Even after this, however, I don’t believe that either of us would have had the courage to carry out the scheme, if we had not continued our drinking, and I don’t believe I was sober a single moment until after we had accomplished our object and the robbery was committed.  How it was done, you all know, and it is not necessary for me to detail the particulars of an event which will overcast my whole life.”

As he ceased speaking, Edwards buried his face in his hands, and wept aloud.

“Who was this man whom 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: