Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-05-19
Trial OF thc Mail Robbers,

REPORTED FOR Tnn rRANnI,N

REPORTED FOR IiiE FtANKLIN GAZETTE.
{ Robbery ofthe Maiiby
TIE UNITED STATES JpUiing the lie OF lie
80 O. carrier Ia jeopardy hv
JOS. f"ohrsos BARE. the use OF dangerous
The District Attorney having exnress-
ea iis intention of trying tie three mail
ioD'ers 8, separately, the above Indictment
was Called MP on The 9th Of Nav.
Gc'l 'Y,edrr, WHO for the first time m.
pearcd as counsel for the prisoner. moved
posiponement al the trial until Alnnoay
next, when lie would be prepared 10 en-
yer INTO Tie defence, which, from hi.
having recently been called iu,o she ca,,s..
ne naa uhable ~ that lime Ia undertake:
lie also promised, that should The triaI he
postponed, he would OH that day NM IL,
p'ca Tor The prisoner, who, before, had
ytoed mate.
A' iF1f. 0he Attorney General .. 81
staied fhs inconvenience that would aris,.
to The Witnesses. ii Tie trial was pos,pon-
co, many OF whom were pablo officers.
uetain.d rem their duty and that sutfi
eleh' lihs had already been giyen to the
prisoner That f0ny Councillors had been
employed Ter d week past, which Was as,-
pie time fer them TO have prepured orile
defence -
The COURT ordered ilctrial TO nroceel.
As The jury wfs uboui being sworn tbc
counsel we're called on To cliaiie,Iye. when
ihey publicly deciIned taking any parl IN
me triai, and withdrew from The defence.
me prisoner WAS then inform. ad bv The
couri, that IL lac requested counsel. ,l,cy
WouiI appoint tuo gentlemen 10 assist n,
MS eeIeiice no request being made. the
Jury were sworn, and the trial proceeded.
lhe prosecution was conducted on he
hait oil The United States by Messrs. Writ.
Glenn and keil.
=, Nr. Glenn, (Gsirict a'torney,) opened
me case 10 the jury, by detailing the facts
,Hat would be proven, which could not
ieaVe doubt on the minds Of Tie inry.
as 10 me quit OF the prisoner. He then
feaa me law under wlichihe prisoner was
h'uicieo' winch Is IN the following words:
ACT OF APRIL 80, 1910.
r. 'seet'oH 10. = hat if any person slail
roo any carrier OF the mail of The United
:, otS,eS, or other person entrusted there-
:. "Hn' on such mail or of part lhereol.
VlelloE, De imprisoned not exceediup
" ten years; and if convicted a second
" time OF Ike offence, he or thew shall
Suier death (: o. If az et}scti,,e. such rail-
OsTY u tie niali, tie .JySi time, tie oJgcaGe,.
shaH wo'i"'t taegeysoa haeing' custody tkeye-
q, on pH' ms tifs an jeopardy. By shs mye oc
dangerous HeGPoDs, SHcb oftads7. or otj..i,-
dsrsshaH s',Ger death"
bafoiiowlng Witnesses ere then ex-
amined.
Dasid Boyer sworn. was driving The
mail between 10 and III o'clock. on lie
night OF The llth March, MIR. Ludlow Was
WIN me, fence was across the road
Three men came from behind il and SAID
we are highway robbers armed viii,
double barrcliea pistols and dirks," they
TOOK us INTO the woods and tied us 10 a
iree' they tlen went To the mail Wagon
ana drove II OH the road, threw ont The
man and opened ii. They opened Ietferx
Tor long Time, ard whea done. they un.
tied us, and directed US TO turn orr basks
TO The tail of the Wagon, which we did
ana they lied US there. One OF them said
driver | am sorry OF have been kent
so long. here Is some money for YOU 10
buy bltters, ne presented me with ten
dollars, and also remarked, that tie per-
son that was along with me locked liSr a
gentleman, and therefore did nat waut
any money. Their faces looked, black.
ann lbey called each other ily the names
oil Gibson, Johnson and Saith. One of
them SAID, what shall we do with tbese
men, another replied, have pIan inr
them, TINS alarmed me very much Gave
up The mail because | was afraid ffpv
would take my life, they did moi saw lLev
would XIII us--l WAS much alarmed for I
d tiiaa not know what minute they would
lcll us
Thomas LudloV. was in the mail wag.
gen on The nighi Of the robbery, " hen
within two miles Of Havre- de Grace. three
men came from behind fence. Bust
across Tue road, presented pistols, and
Sa'a thf9y would blow onr brains oui five
resisted; they tied us abouk6O yards in
ihe woods, one went TO the fence ana
took IT down The others led the horsrs
add wagon OF Tie road aud took ont
the mail. They occupied three hourS
and halt IN searching The letters. saw
The pistols and dirks, the pistols were
cooked. Ihe men searched us in the
Wagon, 10 ascertain whsiier we had
arms, iiien took uS Out Of lie wagon he
the collar, and leei US 10 the trees where
Ihey Eed us. When they had opened An
Inc letters. they rode Oft as hard as fhev
could. - my
Court. Did yon think your life in ieop-
aFdy
Wlf"ess. did think il was, had made
any resistance.
rccollect the prisoners voice and size
he was The only oBe who talked much Lit
voice is the same as the one heard i'm The
woods he has peculiar voice. I says
that his face was black and his hands
wbitc. They used a phosphorous ljgLt
TO look at my watch, one Remarked 10 tl,e
nan who was looking at my w2scb. flIat
ne was fool as should see his face hut
nc put hls.hat over his face, so thai
could not distinguish it.
Tyro6 J(oo-...