Southern shield., 1860-02-04
From the Pittsburg Chronicle Jan. 23. Important Arrest-A Notorious Forger Captured-His Mistress and Slave in the Hands of the Police

One of the most importanG arrests that
 has been effected here for many years was
 accomplished in this city last night It
 appears that some three or four weeks
 since number of heavy forgeries were l perpetrated on certain banks in Philadel-
 phia and elsewhere, the aggregate amount
 of which falls but little short of Sl00, ,000.
 The authorities were promptly made
 aware of the fact and after a good deal
 of trouble, succeeded in ascertaining that
 an individual named James Buchanan,
 alias J. B. Ross, alias J. Scratched, was I the principal operator in majority of the
 forgeries reported. He left Philadelphia
 some time ago, and learning on Saturday
 that he was stopping in this city, officers 1 Wood and Schlem were ordered hither
 with warrant for his arrest.
 Officer Riddle, of Pittsburg, was in structed to find out where the fugitive stopped, and was not long in tracing him to one of our principal hotels, where, with his mistress, and negro purchased some time ago at an expense of S2, 900, he was leading life of ease and luxury. Riddle, after learning all he cared to know, hur- ried back to the office, and, informing the detectives that he had discovered the whereabouts of their man, it was at once resolved to make the arrest. Visiting the hotel, they found the negro and the lady in their room, apparently the happiest couple in the world. Both were placed under arrest, and the gentleman himself, making his appearance soon thereafter, he, too, was taken into custody. The whole were then, with as little delay as possible, prepared for a ajourney East, and at three o'clock this morning were taken to the cars and hurried East as fast as steam could carry them.
 The parties, it would appear came to the city on the 2d of the present month, and have been stopping here since. Ross, principal, is heavy built man, with huge black whiskers, and an appearance of undoubted responsibility. He dressed elegantly and was altogether as fine a specimen. of solid, well-to-do gentleman as you could pick up anywhere. The negro, whose name is Robert Bunnell, alias Smith, was nearly white, and. like his master, dressed in the very pink of fashion. So little of African blood has he in his veins he was regarded as a white man at the hotel, and it was only after his arrest that the proprietor discovered that the individual on whom he had been lavishing such attentions for the past two weeks was neither more nor less than slave His master treated him at all times as his equal. They visited there's taurants in company, played billiards to- gether, and associated at all times on terms of perfect equality.
 The lady was by all odds the most in teresting of the three. Young and beauti- ful, she dressed in style of magnifcence that rendered her an object of general at 1 tention on the streets, and made her the l exposure of every eye. Her crinoline was more expensive, her cloak of newer | cut, and her dress of richer material than the most fashionable of our city belles, and wherever she appeared she became | the subject of the most unqualified ad- miration. She took her arrest very cool ly, declaring, with woman's devotion, | that she cared not for herself in the mat ter, but for him whose happiness was the nearest and dearest wish of her heart.- Her name IS given as Catherine Ross, and it Is believed she halls from the South.
 Notwithstanding the number of forger- les attributed to Ross, but very little money was found with him when arrest ed, and nothing that would tend to impli- cate him in the offences laid to his charge He had but $50 altogether, and part of that went to pay his bill at tY totel.- To so is1 ,-lr-r-. '.''>tg t l;oos l @lLl a lot-ot CisarsJr- Ifs - rr--->~s 4sces : 5S PGS.s1s xs O I5aD S ES and that 1t TT.s ! through this that his connection with the i natter was discovered. At all events, ] he officers state that they have sure hing on him, and that his conviction n three charges of forgery, at least, is certain.