Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-01-02


members of the gang arrested, and in fair way
to receive the punishment OF their crimes. For
the circumstances which led to-ths extraordlna-
nv development, we are indebted 70 Mr.. Hun
tington, and they are as follows:
About two months since; the schooner James
Fisher, hound hence for Philadelphia, and load
ed with a cargo, valued at eight thousand dol
lars, was in gale of wind cast away on the
beach Of Barnegat Inlet Monmouth county,
New Jersey. The night after she went ashore
she was boarded by gang OF about one nun
dred land pirates, who carried OF the whole Oh
her cargo in small boats, and, as it now appears,
secreted the goods in their respective dwellings,
near the beach, and in the interioTof the country.
The vessel was not insured! and notwitnstdhu-
ing the utmost exertons Of her commander, ne
was unable to discover vestige OF the plum
dered property. Three weeks after the wreck
of the James Fisher, the schooner Henry Frank
lin, with cargo, bound from Boston 10 Phiia-
depha was, under similar adverse circumstah,
ces, stranded at the same place. rms Vessei
was insured at the United States and Common
wealth Insurance Offices at Boston. The morn
inc after the disaster. the Captain went before
~ m. Plat, ESQ. Justice Of the peace residing
near the spot where the vessel was stranded,
and made the statement and protest usuai Oh
such occasions. In the night following, curing
the absence Of the captain, oand OF pIates'
numbering more than one hundred, with races
blackened and otherwise disguised, MADE de-
scent on tile stranded vessel, ordered the mate
and seamen to leave. her, and threatened them
with instant death in case they made any resls-
lance. They then forced the matches and car
fled cff7l bags of coffee and IS barrels macke-
raj. The mate fastened to find the captain ana
communicated the circumstances OF the fonoe-
nv. They IN family armed themselves and iur
nished the crew with weapons. and returned 10
the wreck, but in the interim the 2lundeiers
had fed. and the vessel remained unmolestec
AS soon as the insurance companies al Boston
received account ofthe accident, and subsequent
robbery of the vessel, they despatched an agent
to the n York police Office He made appica-
ton TO Huntington for advice on the suh)cct,
and furnished him with full power 10 proceed IN
the affair. and authorized him to nisburse any
reasonable amount of money in order to recov-
er the property and bring the robbers to justice
Huntington being thus fully empowered, at once
commenced operations, and by the exercise o,
that extraordinary tact with which he giiteu
succeeded before night in discovering and ar
resting one of the most prominent leaders OF
the gang Captain Hulsehart, who was then
on board his sloop, the New Jersey OF Barne-
gat, lying in the North River. After having
lodged this fellow in Bridewell, he sought out
and secured two sailors also concerned In plum
dering the Henry Franklin.
One of them called himself Hdicomo Euering-
ham, but the other refused to give his NAME
thority TO remove the prisoners to New Jersey,
which being granted, they were safely lodged IN
Newark gaol. Immediately after the arrest OF
HulSheart became known, 1t was observed mat
most Of the Barnegat vessels which were lying
in the North River, hoised sail and went TO sea.
and what is most singular, not one oil them mas
been heard of since. Huntington mex! appiieo
TO Garritt ID. Wall, Esq U. S. District Attorney
for New Jersey, in order to obtain process tor
the arrest of several other robbers. Having pro-
cured the necessary authority, he, In company
with Gen Davey, Marshal Of N. j., set sail in the
revenue cutter Alert Capt. Gold, which was
placed under his direction by Mr.. S%artwoht,
sae' I6ey-lcf, rort. their way to Barne-
! rates, Captain Edward wainwright, who was
coming to New York in his schooner loaded
with wood. They arrested him and proceeded
on their voyage. Having arrived at tho Inlet
| Huntington, with sufficient force, proceeded
tn tavern kept by one John Allen, senior
The old cuprit had made his escape, but they
succeeded in arresting his three sons Isaac,
Abraham and John, all members of the gang.
They next commenced searching the house, and
found part of the cargo of the James Fisher,
which was known by the private marks furnish
ed by the merchant in Philadelphia to Hunting
ton. He next arrested Reuben Grant, another
tayern-keeper in whose house he also found
goods that were stolen from the James Fisher.
The officer and his associates then proceeded
across the bay TO the main shore and arrested
Joseph and Thomas Bunnell storekeeper and
farmer. After this, their visit was to no less a
person than William Plat, Esquire, (the identi-
cal magistrate before whom the Captain of the
Henry Franklin had entered his protest. in or
der to arrest him and his son particeps Grim
nis, but the birds had flown. In the house OF
this CONSERVATION of the peace Huntington found
quantity of the property which had been plum
dered from vessel called the General Putnam,
wrecked on Barnegat Shoal in the year 1888,
at which time goods to the value Of $50 600 were
stolen by the wreckers. Although the great devil
Of the band, and his son had escaped, they con.
trived to apprehend another pirate named
Zephaniah Johnson, a resident in Platt's honse.
Mr.. Huntington states that nearly two thirds OF
the inhabitants of that district to the extent Of
four or FIVE miles are implicated in these villain
Gus transactions, to which they were instisated
by the ma gstrate. The work of piracy has been
going on for years past and many OF those con-
cerned have grow n rich by their niquity. Far
mers, starekeepers, Sailors and heads Of fam-
lies have absconded and lett their property from
the dread of the retribution which surely awaits
them. The names Of nearly one hundred are
known to the authorities, and no effort will be
left untried to bring IL punishment one Of the