The Indianapolis Sentinel

THE LOST IS FOUND.

The Prodigal Express Package, Mysteriously Missing, Mysteriously Returns.

And There Are Sounds of Music and Dancing in the House of the Adams Express Company.

O'Hara Released from Prison and Reinstated in His Position as Clerk—Mr. Henderson's Say.

The lost is found, and there are sounds of music and dancing in the house of the Adams Express Company. At 6 o'clock yesterday morning an employe at the depot office opened the safe and there found the express money package which had been mysteriously missing since Tuesday last, and for the supposed theft of which John O'Hara was under surveillance for two days and finally arrested and placed in the station house.

The return of the package to the safe is as mysterious as its disappearance, and no one about the office appears to know anything or is willing to talk about the matter. When opened the money was found intact, not a dollar missing. The strangest part of the affair is that the package should be found in the identical safe from which it disappeared, lying against a partition, apparently as unconcerned as though it had not been a subject of comment for the past three days.

The employes are mum, but one can readily read in their countenances the full measure of satisfaction which they experience at such a fortuitous event. When questioned about the disappearance and reappearance of the package they invariably answer: "It is not our place to talk about the matter; you must see the managers of the company." They acknowledge that the package could not have been in the safe without discovery, from Tuesday evening till yesterday morning, but even this much is not admitted in words, as all have resorted to signs to indicate a negative or affirmative answer. Lest the public should suspect that the employes of the Adams have suddenly been stricken dumb, it is well to state that they can talk as glibly as ever upon other subjects.

As Soon as Manager John J. Henderson learned that the package had been found, and an examination proved that the $3,800 which it contained had not been disturbed, he repaired to the Mayor's office and took the necessary steps towards releasing the victim of the company's suspicion. After stating the facts as herein given, an order was issued for O'Hara's release and the opening of his prison doors soon followed. O'Hara was much the same as he came out vindicated that he was daring the trying ordeal through which he was compelled to pass, calm, collected and smiling. He said that he had no fears of the result from the start, as he "did not see how they could punish an innocent man." He further remarked that "it was pretty tough to be arrested on suspicion, but I suppose it's all right." At 4 o'clock he left for Swiss City, where he has relatives living and where he would have spent New Year's day except for the disappearance of the $3,800 package.

A rumor was current yesterday afternoon to the effect that the friends of O'Hara were urging him to enter legal proceedings against the company for false imprisonment, and it was said that Manager Henderson had offered him $1,000 and a life position in the company's service as a compromise. It was said that O'Hara refused the proposition and demanded $10,000 as the least sum for which he would agree not to commence an action against the company for damages. Later in the evening, it was learned that O'Hara had agreed to enter the company's service again on his return to the city, but upon what terms is unknown. O'Hara is a young man of intelligence and has always borne a good reputation. It is more than probable that he realized that his vindication is as complete as it could possibly be after a suit at law which, after all, might not result in anything more than a large per cent. of vexation of spirit.

A Sentinel representative called at the residence of Manager Henderson, corner of New Jersey and St. Clair streets, about eight o'clock last evening, and was informed that that gentleman had retired and could not be seen. The reporter insisted, however, that he be allowed to see Mr. Henderson long enough to ask him one question, whereupon Mrs. H., who had admitted the newspaper man, said: "What is it? I will go upstairs and ask him for you, if you will tell me what the question is."

"Tell him," said the reporter, "that I would like to know whether or not there is any truth in the report that he offered O'Hara $1,000 and a life position if he would not bring suit against the company for false imprisonment."

The lady hurried upstairs, and in a few minutes came back again with the information that her husband would be down directly and answer the question himself. Mr. Henderson soon appeared and greeted the reporter with a smile, saying, as he seated himself, that he was very sleepy, not having been to bed for two or three nights.

"You can say," said he, "that there is no truth whatever in that report. It no doubt originated among malicious people who are trying their best to induce O'Hara to bring suit against the company. O'Hara told me this afternoon, shortly before he left for Swiss City, that he had been urged to go into litigation, but had no intention whatever of doing so. I told him that he could do as he pleased, but my advice to him was to return to the city Monday morning, and assume the duties of the position from which he was temporarily removed. I also told him that if he went into the courts with this affair he would be looked upon with suspicion by the public. He shook hands with me, and said that he did not blame the company for the course it had taken, for, according to the facts presented, everything was against him, and he was therefore not surprised when he was locked up. He concluded by saying that he would return and take his old place on Monday morning. Before we swore out the warrant against O'Hara we took his statement, which covers nine or ten pages of foolscap paper; also the statements of nine other employes, including porters, agents, etc. O'Hara's statement was written out by me, and when it was finished he read it over, making several corrections and additions. The ten statements were then submitted to our attorneys, Baker, Hord & Hendricks. They examined them carefully, and reported that we had procured a sufficient amount of evidence to warrant the arrest of the young man. His own statement justified us in pursuing the course we did, and he admits it himself."

"You searched the safe in which the package was found times innumerable, did you not?" asked the reporter.

"Yes."

"Well, then, Mr. Henderson, don't you think that it is a little singular that the money was not discovered prior to this morning?"

"Really I am not prepared to say much as to that just yet, although I do think it is rather singular."

"Will this affair be investigated further?"

"That's a question that I can not answer readily, although I will say that I hardly think it will. The money has been recovered, and the indications are that the matter will rest right where it is. The newspapers have said a great deal more about this affair than was really necessary, and in many instances they have been guilty of gross misrepresentations. I have been reported as saying things that I never thought of saying and, taking it altogether, I hardly think the press has done the right thing by us in this matter. One of the newspapers tried to make it appear that there was a defalcation in the up-town office about Christmas time, and that the Traveling Auditor was in the city overhauling the books of the company. There was nothing in this whatever. Mr. Murphy, the aforesaid Auditor, came here from Cincinnati at my request to assist the cashier, who was over-run with work."

The reporter then arose to leave, and before bidding him good-night Mr. Henderson announced that he could say that the express company was perfectly satisfied with the course it had pursued in the O'Hara matter, and would not be the least alarmed were the young man to institute proceedings against them. They could stand endless litigation if he could.

Express circles about the depot were alive with gossip last night, and the mysterious return of the package had dwarfed the sensation attendant upon its disappearance Tuesday. There remains no question but the package was surreptitiously returned to the safe, as it could not possibly have escaped detection in the many thorough searches that were made for the missing money. The safe is not more than four feet square, has a combination lock, and the Adams people were so careful in their search as to employ lights when they invaded its intricacies. Two facts are therefore well established: The package was stolen and was afterwards returned; the party returning the package must have known the combination of the safe. Whether any one is suspected of course is unknown, and as Mr. Henderson questions whether any further investigation will be prosecuted, the public may never know more of this mysterious affair than is here given.

Before leaving the city O'Hara seems to have indulged in a little quiet talk with employes. He said in so many words that Detective Hazen had formulated a plan to starve him into a confession, but as he was innocent he had nothing to confess.