The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-06-13

The Once Of the District Attorney Was broken
open BY ksnouse and Cole, aided by another OF tho
gang-who is at present not under arrest and .
number OF valuable papers stolen therefrom, which
robbery was endeavored to be fastened on innocent
parties by Wilkes, with view to create prejudice
in the public mind against them. Thus matters
proceeded on until the robbery of the Phoenix
Bank, Westerly, Rhode Island, in December, 1919,
and bank bills stolen therefrom, amounting to about
$4,000 This robbery was efe ,ted by Levi Cole,
Tom Kanouse, and John Collins. The burglarious
instruments used at the bank were made and fur
nished by William &. Watson. The bank folks,
aid Of George Wilkes and A. Nj. G. Smith to
catch the robbers, at the same time giving
q very accurate description of Cole and ka
mouse, as the suspected parties; however, neither
Cole or hanouse was arrested by Wilkes
smith, notwithstanding they were almost daily
seen by them, and it was not until the bank people
discovered that they were being humbugged that
they applied to Mr.. Matsell, Chief Of Police, who
deputized officer Bowyer to search out the guilty
parties. That officer, with his accustomed indus
try, experience, and knowledge of the . stool
pigeoa' association, soon found out the real rob-
beers to be Cole, kanouse and Collins, who have all
three been convicted, and senten ,ed to the Rhode
State prison, for the offence Henry Z. Dorsey AN
other of the gang, endeayored to get hanolse and
Cole clear by falsely swearing to atibi. He has
likewise received, for the perjury, sentence Of Sc
ven years in the State prison
short time after the first ARE It of hanouse and
Cole, by the aid eff the associated gang bail was
procured by pretending to indemnify some parties
IN Providence who signed the bonds, and kanouse
and Cole were liberated from custody. The trial
was brought on in August last against hanouse,
when Dorsey swore to an dttbt, which caused dis
agreement in the jury. lie was again tried in the
February following, and convicted; but, before the
last tlial, Dorsey likewise under arrest the
charge of perjury. Levi Cole away, and for
several months was travelling in the Southern
States, stealing from the various hotels en- route,
under the travelling name of Mr.. Mason, accom-
uauied hy IF the immediate aids of George
Wilkes. Ultimately, Cole was caught by the po-
lice at Baltimore and is now confined i'll the Jail at
Providence, awaiting his trial, to take place in
August next.
Since his arrest and confinement in Jail, one of
the prisoners confined therein with him, communi-
Gated to Cole that for $500 he could bride one of
the keepers, and obtain his liberation from Jail.
Cole accordingly, impressed with the idea Of once
more obtaining his liberty, and seeing nothing but
Il series of years in the State prison before him,
devised plan whereby he could effect the desired
object but not having that amount of cash in good
money, he concluded to draw upon his " old bank,
where several years ago. he had deposited large
quantity Of counterfeit money This deposit, secret
hiding place it might be called, was located in his
fathers MILL situated on the lower stream at Pater
son, New Jersey. Here was placed, it seems, over
$4,000 in counterfeit bank bills. Cole ask
ed pr pen, ink, and paper and the following letter
written by him to his brother Mitchell, sent IN
an envelope to the care of John Jordan, the father
in-law to Levi residing at Paterson, who was di-
rected to deliver the imme diately to Mitchell
Cole -
LETrER-(coPY)
PsovIprscE May 90, 1851.
Ds.R MITCHELL IL want you to do me a favor and
you be careful and not let any person you,
know anything about it; and if you do it tell you
will be few days. wish you 90 to the mill
and when YOU get up to the top of the stairs In the
garrett round to your left and walk up TO the win
that fronts the falls and then examine the posts
that support the roof of the m-you will find between
every the post is boxed up from the top 10 the
bottom OF the window. think the first post that you
take chise and pry oil the boards between the
windows that run up and down. and you viii hnd some
bank notes unsigned and then the nrst post to right
you will also find bank notes You must take them out
and select the following fer me, viz five one hundred
dollar bills the Chester Bank Of Orange county. You
will find that Of the bills not completed-hat, ON
the right hand OF the bills you will white place
unfnshed; them don't want-if you find any Of them
signed. bring them away However, want i've of them
that finished ready sign If you cannot find them
signed be careful and get them that finished on the
end and then pick out twenty bills on the Hampshire
Bank OF Ware, Mass; then put everything back
found it. Give the bills TO Agnes and tell her not to let
any person them and be careful that you put the
others back, that they will not be found Now you
do this for all right shall get out in few days
BE careful and not lose this letter out Of your pocket
after you have done with il burn up My respects to
all Of the family, and remain yours truly, LEVI
On the same day letter also written by
Levi to his wife Agnes; which explains the motive
more fully, and also the manner in which the money
was to be appropriated. 1t is very curious AFT air,
especially where he states to send the money by
Letitia, who is younger sister OF his sfe Agnes,
vately one side; but if man came, he would not
be allowed
LETTER TO HIS WIFE.
Providence May 20, ISL.
Ny rAR Acc II have good chance to get my liberty
at Mis- time, and you and Jordan must help Mitchell
will give you hundred dollars in counterfeit bills
and want Jordan to get me good one hundred dollar
bill, New York bank. or New Jersey-s new bill
should like best Now. will tell you what want OF IT,
spd want 70 put the good hundred dollar bill with the
ba d. and make him believe they are all good VIII nave
the good with the bad, and then will tell him want
sua all bills, and send him to ga the good bill
changed and he will think they all good This must
BE- done Immediately for the first Of June, all OF the
old keepers out aud new ones come IN and when you
get the money let L.ttiA bring down. She come
TO the efice, aud then In private room aud
talk separate from the prison IL man should come
probably they would not let me talk with him. Con-
usTy all expectations the Of small pox that
spoke about il getting better We had one more nev
yesterday, Ny vaccination did not take so have
fear Of H. Lctia need not be afraid Tor she WIZ not
have 10 come In the prison where H. You must attend
10 this Immediately. Ahcctonately yours, LEVI
Direct no more letters 20 the OF Updken
To hrs L. Cotr. Paterson.
The above letters we're intercepted by the keep
ers Of the jail and information given to Mr.. John
H. Cross, a very shrewd and intelligent person en-
gagged by the Phenx Bank directors, to act az agent
for them in the detection Of the robbers OF the said
bank. In consequence, therefore, OF the informa-
ton obtained from Cole sletter Mr.. Cross fastened
to Paterson, and on his route stopped at New
York saw Mr. Matsell, the Chief OF Police, and
asked for aid to proceed with him to Paterson, to
ASCERTAIN the facts Accordingly, the Chief selected
one of our intelligent and energetic officers, Mr..
John Reed who proceeded at once to Pate tson with
Mr.. Cross On arriving az Paterson, the facts in
the case were communicated TO Judge Sanford,
who forthwith issued warrant to search the pre-
misses a. described in the letter. Sheriff Lane,
Marsbal Bentley, Mr.. Gross, and officer Reed, pre-
ceeded TO the premises and found the garnet as de-
scribed; but ON examining the boards, il was evil
dent that some one had been before them, or anti
eipated their visit money Was discovered.
The officers then turned their attention to Mitchell
Cole, took him into custody, and conveyed him be-
fore Judge Sanford, where he soon became
alarmed. and acknowledged his agency in the mat
ter. lie said that on Wednesday last, John Jor-
dan, the father.in-aw of Levi Cole, came to him
and exhibited q letter, which he said he Ind re-
ceived from Levi, stating where the bills could be
found in the garret Of the workshop in the mill
They went accordingly, and found a large quantity
Of counterfeit money, from which packages Jordan
s.ieet-i as be directed to do by Levi, and the
balance VA; banded to Mitchell Cole for cafe keep
~ C. AL fe,T oxt ha mn az