Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-02-01


for cigar, which he handed me. 1 asked the
person for light, and he gave me one.
then asked him what time he left New York;
he said l did not come from New York, L
! came from Boston. The train during this
conversation, moved to the platform, and, at
ter laking IN passengers, started for Boston.
While under way, the person went TO the
| platform and jumped off. Mr.. Tuckerman is
the person referred TO. L stopped at Worces-
ter that night, and returned to New York on
Monday night. During the week l satisfied
myself that ruckelman was the person, met
him in Springfield On sunday night, the
18th. [ was again on the train from N. York.
L had arranged with Hart, the superintendent,
and French, the conductor, to be secreted in
the closet in the baggage car. Was in the
closet with the key inside more than half an
hour before the train left, and continued there
until the train arrived at New Haven.
On Sunday afternoon 1 arranged the mails
in the New York post Office for the evening
trains l found ready to go forward mail
from New Orleans, one from Washington,
one from Philadelphia, and one from Balti.
more-all for Boston. One from New York
to each Springfield, Worcester, and Boston.
l took out the mail matter from the Baltimore
bag and placed it i'll the Philadelphia bag,
except one bulky package, which l put in
another bag. The smallest bag would hold
about a bushel; one of them, the New
Orleane bag, was less than half full, and was
left of convenient size to carry off; the Bal
timore bag was nearly full. About fifteen min.
utes after got into the closet, trunk was
showed in; the baggage man inquired where
1t was to go; some one replied, sit is mine
L will tell you-you need not mark it." In
moment after, the defendant got into the bag
| gage car and told John he did not know how
far he would go that night if he met per-
son he expected at Springfield, he would re-
turn that night; he then lighted a cigar, and
gave the baggage master one Tuckerman
then commenced reading a newspaper; he re.
manned in the car till we took steam power,
saw nothing more of him until we got within
two or three miles of Springfield he came
In and lay down upon the mail bags he
stayed there until we nearly reached New
Haven at Stamford, the other persons in the
car left for about five min utes Tuck erman re.
manned the lights were removed the car
was very still while they were out; as soon as
the car was dark heard steps across the car,
and the rafting Of the staples and locks of
mail bag, and heard fall as of something
dropping into trunk, and heard trunk
shut; then stepsBagain towards the mail bags,
and another rafting of locks. The prisoners
trunk was now shown it is large, plain
black trunk.
The car was, after that, still, until the per.
sons who had left it returned-after the light
was brought back Tuckerman was then lying
on the mails; saw this through crack in
the partition.
Just before arriving at New Haven, saw
defendant at the trunk taking out mail bag
1t was the New Orleans bag for Boston, dou-
bed in his left hand; ne went towards the
pile of mails where he had been laying after
moments hesitation L went out into the
car; told Tuckerman l believed he was the
man who had got my pocket book; he said
he had not been in the passenger car since he
left Stamford.
just then he told the baggage master to go
for French; he said he knew French, and
French knew who he was after l got the
handouts on him, l told the crowd he was
mail robber, and had been carrying it on for
some time. Tuckerman said nothing; l took
him aud his trunk to the conductor room in
the depot; when there, said to Tuckerman,
this is serious business your robberies Of
the mails have been very extensive, and |
have been on your track two or three weeks
The amount Of drafts aud other valuable
enclosures taken from those mails has been
very large, and the first taing for me to know
IS, whether you can make restitution of the
valuable contents of these letters, as l fear
that in some cases the endorsers will be LOSERS
Tuckerman looked at me earnestly, and said.
is this Mr. Holbrook ," In said 'syes," and
asked him if he knew mes He said, "No
but knew all about me-" He then said. "He
wished he knew who he was talking to-
asked what he meant? He said she should
ike to know just how much control L had in
these matters, and that in case all SAID was
true, and he could restore the property, or
any considerable part of it, what could be
done 2 Told him l could make no bargains
with him, but told him that if he made Testi.
tuition, would use what influence l had
with the District Attorney and Postmaster
General, to make the penalty as light as pos
slole, reminding him that the Court could
SEND MN to State prison two or ten years for
each offence. He said-''he hardly knew
what to say, as he had no counsel present,
and no one could know the trouble he had
mad Tor two years past and if this had got to
come out it would ruin him, and have a bad
effect on the decision of the case in Boston,
which he expected the day before l told
MIN had had only three hours sleep a night
lor three weeks, and must close the case until
morning; he asked if could not go TO New
YORK with him, and i'll case he had any prop
| erty that came from the mails, If he would
restore 1t what could be done l told him
| again l could make nc compromise it would
| SUBJECT me to a severe penalty; but he could
| Judge what the effect upon the government
would be, and to the losers, if he made resti-
tuition. l told him he had got considerable
money, and large quantity of postage stamps
! from the mails. nsked him if he recollected
letter containing $500, six fifty dollar Bills
on the kensington Bank. He said he remem-
bered it. asked him where lie changed the
money. HeEsaid in New York. A memo.
| randum book was shown. this hooL 1nokor
man had thatInight The book was marked
/ by the Commissioner. MIR. Shipman pro-
| posed to prove a reference in it to ciIcum-
stance, probably referring to the City dollar
| bills spoken OF. The book was withdrawn,
to avoid the necessity of the proof that the
entries were in Tuckerman's hand writing.
Was called out, and lett French with Tucker
man. When ! went back, told iuckerman
l must know what he had about him, and
attempted to search him. He then com
menced taking things from his pockets, and
! putting thens on the table.
lie took out Guys land title, Spaurding's
deed and letter to Mrs. General Gaines. He
took out package Of money amounting to
$469 90; also, a check for $l240, which
was cashed in New York l asked Tucker.
man if the money and check was the proceeds
OK mail depredations he said it was. The
two packets OF daguerreotypes and one letter
from Lowell to Hon. Joseph Holt, Commits
sioner of Patents Washington, were taken
from his valise. l found the valise in his
trunk, which he opened without key. There
was nothing else in the trunk. | found in the
Valise bundle of iron weights wrapped in
paper; there were also some large books in
the trunk.
said to Tuckerman in our conversation
that L saw him take mail bag out Of his