Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-12-01

toiu me that that was his flrst and last court sh'p. He never could scIape up courage enough to go back"
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 From the Chicago Press of Oct 80. Singular Criminal Case-Post-office Rob
 bery.
 yesterday witnessed the finale of a drama "hlch mas, rom the outset, caused the most profound sensation in this community. Jamcs Q. Brayman, Whose case has been for so,no weeks most prominently before the minds and on the tongues of our citizens, was vesterdav sentenced by Judge Thomas Drummond to 2 term of four years imprisonment at hard labor in the state penitentiary at Alton, for the Iar ceny of letters from the post-office box of Me- Nally & Co.,, news dealers of this city, on Fri day, the Fist day of August last
 For months previous numerous losses of morey-letterS by persons owning drawers at the post-oftce, had been the fertile source of com plant and had awakened the increased viai lanceot the poSt-otfce authorities. Among the rest McAaly < Co., the periodical and news dealers, whose receipts are generally in small sums, were aware that their drawer. from with out or within, was subjected to dishonest prac tices, their losses, as they became aware, reach ing the total of seven hundred dollars.
 Post-o clerks are not above suspicion. and upon those more likely to be guilty of the robbery the first keen surveillance of the sDe- | cla detectives of the department was placed. All moved on smoothly within the post-ofice. and It was soon seen that the marauding was done without the enclosure patent ito sworn | officers of the United States only"
 "loophole of retreat" was prepared, bear. Ing rom a remote corner within view, full upon the outer front of McNally& Co.'S drawer, and at hs post was placed trusty young detective Hour after hourdd he watch that kev-hole. and no dishonest personin his knowledge made his appearance. Marked and decov letters were placed in the drawer; no one appeared to open that drawer but McNallv or some of his assistants. There came day when the voung detective was startled, not much so however. nd his feelings and suspicious were fully al- laved when he had made them known to his superiors
 True, he had seen respected citizen, one of the editors of the Democrat, take letters from McNally's drawer but 1t was probably a mis- take. There could be no fraud It deserves 10 be sad that the officers resisted rather than anticipated and forced the evidences pointing to Brayman, and only when it was too evident and uncontrovertbe, was he taken into custody. Agalh the vlSlant eye at the loop-hOle, and on the morning of the 2lst our city was electrified by the intelligence that James 0. Bravman had been arrested for the high crime of post-of1ice robbery
 MT. l'rayman'S friends in the church. who | had loved and trusted him. and from d commu- nltv where he had won, by an exhibition of quiet worth, an unspoted name and high es- teem, came forward to give bail, and he could 1 nave found suretles in ten times the sums re- qured. lie waived an examination; the case came before the grand jury of the United States District Court, and he was indicted en- terng q plea of not guilty. lie again found bail without difficulty in large sum-
 The plea has been since withdrawn. and plea of guilty substituted, through an agree ment of his counsel and the U S. District At. torney, by which nine of the eleven counts of the indictment are withdrawn, the prisoner pleading to the other two, thus con6uiug the | oftense 10 the transaction of the Fist instant
 letter ln the handwriting of Mir. Bravman was, alter the institution of this suit forwarded to the v. 5. District Attorney by the person to | whom It was addressed, at Indianapolis It contained several worthless bills, placed in decoy letter in the drawer of McNal}v & Co.,. on the 1lth inst. The letter is as follows:
 OFFICE CHICAGO DEMOCRAT, Aug. Is.
 Dear Sir; The incooed belongs to the widow of poor printer. It is much below par here. and If you will take the trouble to exchange 1t for what it is worth in Indiana, and send some thing that is current here, you will do deed of charity, and much obhge
 Yours, etc, JAMES o. BRAYMAN,
 Editor Daily Democrat.
 TO Editor Journal, Indianapolis The alleged taking of this letter formed the subject of the counts of the indictment with drawn.
 James o. Brayman is in middle life; is native of New York Sate and has passed his life since the period of his majority as a mem Der of our own profession He was for many wears connected with the Buffalo press, and won all excellent reputation among his brethren and ! the world at large He came to this city to assume post on the Chicago Democrat a little more than three years since.
 Both here and in bis former place of resi- dence he has been a man of marked correct de. pertinent, has been high and trusted officer in the church, and has often held high posts in connection with the reforms and church move meuts of the day. Not a breath has been lisp cd against his good name; the most ngd in. vestigation of his accounts has developed no 4 fraud.
 As indicated by the statement of his counsel, the eXtenuating circumstances of h.s case are manly, and we would add strongly, based on the conviction of many of those who know him best, that the unfortunate man is mono maniac.
 The plea thus set forth by his counsel embo- dies what in the minds of those who mourn this sad fall, is an alleviating feature. They cannot believe him bad or hypocrtical The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, with which Mir. Bray man was long connected, thus sketches his pe- culiarities of mind and temperament: During his engagement with Us we were often puzzled by the traits of character he ex- | hlblted Without possessing abilities of high order, he could Go great many things well, and It seemed to be matter of indifference to him whatever he was assigned to do. His taci- turnlty was remarkable, and it was the hardest thing in the world to keep up any conversation with him. We never knew him to laugh heart- | llv nor to express any strong likes or dislikes for men or things; in fact, he seemed utterly without passion of any kind except for work
 One peculiarly he had that sometimes gave us no little annoyance. That was d habit of tuckng away in the queerest places pieces of manuscript and slips cut from exchanges such as usually litter an editors table, so that they could be found by nobody but himself. A | phrenologst would say secretiveuess was his ! largest organ.
 l In his personal habits he was singulary ab- stemlous and frugal, and allowed himself none of the ordinary amuSements of society, beyond intercourse with those composing the limited circle in which he moved He may be tho roughly cold blooded hypocritcal, bad man, but we can hardly believe him such. Alto gether, his character is curious study. We might moralize at length on the termination of his career, but each reader can for himself de- ! duce the lesson if teaches
 We take the following from the Chicago Journal:
 Mr. Brayman's friends crowded around him and bade him good by. He still retained the same apathy which has marked him from the beginning. He was immediately removed by the Marshal and at 8 o'clock left for Alton, ac- companied by his wife. brother and few