Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-04-25
BALTIMORE, MARCH 27
ROBBERY OF THE MAIL.

On Saturday morning last, from the
non-arrival of the mail, strong suspicious
were entertained of robbery. Mr..
Stockton, of the house of Stockton and
Stokes, the mail contractor, with zeal
and promptitude worthy of all praise, &C
companied by a party of gentlemen on
horseback, secured the road leading from
Philadelphia to Baltimore. They had
proceeded about eight miles ON this
route, when, on beholding some bushes
piled up in the road, apparently for the
purpose Of stopping the mail, from the
foot prints and other suspicious appear
ances, they were induced to examine
more carefully the adjacent grounds
About one Sendred yards from the road,
the mail was discovered, accompanied
by letters broken open and robbed of
their contents, scattered promiscuous!y
about. The mail driver was found MUIR
dered, the circumstances OF which will
be more particularly mentioned below.
A robbery of the mail attended by such
horrible and aggravating circumstances,
excited one general burst of Indignation,
and one thousand dollars was offered by
the Postmaster, for the apprehension Of
the robbers and murderers.
1t is with much satisfaction, that we
are now enabled to state, that two, and
perhaps the only criminals concerned III
| the robbery of the mail, have been ap-
pretended on Saturday evening last, and
are now in custody. One of these men,
by the name of Perry Hutton, stated, On
his examination, that he had been en-
ployed on diaeren. routes to this city as
a stage-driver--he had lived in the same
house with the murdered man, with
whom he was we'll acquainted-he had
been in the same house with Norton,
otherwise called Hull, the other crimi-
nal, who came last from Newly ork, by
the way of Philadelphia and Wilmington.
One hundred and eighty-three dollars
were found on his person, and ten thou-
sand five hundred dollars in his trunk,
at his lodgings, which was opened by a
key, found in his possession--five thou
sand in post notes. The testimony Of
this man was confused and contradictory;
he appeared considerably agitated, and
wept bitterly on beholding the corpse Of
the murdered man. He declared him.
self to be native of Wilmington, bred
up in Mary land, ard addicted to habits
that would naturally lead to such dread
full enormitics.
The other man, blythe name Of Morton,
was much more guarded and circumspecs
in his confession. He is small man,
we'll formed, with regular features, and
he states that he came from the state o.
MewY ork, that he lived as druggist in
Utica, Kingston, sc. He went by the
Lame of Norton at the boarding house
where they both resided. Hc was ap-
pretended in the street in the company
OF Hutton. Six thousand dollars were
found on his person, and many of them
were cut notes. He was net affected
like his companion at the sight of the
murdered man, nor did he ARRAY any
symptoms Of compunction OF OF fear. Ii
was proved by the evidence ofthe son Of
the landlord, that they both LEFT their
lodgings about O'Clock on Friday even.
ing last, and that they did not return un-
til daylight the next morning. They
have been committed for trial in the u.
States Circuit court, in May next
The letters received in this city from