Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-12-29


year Of 1871 engaged as clerk IN the
post office here, charged upan the oath O
the Postmaster with having robbed he
mail IN October, 1871, Of package o.
bank notes 10 the amount Of Sl500.--
Upon the examination before the Com.
hitting Magistrates, Messrs. Waite, See
vers, Bruce, Rely, and Baker, the fol-
lowing evidence was eIcited:
% the 9Th OF October, 1871, the tel
Ter OF the Farmers and Planters Bank OF
/ Baltimore, acting under lhe instructions
OF the Cashier OF the institution, made up
q package of notes, composed chiefly u
not entirely Of the notes Of the Bank ofthe
Valley and branches, upon each Of which
he placed private mark, which package,
as was usually in such cases, he placed
upon The Cashiers desk, 10 be forwarded
through the post Office TO the Cashier OF
the Farmers Bank al Winchester.
There was no witness examined who had
ever seen this package from the moment
it was laid upon The Cashiers desk in
| Baltimore up 10 the present time.
Within the last two or weeks there
were received a, the counter OF the Bank
Of the Valley, two 500 notes, one $50
note, aud one $40 note, oil Of which had
been received directly or indirectly from
the accused. These notes were m1tila-
| ted in such a manner as TO create the sus-
| plcion that they were portion oil the
money supposed TO have been stolen from
/ 4, =. W. a ,.,,oo az h,.b eoeoici,,n tina aecus-
ed was arrested upon tho affidavit of the
| Postmaster. The Teller of the Balti-
more Bank testified that the notes were
mutilaed at about the spot where his
private marks were placed, but he could
not identify either OF them, nor could he
say positively that the package contained
notes OF similar denomination with those
10 Court.
The Postmaster Of this place testified
that on the night the package was mis-
sing, the mail was, as usual, opened un.
der his personal supervision, thut the bag
containing the Baltimore mail came into
the office in a suspicious condition,
(havng three iron locks upon IL, though
neither of them The peculiar kind OF lock
with which it was always and afterwards
| tastened,) which attracted lie attention
Of himself and his clerks, aud which ex-
cited some surprise among them-that the
| accused was The first to announce the
failure of The Baltimore letter package--
that a thorough though unsuccessful
search was Immediately made for II, the
doors of the office being locked all the
while, and not having been opened since
the arrival Of the mail---and that the &C.
cused, whose business il was 10 assert the
letters for distribution, was at work IN
his shirt sleeves, and could not have con-
cealed so large package about bis per.
son. Other witnesses were examined,
but we believe this was, all the information
bearing upon the case that could be- elicit
ed, and which was deemed sufficient by a
majority oil the Magistrates TO Commit
the accused for trial before the u. 5.
District Court.
We do no; wish to prejudice the case.
nor TO say one word to bias the minds oil
the public in favor of the accused but
we cannot, in Justice to one whose situs-
ton has so deeply excited the sympathies
Of our whole community, close this aril.
Gle without stating some circumstances
which seem to forbid the idea that he is
guilty Of the grave offences with which he
stands charged.
1t viii be borne in mind that there was
no evidence to prove that the package in
question ever reached the postoiiice in Bal.
ilmore. But admitting this fact--a hitter
was produced IN Court from the Cashier
Of the Baltimore Bank, which represent
ed the Postmaster at Baltimore as having
said that it was 'probable' the package
had been sent from thence with tie mail
for ST. Louis besides, there was no evil.
dence To prove that robbery ,cas commit.
ted al The Winchester post office al all; on
the contrary, under all the circumstances
as detailed by the Postmaster, it seems
almost impossible that there should have
bertrand the close investigation of the
matter for some months after the loss Of
the package by agents of the Post Office
Department and others, (lf it has not
BEEN continued up 10 tins time without 10.
termissioD, could elicit nothing throwing
any light on the subpct. Add 10 this the
fact that the accused has been in this town
during the last fourteen months since, with
bat two brief intervals, and that nothing
has occurred to ,biow suspicion upon him
and we think his friends have the best
grounds to hope for his final and trium.
plant acquittal.
The case was ably conducted by Mr..
IN. Y. Conrad, in behalf of Tive United
States and by Messrs. Marshall, Clarke,
and Singleton for the accus, d. Win
chester Republican.
wHIG CONVENTION IN FEBRUARY.
The following Delegates have been APP
pointed to the Wing Convention, TO. be
held in Richmond on the 22d Of Februa
ny next, in addition to those heretofore
announced:
From Elizabeth Cay.-Joseph Segar,
James Powell, A. b. Mclean, Dr.. VIM.
Hope, DR.. C. Hubbard, Samuel Dewbre,
Edward King, WIN. II. Kenan, Eijat
Philips, VIM. Anderson, David Kyle
Thomas Skinner pnd James Hicks. w