money you took from the bank, and how it was
divided?" asked Mr. Warner.
"There is something about that that I cannot understand," replied
Edwards. "From what Pearson told me, there must have been more than
twenty thousand dollars in the vault, twelve thousand of which was in
gold. The agreement was that Duncan, Pearson and myself were to have six
thousand dollars apiece, and the balance was to be paid to Johnson for
his silence. Pearson took his share out on the Saturday before the
robbery, and when Duncan and I came to divide the money, we found that
we were five thousand dollars short. There is only one solution I have
to give for this, and that is that Pearson did not act fair with us, and
took five thousand dollars in gold more than he was to have done."
"Where did you and Duncan separate after the robbery?" asked William.
"At Clinton, Iowa," was the reply. "Duncan went on toward Des Moines,
while I made my way east, where I remained until you found me."
Upon being questioned further, Edwards stated that when he met Duncan,
he had a room in the lower part of the city, with a very respectable
lady, who rented furnished apartments, and that when he left the city,
having no money, he left his trunk and baggage in his room until he
could settle for his rent.
This was all that could be gained from Edwards at this time, and it
must be confessed was most important. Pearson's guilt was fully proven,
and we had a strong clew as to the identity of the third man in the
robbery. It is true that he had more than a month the start of us, but
we did not despair of finding him at last. In the meantime, much was to
be speedily done. Edwards must be conveyed to Geneva at once, Johnson
must be arrested at St. Louis, and we must pay our respects to Eugene
Pearson as soon as possible. We must also start immediately upon the
track of Thomas Duncan, and endeavor to trace him to his hiding-place.
Everything was therefore made ready for the departure of Edwards, who
was consigned to the care of two trusty operatives until evening, when
they would take him to Geneva; and William forwarded a telegraphic
message to Mr. Silby, at Geneva, to this effect:
|