The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-05-15

purposes that depravity could invent. Our
Time did not then admit OF details IN Inc ar
rest that We now give.
Our readers will remember that Tor tue
last year or two, the Central Railroad Com
pany have been constantly annoyed along
their line by persons whose sole oecupntion
seemed to he in placing ohsiruellQts on Inc
road, tearing up the track, aud otherwise
DESTROY ing ihe property OF the Company.
At one time, SO systematic hal the work OF
destruction become, that the Railroad Com
pany were induced TO employ couple OF
Shire w,i individuals " hose duty it should be
to travel along the line, and II possible de.
tect the offenders; but SO well ORGANIZED
were the band, that for eighteen months
they elu,ied the most pcrseverlng etforts oi
detection. Some four weeks ago, however,
one OF these persons employed by the Com
pany obtained an inkling OF the organlza-
ton, and by a,lroit management, succeeded
ia wortning himself into the confidence OF
the initated-but befure they could trust
him to any considerable extent, il was re-
uu,red, AS a proof of his allegiance, that he
should fire the Depot at Niles on certain
night, provided il was not previously done
by an individual from the city who was to
be sent on for that purpose. The night
came, when the burning was TO be effected,
and TO ward off suspicion OF betrayal, rs
well rs TO secure the full confidence OF the
gang, the Depot was fred-all necessary
precautions, however, having been made to
save any serious damage to the building
The ne WIS 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 recruit the fullest confidence OF
the gang, aud he was forthwith admitted to
the most secret councils Of the lcaa::. DIES.
peratloes. Here was obtained the most
startling information ever convicted by band
cd ruffians-no species of crime, no ingenn-
iy of plan, no want Of means for their hell
ish purpose, were left unknown. Counter
fitting, horse-stealng, incendiarisrn, burg
larry, robbery, and the smallest petty larce-
ny, to say nothing Of other diabolical inten-
lions, were the sworn objects OF this mon
strous organization. SO hardcped and lost
to every conscientious feeling were these as
sociates, that one of their recent hellish de-
signs was to blow up the track and cars, 10y
an ingeniously contrived torpedo, which
was SO arranged as to be ignited by the To-
comotive, and explode while the passenger
cars should he over it, and thus destroy the
lives of unoffending passengers. The i'll
had procured the names of some thirty or
forty of the consrirators, and their places OF
residence, confined principally TO Leoni,
Michigan Centre, Jackson, and this city
Before plans, however, had been matured
for their arrest, the notorious 10 Dows,
who it is now said was the General Of the
concern, was taken from this city to Pitts
bursh, on the requisition of the Governor
of PennSy lvania, and the management of the
gang devolved upon fellow calling himself
o. d. Williams, then in this city, hut re-
siIent of the State Of New York. This
person it was ascertained was to leave De-
II OFT for Buffalo on Thursday night. and as
his arrest at that time would he the signal
for general dispersion Of his acc complies,
il was determined to let him proceed, while
an officer, furnished with the requisite pa
pers, should accompany him and make the
arrest during the passage--thus giving time
| to perfect the capture of his companions IN
this Stale. That arrest was made by WIN.
/ Ii. Goodnow, of the Custom House, who
was acting as u. S. Marshal, and Williams
was brought back to Detroit on Saturday
night, under the escort of that indefat,glbie
officer, who deserves much praise for the
admirable manner in which he conducted
the arrest. On his way up, Williams re-
auested officer Gootlnow TO mail for him n
| letter at Detroit, as soon as he should get
there. This, when they got to the prison,
/ MIR. G. consented 10 do, but received a re-
Iy that it was not then necessary, AS the
gentleman to whom he had written had also
become an inmate under the same roof.
On Friday night, the time it had been a
greed to make the arrests in the interior, an
extra train of cars was sent out from this
city with a large number of officers and as
/ sistants, engaged for the occasion, and SO
well were the arrangements made and car
ried out, by leaving squads along the line,
that at Leoni, Michigan Centre, and Jack
son, some thirty-three men were arrested
simultaneously about day break, on Satur-
! day morning, and brough, III and lodged in
Jail on Saturday afternoon. Among the
prisoners arrested are three Justices Of the
| Peace, five Physicians, one Judge and four
Constables-the latter belonging TO the
township of Leon, AMI not al officer of
which, from Supervisor down to Post Mas
ter, but is said to he implicated in the af-
fair.
A LEAF IN THE HIsToRy.-The schemes
concocted, and the system under which the
gang of ruifians, recently arrested along the
! line of the Central Railroad were drilled,
and the depths to which they were ready to
sink themselves in drepravity, may he par
TALLY inferred from the following leat IN the
history Of their conspiracy.
At one Of the regular meetings, which
they were in the habit of holding periodi'
cally at their place Of rendezvous, for the
purpose Of consultation as TO future move
ments, and the division of plumber, it was
reported by some, in the order of business
that one of,hcir sworn number, whose name
was stated, had been detected in revealing
the secrets that should have been known on
ly to the initiated. Suspicious of betrayal
were freely INDUCED in, and to the question
as to how the guilty one should be punish
ed, one of the concave made the signifcan
remark, that "dead men tell no tales"'-
Acting upon this hint, it was unanimously
agreed that the punishment should he death
and that the duty of carrying the penalty in
to effect should be let out to the lowest bid
der for the job! The first offer was named
at $3.50 for an assassination, and the bid
ding went OF until it lowered to Sl50-th,