The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-07-11
LOCAL MATTERS.

LOCAL MATTERS.
us. Mail Robbey.-On Wednesday last, young
man, about eighteen years Of age named Charles
Henry Winghe'd an assistant to w G. Walstrum
Post Master at the Junction p o In Hanover coun
~, was arraigued for examiustiou before II. s.
Commissioners VIM. +, Watson, of this citv. on
the charge Of stealing letters from the mail on the
18th Of June last, at the Junction. T. p Auun,t
Esq, appeared for the defence, and John M Gre.
CORY, Esq, u. s. Attorney, for the prosecution
After a large number of witnesses were sworn
Mr.. Gregory read the act Of Congress, which de.
fines the various offences of mail robbery, and the
punishment therefor, and was about to call wit.
nesses to prove that the prisoner at the bar had
acted deputy postmaster at the Junction and
had access to the mails, when Mr. August in order
to save time, admitted the fact, and the examina
ton then proceeded.
John w Finks sworn-I am special agent for
the Post Office Department for the States of Vir-
ginia and North Carolina. On the 26th of June
last arrived in Richmond, on my way South, and
learned from Mr.. Swift that the mail to the juno
ton had been robbed the day before, and a num-
ber of the letters found. Complaints had fire
quently reached the department, of depredations
on the Port Royal line that determined to hasten
on to my destination, and return as speedily as pos
sbe, in order to ferret out the robber if possible
and bring him to justice The following Saturday
night returned to the Junction, and there saw
Mr. Walstrum, the postmaster who told me of the
mail robbery, and the finding of the letters in the
stable in which the stage driver kept his horses,
and that Page Ennis, the driver had left the route
and gone to Bowling Green. asked Walstrum
why he had allowed the driver to go of, without
having him arrested, and told him it was his duty
as soon az he heard Of the robbery to have him
taken uto custody. He replied that he Cid not
know that he had the power to cause the ar.
rest, and added, that he had loaned the drivers
brother Richard money to go on to Bowling Green
after his brother. The next morning l took the
first train for Bowling Green. and Fastening to the
hnr,a e ~ c.Al
him my busness-that the mail had been robbed
and that had come on to arrest Page Ennis. The
old man replied that he had heard of the affair, and
that his son was ready for him. / asked him
where he was, and said that 1 wanted him then.
His reply was, that Page had gone to King George
but that he would send for him at once. Soon af
ter Mr. Peyton and young Ennis started in search
of Page. / understand that they traced him
through King George to the point at which the
steamboat leaves for Baltimore, and that Mr.. Pey-
ton followed him to Baltimore but failed to overtake
him. remained at Bowling Green till Tuesday
when returned to the Junction with the intention
of arresting the Postmaster and his assistant. On
getting there understood that on the morning of
the 25th June Page Ennis drove the stage from
the Junction with the Northern mail about one
mile North of Ruther Glen where he met his
father with the Southern stage and changed mails
Page returning to the Junction about half past
eleven o'clock that day, bringing passenger with
him, and that he delivered the mail to Wastrum
the Postmaster-that at 12 o'clock the same day
Page Ennis took the Richmond and Fredericksburg
cars for Richmond-and that in about 20 minutes
thereafter Walsrum took the Central cars for Rich
mond-ieaving the post office in charge of the pris
oner. In the package found in the stable by Mr.
MallOry's servant that afternoon there were TWEEN
ty letters and thirteen envelopes also pair of
shoes and two bolts of ribbon. All the letters sto
len were taken from the mail from the Northern
Neck to the Junction, and had to pass through the
Postmaster's hands at that place. The Southern
mail for the same route, never went into the post
office at the Junction, but was always given to
Page Ennis, the stage driver, from the cars. In
this mail letters and money have always gone
safe; while in the Southern mail, which goes into
the post office at the Junction, letters containing
money have frequently been taken, since the first
of April last. Walstrum has been Postmaster at
the Junction since the first of April last. When
got to the Junction Walstrum told me he had writ
ten to the Post Office Department about the rob-
berry. Walstrum or his deputy had the key to the
mail bag. The driver, Page Ennis, had no right
to 3 key. Mr.. Finks continued his evidence at
length, but knew nothing save what had been told
him by others. His grand object seemed to be, to
discover the guilty party, and from his known sa
gacity and untirng energy, we have every reason
to believe that he will yet succeed in fixing the
felony where it should properly rest The fact OF
continuous complaints on enc route and at one point
will be sufficient guide to enable him to trace
the robber to his den aud he is resolved to spare
neither time nor labor to do so
Robert S. Wright, sworn.-I am the Postmas-
ter at Bowling Green. Gone of the letters were
shown him) / wrote and mailed that letter on
the 25th of June, to John w. Stone, of Lynchburg.
1t contains 8 check for $40, in payment for box
of tobacco. 1t started from my office at o'clock
that morning, and should have reached the juno
tion in three and half hours thereafter. de-
livered the mail to Edmund Ennis, think. The
letter should have gone first to Milford Depot,
thence to Athens, thence to Ruther Glen, and
thence to the junction. On the 24th of May, l
mailed letter for Richmond, but have never heard
from 1t. About one month ago mailed letter
containing So to the New York Spirit of the Times
but have never heard from it, know Ennis well
He has been carrying the mail long time The
mail bag, on the 25th, was locked when it left my
office. Have heard frequent complaints of loss of
letters in the Southern mail from the direction OF
the Northern Neck, which go to the Junction, but
have never heard of any complaint about the
Northern mail.
L. Stern, sworn.-I am Postmaster at Ruther
Glen Page Ennis brought me the Northern mail
on the 25th June. The Southern mail did not
come to my office that day. l made up my South.
ern mail and gave it to Page, as he said he was
going to Richmond that day, and did not wish the
trouble of calling on his return. i put it in bag
and locked it. No one can get to my key, as l
keeped it locked up mailed letter on the 7th
of May with $3 in it, but never heard from it af-
forwards On the Sd of June sent another letter.
but have not heard from it. These letters were
intended for Baltimore, and goes from my Office to
the junction. Letters containing money, going
South, often mscarry. There was no passenger
in the stage when it lef; my house If the carrier
had key he could open the bag The mail is
carried inside of Jersey wagon and no one could
open it without the knowledge of the driver.
Cyra Ballder, sworn-I am Postmaster at Port
Royal (fwO letters were shown hm-one from
Thomas B. Thornton, and the other from Randolph
Peyton, dated Odd June) mailed one of those
letters on the 25th, and my deputy mailed the
other. Recognise one of the letters by the hand
writing. have heard of many depredations ON
the Southern mail, and have reported four regis
tered letters, which are nissing-two OF them on
the Sd June. have lost two containing money
one in June containing $25, and another on 2ist
June, to Baltimore, containing IS. DR.. White io.t
one containing a check for $50 Messrs burnett
and PeytOn have also lost letters lave mover
heard any complaint of letters sent North.
CIV Blanton-I am Postmaster at MILFORD De.
pot Have heard no valid complaints OF maii
North of Junction. ! know Page Ennis lie Is
about 81 years of age. Heard he had drawn
prize in gift enterprise. Heard OF robbery since
2lth June Don't know where Page Ennis s:
Thomas L. Hunter sworn-Q4ettcr SHOWN himi J
identify that letter as having been written 10 me
by my mother, Mrs Maria S. Hunter from MIG
George Court House. This letter Is marked June
"a. and should have arrived here on 10Th
John M. Jones, sworn.-Identihed three enve-