al,
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 ten thousand dollars in bills of the Planters' and Mechanics'
Bank of Charleston, S. C., had been sent to Columbus, Ga., via the Adams
Express, but the person to whom it was directed had not received it.
Inquiries were at once instituted, when it was discovered that it had
been missent, and forwarded to Atlanta, instead of Macon. At Atlanta it
was recollected that this package, together with one for Montgomery, for
four thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars, had been received on
Sunday, the twenty-fifth of April, and had been sent on to Montgomery,
whence the Columbus package could be forwarded the next day. Here all
trace of the missing package was lost. Maroney stated positively that he
had not received it, and the messenger was equally positive that the
pouch had been delivered to Maroney in the same order in which he
received it from the Atlanta agent.

The officers of the company were completely at a loss. It was discovered
beyond a doubt that the package had been sent from Atlanta. The
messenger who received it bore an excellent character, and the company
could not believe him guilty of the theft. The lock of the pouch was
examined and found in perfect order, so that it evidently had not been
tampered with. The messenger was positive that he had not left the safe
open when he went out of the car, and there was no sign of the lock's
having been forced.

The more the case was investigated, the more directly did suspicion
point to Maroney, but as his integrity had always been unquestioned, no
one now was willing to admit the possibility of his guilt. However, as
no decided action in the matter could be taken, it was determined to say
nothing, but to have the movements of Maroney and other suspected
parties closely watched.

For this purpose various detectives were employed; one a local detective
of Montgomery, named McGibony; others from New Orleans, Philadelphia,
Mobile, and New York. After a long investigation these parties had to
give up the case as hopeless, all concluding that Maroney was an
innocent man. Among the detectives, however was one from New York,