Springfield Journal / April 15, 1867
A Man Robbed of $15,000 in a Railway Car.
Mr. I. F. Hedges, a resident of Girard, in this State, was robbed of $15,475 on Friday night last, while on the cars between Chicago and this city. It appears that Mr. Hedges had been to Kentucky, with a drove of mules, and reached Chicago by way of the Central Railroad, where he got his drafts cashed and took the Friday evening train on the Chicago and Alton Road for home. He states that he did not take the sleeping car for fear he might fall asleep and lose his money, and he therefore took the regular passenger car and has no recollection of falling asleep from the time he left Chicago until he arrived at this place. He further states that several times during the night he put his hand to an inside pocket in his vest, which contained the money, and each time found all safe. On the arrival of the train at this place, he concluded to stop over, and get twelve one thousand dollar bills of his money changed for bills of a smaller denomination, to facilitate certain payments he was to make on reaching home. On arriving here he stepped on board an omnibus, and putting his hand in his pocket found he had been robbed of the entire amount. He immediately ran back to the train, found the conductor, made known his loss, searched the car, but made no discovery of the whereabouts of the missing funds. His friends here know him to be a steady and upright gentleman, and think that the money was abstracted by the use of chloroform, as Mr. Hedges found his vest partially unbuttoned, which must have been done by the thief who stole the money. We understand that parties who conversed with Mr. Hedges in this city think that he showed unmistakable symptoms of having been under the influence of chloroform. This is one of the boldest robberies ever perpetrated in this State, and should serve as a warning to all persons traveling with large amounts of money to be on their guard while upon the cars.
