The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-17
From the Philadelphia Bulletin, Oct. l5.
Arrest or the Mail Rohb

We are glad to announce that several men have
been arrested and are now in custody, who, there
Is good reason to believe the perpetrators of the
daring robbery OF the United States mail, in the
south western suburbs Of Philadelphia, on Saturday
night last
We have been able, as yet, to obtain but little
informa ton in regard to the arrest of the impl-
Gated parties, and even such particulars as we have
learned are rather of a confused nature As well
as we understand the case, far, the following ap-
pear to be the facts:
A man OF doubtful repute, from Baltimore named
Isaiah, Isaac, or Joseph Downs, and better known
by the not very iecitous sotriguet of 'Sommaky, ("
yesterday evening, while under the influence of IL
quor, encountered Mr.. Thos Stubbns, an ex police
ofheer IN south Broad street. and informed him that
he knew all about the mail robbery that he was
himself concerned in the robbery and as he had
been treated badly by the robbers who planned
and executed II, he was resolved TO blow on them
Downs communicated to Mr.. Stubbins the whole
OF the circumstances of the robbery and Mr. S. OBJ
tanning the assistance of a party Of the day and
night police of the southwest division, between 9
and 10 o'clock last night, proceeded TO a suburban
settlement oil low Irish and English, on Federal
street, between Broad street and Long Lane, in
West Moyamensing, known as ." Rum Row"
where i've men, indicated by Downs, were arrest
ed. The men were all taken in different houses
The entire Row was in state of carousal, and al
most every one of the inmates seemed to be drunk.
The names OF the prisoners are Thomas Nech,
James Bell, Thomas Brannan, John McCarty, and
Robert Mcdowell. They were taken 10 the station.
streets, where, this morning between IL and
O'Clock, they underwent an examination before
Mayor Jones, the United States District Attorney,
John w Ashmead, csq., being present TO conduc,
the hearing on the part OF the Government. Downs
was examined as States evidence and his testi-
mony against the accused was direct and positive.
The examination resulted in the prisoners being
fully committed in default Of $4,000 bail each, 20
answer at the next term Of the United States district
| court.
About ten o'clock this forenoon the prisoner,
we're conveyed TO the county prison. They arc al
Eng1shmcn and 1rishnien. Most of them are we'll.
known old offenders, and two of them are convict,
not long since enlarged from the penitcntiary,
where they had served for protractcd periods
| Three of them gray headed, and they are al
| men of the hardest appearance.
| According TO DOWNS account, the mai-car was
| entered by false key, and the pouches thrown
| out The bags were then gathered up, and the
robbers, wading through pond TO keep thomselve'
from being tracked. took the pouches to stable in
the rear of Rum Row, where the letters sortcc
out. Downs has been detained in custody
| The r1hed letters we're scattered IN clump o
bushes adjacent, on Remembers farm, where they
| were discovered on Sunday morning.
| The prisoners make defence. They were 81
lent as to the robbery this morning. The money
they obtained is supposed to have been buried, anC
| it was thought that 1t would be recovered.
We should add that Mr.. James Pidgeon, of the
| Philadelphia post Office, played prominent par
| IN the arrests. We hear that he traced portions oil
torn letters from the bushes Remembers place Z,
the houses in Rum Row, and that no has recovered
| a considerable amount Of goods, supposed to bav'
been stolen by the accused men. At his instance
| a man named James White, and n female, his sis
| ter, were arrested on the charge of being con
eerned in the mail robbery. White was subsc
quently discharged.
In the course of to- day 1t expected that i'm
portant Developments would be made in regard 4
this bold robbery.