The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-11-17
From the Madison Patriot, Nov. 1st.
wfscousin Railroad Conspirators.

Yesterday, Mr.. Smith, the Chicago Police
man, arrested another individual near Full
ton, for being connected in the railroad dep
relations. The names of the seven persons
arrested, are John Deyolt, Joseph Deyolt,
Charles Mcneil, Eren Jones, H.'W. Hib-
"aru, u. Ii. Hilton, Bristol.
The flrst two names given are brothers,
residing IN the town Albion, in this county.
They have heretofore stood quite well in that
town. They were farmers, though both had
sold their farms in the summer, and design
ed leaving the country. They have been
staying about there, however, for months, on
~ waiting this occasion to "pay off the rail-
road" for the cattle they had killed.
Mr.. Mcneil is quite young man. He is
tolerably wealthy, owning farm of some
four hundred acres of land, in Dunkirk, a
few miles from Stoughton. lie has always
been regarded as one of the most respecta-
bic men in the town.
Eren Jones was his hired man. Hubbard
is the mans name arrested for not moving
the Instructions which be saw upon the track
err in the whole affair, and as one who has
tempted the others to commit this awful
crime.
The device adopted by officers Beck and
Smith to live in the neighborhood to ingra-
tate themselves into the confidence of the
rascals, and to prepare for the discovery
would form a long and interesting history
Though related to us at length, we are not
permitted to divulge the account, as its pub
licity would furnish the prisoners with the
points for their defence. There can, as we
learn, be no doubt of the guilt of all but two
of the prisoners.
A plot was laid some months ago to blow
up the passenger train. The plan was-to
sink joint of stove pipe, filled with powder
and stopped up at the end, under the track
to have train of powder leading from the
mine several yards along side of the track
mixed with percussion caps, so that when
the locomotive crushed and ignited the caps
and fired the train of powder, the passenger
car would be directly over the mine, and thus
suffer destructive explosion.
The annals of villainy hardly furnish a
more dreadful instance of human depravity
than this. Fortunately this plan was post
pOIed till after one more effort at Obstruc-
ton. In that the scoundrels were detected.
The greatest trouble which officer Beck
found, was his numerous acquaintances, one
of whom would occasionally "spot" him and
caused him serious embarrassment. He al
ways got off, however, with some ready ex-
cuse, that he was after secreted goods, or a
horse that had been stolen and run off to that
neighborhood, or something of the kind.
Officer Smith was variously suspected at
Stoughton, which he visited occasionally, of
being counterfeiter and horse thief. He
managed, however, to evade trouble till the
denouement set him right.
There is hardly case of more creditable
perseverance, industry and skill on the part
of the detective police, than that displayed
by these officers. Great praise is due them.
They have restored a sense of safety to the
travelling public, and secured as desperate a
gang of villains as ever infested commu-
nifty.
The Madison Argus of Saturday, says:
At the examination yesterday and this
morning, before Justice Bradley, of the rail-
road conspirators, they were disposed of as
follows:
Charles Mcneil was examined on three
different complaints, and was held to bail on
each i'll the sum of Sc OOO-making his ag-
gregate bail $l8 600.