Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-03-19
The Great Railroad Robbery.

'ne fltlSOurg, fOrt wayne " CnlcagO
road were detected and the perpetrators ar
rested. We have before said, that the
plan adopted by officer PINKERroN, to have
conclusive proof of guilt when he should
get the thieves in his clutches, was by sen-
ding quantity of goods over the road, eve
nv article of which he had Marked
We make some extracts from the account
in the Gazette.
An old member of the gang, named
Parker, who had been arrested and impris-
oned at Norwalk, on charge of horse
stealing, and had been deserted by his for
mer associates, was anxious for revenge
He therefore, wrote to one of the officers of
the company requesting an interview, and
stating that he had matters of Importance
to communicate, The information thus
obtained was conveyed to Pinkerton & Co.,
and comparison of it with the intelli-
gence of which they were already possess
cd convinced then of its general correct
ness.
4 With the most of the gang,
the money derived.from the sale of their
plunder was speedily dissipated. Women
liduor the two great lux1ries of that class,
were freely indulged in. The past fall
had been particularly favorably, and thou
sands of dollars worth of goods of almost
every description had been taken from the
Company. As is generally the case in
such associations, the greatest profit ac-
crued to those who did the least work.
Parker complained of the niggardliness
of one of them ''fences" at Orville. He
stated this man was in the habit of buying
the goods from the "boys," and giving them
whatever he pleased for them. Knowing
that he had them in his power, he used
that knowledge to advantage and drove a
most profitable business. 4 +
Strong in numbers, and rendered more
daring by career of success almost unpre-
sedented, instances have been known of
some of the gang going boldly, in the eve
ming, to car and deliberately opening it,
and taking out valuable goods, placing
them in buggy, brought with them for
the purpose, and then leaving unmolested.
This was done in the immediate neighbor-
hood of Massilon, at 8 o'clock in the eve
ming, and when the light from the iron
furnaces at that place made the vicinity as
bright as day. Having ascer-
tained in what car they would find goods
of value, one of the gang would gain en-
trance into it if possible at some station; if
that could be done, after the train got un-
der way. Selecting such boxes as suited
his fancy, he would wait until the train
had reached some point where Others were
stationed to secure what he would throw
out. He would then throw out the goods
which he had selected, and leaving the car
would assist in concealing them. Known,
that it would be the safer plan they always
selected such goods as were intended to
pass over the entire length of the road, or if
such could be found, those which were to
be forwarded to points on the other roads.
In this way the depredations would not be
discovered until it was too late to be able
to ascertain where or by whom they have
been committed.
A long and minute account is given of
the several arrests of the suspected thieves
hegining on the night of February 26th,
at Massilon, there arresting brakeman
named Dill, and finding the marked goods
in his possession.
A special train had been prepared for
the occasion. Getting on board this they
went on to OrrviIle, where they arrived at
about midnight. Proceeded first to the
house occupied by Arthur Cooper, they
demanded and obtained admittance. Ar
thur was arrested, and search made for
stolen property.
Charles Cooper, a brother of Arthur,
was also taken into custody. In portion
of the same house there lives one of the
constables of the township, named Mat
thew Taggart. He has been for long
time a 'sfencer' of the booty obtained
from the Railroad Company and elsewhere
His official position, and his reputation for
honesty in the community, had enabled
him to carry on his branch of the business
without exciting suspicion, and with i'm
punity.
1t was with some considerable difficulty
that the officers could succeed in arrousing
Taggart. When they had done so, he en-
deavored to put them off in various ways,
and detained them until, becoming impa-
tient, they forced the door, Mr. Taggart
was very Indignant at the charges alleged
aginst him. The majesty of the law was
insulted in his person by the outrage of ar
rest. He spoke in glowing terms of his
unblemished reputation as an officer and a
citizen; of his responsibility, and of the
previous tenor Of his life; denied most en-
phatically the truth of any and all the
charges made against him, introduced his
position as n member of a church as an ar
gument ofhis guilt. He was placed in Gus
tody. As last request before leaving the
house, he besought the officers to allow
him to take his Bible and prayer-book with
him. So moderate desire was of course
gratiticd.
Among the worthy citizens of the town
of Orville is a physician, DR.. A. Miller,
whose movements had excited suspicious in
the minds of Pinkerton d Co., and for
whose apprehension warrent had been is
sued.
Mrs. Miller. who answered the summons,
informed the party that her husband had
gone to vista patient. With want of gall
lantry which we believe characterizes persons
on such occasions, the officers refused to be
satisfied with her explanations. They
searched the house and found-not the
Doctor, but his hat, coat, and boots, which
which induced them to believe that Mrs.
Miller had been mistaken, or that the case
to which he had been called was very ur.
gent one. A further examination resulted