, 1840-05-09

wv ouN oAio "htN "oiAN
we take much pleasure in publicly acknowl-
edsing that great credit is due to Mr.. Akin
son for his ready and efficient aid in arrest
ing and committing the desperate villains
who committed this unusual and most un.
paralleIed robbery.
EsENEzER S. GAGE,
NATHAN WrMAN,
Deputy City Court of Alton city.
ST Louis, April 81, 1910.
Mr.. Gage wishes also publicly to express
his gratitude to Captain Luppey. of steamer
Volant, who generously brought him from
Iowa 10 this city, without charge.
~DIABOLICAL HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
As Mr.. Gage, q respectable merchant from
Fairfield Jefferson county in this Territory.
was travelling on foot to Fort Madison on
Tuesday last, at which place he intended TO
take 4 steam boat 10 St. Louis: and when
within 4 mile and half effort Madison. he
was attacked by three men. who had been
travelling with him for about 2Omiles. They
STACKED him in the timber hear Fort Mldi-
son with hickory clubs, knocked linn down,
and robbed him of between four and five
hundred dollars. Mr.. Gage was found by
one of the citizens OF Fort Madison IN almost
a lifeless condition, who conveyed HIM tn
the iowa H,uSe in that town where he now
remains. Our informant, Mr.. Andrews one
Of the officers in pursuit of the robbers,
states that the physicians were dressing the
wounds of Mr.. Gage when he left, AMI they
thought it very doubtful in regard 10 his
recovery. He was so shocking!y mangied
as TO make il difficult for his friends to re-
cognize him. As soon as the circumstance
was known the people of Fort Madison
turned out rs one man, about SO of whom
were on horseback, in pursuit Of the vii
lains.
These three men can be easily recognized.
One Of them is a short thick set fellow, about
"a or IS years Of age. dark complexion. black
hair, black eyes abou. 5 feet ) or 6 inches
high, had on at the time a black frock coat,
tarpauline hat and red and white calico shirt
remainder of his clothing not recollected.
Another Of them has a light complexion,
round full face, is considerably peck marked.
has sandy hair, about 5 feet 7 or 8 inches
high, about % years old, he wore the same
kind OF clothing as the one before des-
crbed.
The other is about 6 feet high, rather
slender, sharp face. light complexion had on
a blue jeans or ~cassinet roundabout, knit or
cloth cap OF a brownish color. white shirt
with a red scarf around his neck, supposed
to be about % years old. The above des-
cr:oed fellows arrived in this city some day
last week and pu, up at the Iowa Hotel,
where their baggage still remains. They
left this place on Saturday morning last, and
were seen at Augusta, on Skunk river, about
- o'clock on that day. They were after
wards seen on the same day on the Mount
Pleasant road, about four miles from Augusta.
going in the direction of Henry county. On
their rout, they probably fell in with Mr..
Gage, and as he no doubt told them that he
was on his way to purchase goods in ST.
Louis, they kept his company for the purpose
Of waylayIng and robbing him.
The first one described above gave his
name while in this place as Jacob Alden,
but he afterwards told Mr.. Gage that his
name was Jacob Bowers. The name Of the
second is Guy, his given name not recnllect-
ed. He is q native Of Mercer county, Pa.
The last one said he was from Indiana.
We do not think that these fellows can
escape. We hope that passengers and of.
fcerS on board OF steamboats, will he on the
look out. When they left the Hotel on
Saturday they informed the landlord that
they would call or send for their trunks
shortly.
Since the above was written we lelrn that
the trunks oil the robbers have been opened,
but nothing of importance was discovered.
They landed here off the Rapids on her last
trip up. We also learn that Mr.. Gage has a
family in Fairfield, and that the sheriff Of Lee
County has offered a reward Of $3.50 for their
detection.