Santa Fe gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1859-1864, 1860-11-17

Another Supposed Plot.
have just returned from Bcnucttsyilc where |
witnessed to day an exciting scene. 1t was known
on the evening before that two men, named Hit.
chings, had been arrested near Clio, unoer crcum-
stances that led to the belief that they were Abo-
ltiOn incendaries, and that Nigilant Committee
had been organized to investigate the natter
! Between ten and eleven o'clock the committee
from Clio, with the suspected parties, arrived in
the Courthouse Square The Court WAS in ges.
sion at the time.
They were taken into the grand jury room by
some fifteen or twenty of the most prominent citi-
zans, where with theirpapers and correspondence,
they were fully examined. 1t was resolved to or
ganize u select jury of the best citizens to hear
the testimony and decide upon their fate | was
present in the grand jury room, and assisted in ex.
amnng the papers and can give your readers,
from my personal knowledge, the following details
concerning them The first paper noticed was
an invoice made out on invoice paper, with print
cd head, and commenced; "New York, Jny 30
lSGO-Alr.J j. X, lltchingS bought Of j. Meryn
Agent Hartford Fire Arms Manufacturing Com
pany.' Ii was an invoice Of double and single
barre guus, pistols, reyolyers bowie knives, balls,
cartridges, caps, powder, shot, &c, to the amount
of little over $4,000 Every item was priced
the sums extended, and the column added up, but
there was no receipt at the bottom, Or indication
whether the articles were paid for by note or
cash.
There was letter from Meryn, tho agent of
Hitchings, describing the articles, and stating
that tho goods had been shipped to Floral College
n. g., by Adams Express Company.
In this connection there was letter addressed
to Htchings from Adams Express Agent in VIII
mngton N. Co. stating that his goods had arrived
at that place, which was as far us they could be
expressed, The next paper was similar invoice
from the same house in New York, for over 5000
worth oithe same articles, with The addition Of
holsters, r9yolyers, cartridges and some other ar
tlcles, This bill Of goods was shipped to sad
llitchings by Adams Co.'S Express, to be de-
llyered at Cheraw.
Among the papers were copies Of other orders
to other houses, sent or to be sent, but no evid-
ence that they had been filed or to what destination
the goods were sent There were among the pa.
pers letters Of introduction and Recommendation
to railroad companies, setting forth that Hitch
ings was an experienced railroad contractor
he had had various extensive contracts, all Of
which he had faithfully and satisfactorily perform
ed. These letters purportcd to be signed by rail-
road presidents in New York and elsewhere.
think one was signed by Mr. Hunt, ofN. York,
president Of some railroad company. The two
llitchngs are father and son,--the former between
fifty and sixty years Of age,-the latter, perhaps,
about twenty. The elder Hitchings is an Eng
lishman, was naturalized in 1888, and has lived
mostly in the State Of New York. lie came to
Pekin, in Montgomery county in North Carolina,
about 1856 where he has resided since. Ills con.
duct was SO bad at Pekn as q negro trader that
he was seyeraIy whipped by the citizens Of that
! place some eighteen months or two years AGO. II
is well known, both at Peka and at Floral Coll
ege that he had no ostensible means to pay for
any part of these invoices
The lot Of arms and ammunition shipped to this
place has not come to hand. Upon going TO our
Post Office found letter to bis address from
thepgent of Adams Express company at Florence
notifying him that there were goods forhm in the
Office there but the express charges are too small
to cover such consignment as the invoice would
imply. The package or packages at Florence have
been sent for, and will DO brought here tomorrow
night,
The only explanation IItchings offers iS, that
he has son whose occupation is to escort emf.
grants from st. Louis or some other point in Mis-.
sOuri, across the plains to Santa Fe New Mexico,
&C., and that the arms and ammunition were intend
cd for him, A strange aud improbable story
when it Is remembered that if the goods were
here, perhaps the shortest and most expeditions
route would be to ship them back, by New York
TO ST. Louis
The old man assums to be as deaf and rs Htoi
cal as old John Brown, but his son shows great
concern and appears to be in great trepidation
Clio is near the spot marked in Marlboro Dis
trict on old John Browns maps. This ia sig
nGcant fact.
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