Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-04-10
Arrest of fgaiI Road Robbers.

Arrest OF fgaiI Road Robbers.
The robbers who have been. long
:preying upon. travellers on the Syracuse
and Auburn Rail Road, are at length
arrested. This was accomplished by
the prompt and determined action of
three gentlemen, who were robbed on
Saturday.
Upon the arrival of the Cars in this
city on Saturday afternoon, Col. Wil>
kie of New \ York, found that a package
of money which Mr.. G.. r. Hart had
handed him al Rochester, had been sto-
len from his valise.
William X. Strong, Esq. of Geneva,
found that his trunk had been opened,
and $4l2 stolen from it.
Freeman Clark, Esq, Cashier Of the
Orleans Bank, discovered that his trunk
had been opened, and S4lOO stolen from
it.
The three gentlemen on comparing
recollcctions, became satisfied that the
robbcries were committed in the bag
gage car, between Auburn and Syra.
cuse. They therefore returned to that
place on Sunday, accompanied by
Messrs. Young and Williams, Rail
Road superintcndents, by whom. as
we'll as by the other agents Of the Com
panies, and by Mr.. Rust oftho Syracuse
House and General Wood Of the Ame>
rican at Auburn, every assistance in
the pursuit was rendered.
Suspicion fell so strongly upon Ri
chard Graves, Collector on the A. q ).
Road, and George Wall, porter 10 the
S. L. Road, that they were both arres-
ted An examination failed TO elicit
any facts against Graves, who was dis
charged. Mr.. Strong, however, went
with Graves to Auburn, keeping an eye
on bis movements.
Mr.. Clark took Wall into q room a
the Syracuse House, and after locking
the door, commenced Il conversation
which continued seven or eight hours
and resulted in a full confession OF The
robbcries and the recovery OF the mo
ney.
Mr.. Clark drew Wall by degrees in
to familiar conversation, and in underta
king to account for various sums OF mo
ney which had been traced 10 him, n
got entangled in a labyrinth of contra
dictions. While thus embarrassed an
alarmed, Mr.. c. informed him that
mysterious box which had been mad
, for him had been found, and that $50
, had been found at his boarding house
S He then confessed that this 5000 wa
: part of package of sl700 belongin
. io'Messrs. White g. Williams, of Bu
: falo, which he had stolen from Il. No
ton, last fall, and that the box reterre
: TO contained $500 more Of the san
?, money.
e Wall, finding himself corncrcd, b
s came anxious TO tell all under proml
If that he should not be sent to his o
i quarters in the State Prison. Mr.. Cla
e promised to ''stand by him. if the co
e iesscd all and gave up all the none
}, He then said that he and Graves we
r in company that on the night OF I
= last Robbery, he started from AubuI
is locked alone in the car next TO the ba
,e gage; that after the engine started
of went into the baggage car with da
at lanthorn, and by means OF false ke..
al unlocked several Trunks, taking pacl
a ces of money from those of Mess
Clark, Strong and Wilklc; that al
a their arrival at Syracuse, he divided
,r- money with Graves (who came IN
re- same train as colector) and alter
i'm ranging it in such manner as to P
&C. serve it, they secreted it in the ba
To- ment wall of the Presbyterian Chur
ur- where, on examination, it was lou
ac. one of the packages having "R: Gra
ide on it, and the other being marked,
TO Wall"
no, On being asked if any of the mo
ntly had been spent, Wall said that he
lila one $40 bill from Col. Wilkes packi
be- and gave it to Graves. II was as