Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-05-08
A Gang of Villains Brolxo.U r.

DETROIT, Tuesday, April 22.-Tbe D.1,
Tribune of the 2lst, published at betroi!
contains the following -" We briefly ~,
nounced on Saturday the arrest of a panr nF
men in Jackson County, who were organize5
for the most nefarious purposes that depravi-
ty could suggest. Our readers will remember
that for the last two years the Central Rail
road Company have been constantly annoyed
along their line, by persons whose sole oc-
cupatloR seemed to be placing Instructions
on the road, and otherwise destroying the
property of the Company At one time, 50
systematic had their work of destruction be-
come, that the Railroad Company were indu-
ced to employ a couple of shrewd persons
whose duty it should be to travel aionp tho
line and detect the offenders but so well or
oanized were the band that for 10 months
they eluded the most persevering injuries.
Some four weeks ago one of the persons en-
ployed by the Company obtained an inklinp Of
the organization, and by adroit management
succeeded in worming himself into the conf
dence of the initiated but before they would
trust him to any considerable extent, it was
required as proof of his allegiance, that he
should fire the Depot at Niles on certain
night, provided it was not previously done by
an individual from this city, who was to be
sent on for that purpose. The night came
and to ward off suspicion or betrayal, as well
as to secure full confidence of the gang, the
/ Depot was frel-all necessary precautions,
! however, having been made to avert any Sc
/ rious damage to the buildings. The news
that the Depot at Niles had been set on fire,
but fortunately discovered in time to prevent
its destruction, at once gave to the new re-
cruit the fullest confidence of the gang, and
he was forthwith admitted into the most Sc
cret counsels of the leading desperadOns.
Counterfeiting, horse stealing, incendia-
rism, burglary, robbery, and the smallest petty
larceny, were the sworn objects of this
mon rtrous organization. One of their designs
was to blow up the track and cars by an In
geniouslv contrived torpedo, so arranged as
to be fired by the locomotive, and explode
while the passenger cars should be over it
The informant continued to act with them un-
til he had procured the names OF thirty or
forty of the conspirators, and their places Of
residence, confined principally to Lenna;
Centre, Jackson, Michigan, and to this city.
On Friday night, the time 1t had been a.
creed to make the arrests IN the interior, an
extra train of cars was sent out from the G.
ty, with a large number OF officers and assIS-
tants engaged for the occasion; and such
were the arrangements made and carried out
by leaving squads along the line, that at Leo
ma, Michigan, Centre and Jackson, thirty
three men were arrested simultaneously about
day break on Saturday morning, and brought
in and lodged in jail on Saturday, p. NJ
Among the prisoners arrested are three JUS
tees of the Peace, five men called Doctors,
one Judge. and four Constables-the latter
belonging to the township of Leoga, not an
officer of which, from Supervisor down to
Postmaster, but is said to be implicated.
In this city Washington Gay and Erastus
Smith were arrested OH Saturday, and IN the
house of the former was found variety Of
implements for burning buildings, and 50 con-
structed as to burn one hour, or three days,
before setting fire to the building. BY one
of these machines, it has been discovered that
the depot of the city was fired last fall, which
resulted in the loss of one hundred thousand
dollars worth of property. The arrests Were
made on a writ from the United States Court,
for stopping the mail and for cOunterteitlng
U. S. coin, and the prisoners will probably
be detained until the next session Of the Dis
trict Court.