Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-04-27
DONIES TIC.
ATTEMPTED MAIL ROpBERy

WASHINGTON, April GA darinp
at''Hp' was maze by several ruffians on
Saturday morning last, beiw cen two aud
free o'clock, II srizs the g,eai sonl;,ern
ln"ii few miles beyond Alexandra -
HE following letter from The Postmaster
at Alexandra 10 The Postmaster General
relates the particulars of the affair. II i
very pInbable that this band of robbers
Is III same HAT Was lately lo,l.d i'm q
similar attempt on The mail BOr'h OF BaI,i-
more. U'iil within two or three wears. a
r"bberS o' The mai! on the highway was
rare "ct urrenre but The frequency
aud holduess wilh which This species Of
'iliany has laiterIy been attempted, often
WIN sue IS. requires that some suitable
precautions shohid ne adopted, at least
on thosc bran hes OF The important routes
WHICH afford iacIilics for The preparation
ct such VIOLENCE, TO guard from depre
ha'ion The valuable penpe,ty winch 10
daily transmitted 'hrongh he public mails.
~, Alexandria, DIST 4pru 1921
SIR; The stage driver from Quantities. IN
tins place has Just arrived r. minutes PAST
Mi with The Southern Mail aud saws his
dRtentuD was Occasioned by an aIteUnt n
rob me mall- About seven miles from here,
az ball past two O'Clock, near The farm nj
Mr.. Foht7. where the road runs through a
thick pine woods, thee men spTaDg ont Of tbp
tbickPi and made towards the cart. The driver
secr'g a pistUi fU the hands Of one of tl,e,,
wheeled his horses round with so mich rartd
ny 80 10 einjr their attempt to seize the reius
aud drove back TO the first house will so
much speed That hey did not ovcrfakr him
While the diver was iu the actof TURNING his
hnTses, one OF The men HIshsd pistol at him,
and ih"re wa then general cry OF FIRE al min,
The driver remained al The house TO which he
ret'eaieu until day light. On arriving this
NOR ing al The place where the attack was
made, he discovered that fence had heep
thrown across the road with rails taken from
Mr.. Foote's enclosure. Al tne same spot Two
OF Mr. Foote's negro men who were srIz. ii nv
tue ihffiaus, as The former were returning
from the fishing shore, had been tied IN the
wood. with ropes There was a passenger in
the cart who cOncurs with the driver in the
foregoing siatemput. IheV describe the mel
as bei1g genteel looking wbIie men, aud bc-
lleVe, from what they head them say, that
they were iIiSlimeu.
The driver Informs me that Mrs Nelson
who lives two miles his side of Mr.. Fnofe's.
says that three we'll dressed decent looking
lti>hmen called al her tavern yesterday and
Inquired what time the mail generally came
on Her description OF the men corresponds
with liS recollection of their appeaTance....
They were dressed in blue clothes one was
tall handsome man-oue low IN stature and
much pitted with the small pox the other a
miii Of middiesizc."
Postscript. Alter The above was in
tSpeJ OH odluIudN Jour men were brought,
by Tie az, nis OF the General Post Ogice.
before the Mayor oi this City, suspect
ed OF being Tie persons who made The
attempt TO rob The mail III tie morning.
Their appearance in Alexandra, on foot
and unknown, soon alter the affair trans.
pred, excited suspicion, and their cOufse
was watched until they took passage III
the steamboat Tor this city. A messen.
ger on bOrs, back apprised The ppslmss-
Ter General Of tben approach before The
steamboat gDi up, and when they reached
The wharf thy we're taken Into custody.
ln their examination (separsi,ly) before
the Mayor, their statements we're cons
Trajectory, both as 10 their residence
abG the place south Of THIS whence they
last came. They had no baggage or
change Of clothes, and 10 ostcnsihle OBJ
jeci 10 travelling, except selling some