Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-07-23
CITY A ND RIV E r..
MARRIED.

On the 2lst inst, by the Rev. DR.. Paterson, E.
d. Rosmsox and JULIA ANNA CLINTON, both Of st.
PAUL a' ~. -.- .'' t.-.." .a.-
DIED. .....
On the 9th of June, at Hunters Town, Canada
East, JOHN NJ. VARNEY Esq, late of st. Anthony,
met his death, by drowning, at the Big Falls, on
Risia De Loup, Wolf River.) He was Foreman
for the Hunters Town laundering Company; and
ON the day he met his death, he, in company with
one of the Directory of the Company, went to the
Falls, to see about some logs which were driving
in the river. The logs had damned "'at the head
of the Falls. He loosened the JAM" and ran
down the bank few feet, and got upon an old drift,
upon the Shore to wait till the logs should pass
They had nearly all passed, when u few jammed'
again just below him, which so damned the water
to float the drift he was on and before he could
escape, the drift, which was on the brink Of the
precipice and he with it, were carried over the
Falls. The water falls two hundred feet in six
rods The body was not recovered for nine days.
Mr.. VARNEY was formerly of Lowell. Maine, and
was lumberman by vocation. In 1s49. he came
to this State, settl.d at st. Anthony and carried
on numbering, on Rum River, quite extensively,
Company, and removed thither
He was one of our early pioneers, and most enter
prsing citizens, and his death is mourned by large
circle of friends and acquaintance. He leaves
wife, and one child who now at her friends in
New Hampshire.
His father and four brothers now reside at An
oka in this State, of the brothers, STEPHEN H.,
being postmaster at that place. Communicated
EXTENSIVE MAIL RoBBERIEs.-Under this
head the Chicago Times gives the particulars
Of the Preston Myrick affair, with some details
we were unable to get
During the past winter, from the commence
nent of December until the opening Of navi-
CATION last spring, the mails for Upper Mime
sofa were necessarily conveyed by land car
rage During the entire winter robberies Of
the mail were frequent, but as it had necessari-
y to pass through many different handsin the
course of it's transit, detection of the guilty
parties was a matter of much difficulty.
Drafts of much value have been repeatedly
taken from the mail, and in one instance, on
the Goth of January last, twenty land war
rants were stolen in one batch, while on the
way from Philadelphia to St. Paul. Of the
exact amount of valuables taken, Of course nc
correct estimate can be given, but it must
reach thousands.
Fortune, however, has in this instance, as
in every other, favored the ends of justice
and the guilty parties have, with all their cum
ming, at last been caught.
Among the articles of value taken were two
drafts for $1,000 each, sent from Troy, New
York, to ST Feter, Minnesota. Immediately
upon this loss being made known, notice was
sent to the bankers throughout the Union
who were thus all put on their guard agains
negotiating them. No trace Of them was
however, obtained until Tuesday, the 2sth o
June last, when they were presented at thu
bank of Peoria. The presenter was ofcours'
required to endorse them, which he promptly
did with the name OF w. T. Judd. They
were at once recognized by the bank officer
as the stolen drafts, and to gain time they re
quested him to 60 to the hotel and obtain proc
of his identity. To this he readily consented
: but while he was gone the bankers sent 70
an officer, and on his return he was arrested
on charge of forgery in endorsing the drafts
Upon him, when arrested, was found two {
The land warrants stolen in January.
After his arrest he finally concluded
: make n clean breast OF 1t and 80 Z" bowed
the whole arrangement.
His name is John Merrick, and he is hal
. brother to Luther Preston, postmaster at Pres
ton, Minnesota, one of the Offices throug
which the mail had to pass during the winte
months. Preston availed himself of the OF
portunity thus afforded him to take whateve
negotiable papers passed through his hand
> These he sent to Merrick, at different point
St. Louis, ST. Joseph, Memphis, and oth'
: points, who would dispose of them and rem
t to him one half of the proceeds. Of tt
: money which Preston must have occasional
e found, it does not appear that Merrick ev'
j. got any share.
e During Merrick's stay in Peoria he had
|
the Monday before his arrest, however, 81
:. left Peoria and came to this city. Immet
l. ately upon his arrest, word was forwarded
the officers of this city, who, after long chas
,. finally succeeded in capturing her at Dunkir
,e Hardin Co., O., on Tuesday of last week, al
re she was at once brought back to this cit
e, Concealed between the leaves of a book in h
e. possession was found draft for $780, 80, Sc
,e from Danville, N. Y, in April last.
N At the same time word was sent to spt
ial mail agent from Detroit who came and s.
n. Merrick at Peoria, and heard his story. T
~ authorities at that place had, however, allo
if ed Merrick to write to Preston, or Stanton
We he had called himself in their correspondent
~ informing him Of his arrest. To reach
Il; before this letter seemed matterof Difficult
" but the mail agent at once put out, and "
ry fortunate enough to reach him before the
W. to st. Paul where he was committed for tr
de The mail agent then procured requisit
On, for Merrick and his wife, which was brou
aid here by Sheriff Bracket Of St. Paul, v
'ne last evening started back with both parties
-
ia. charge.
us The woman seems to have had the fort
INC either intentional or otherwise to be all
are life connected with charac tiers of this kind
Int Her first husband was sent to penitenti
sla- for counterfeiting. She next lived in
m city as the wife of a man named Rines,
'em formerly kept an eating saloon under
~ Masonic Temple. After living with
du- awhile former MIS-. hines mace her app
any ance, much to the disgust of these two,
be forthwith made tracks for Missouri but Y
MS brought back and locked upon charge of a