Santa Fe gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1859-1864, 1861-10-19
Detectives at work.

l1''''oI I'N'i.N"l .'tN luIA ltAlUItl
Philadelphia Monday, Sept, 23
The most important arrests that have been
made during the rebellion came to light in this
city to-day. The names Of these men arc James
NJ. liaig, f. Wyatt and William Gilchrst, IIar
is Baltimore lsraelite, whose business is the max;
lag ofmilitary trimmings epaulettes sword handles
&c, lie obtained hay contract from the United
States government to more electuay conceal his
plans, and was armed with numerous letters from
federal fu1ctiouaTies that he intended to proluco
in emergencies. This man conducted contraband
trade from Baltimore until General Dix and the
Provost Marshal showed him up Ho was first
observed in this wise: A package containing
several thousand friction tubes and cannon mi.
mers had been left at Adams Express office IN this
city, addressed 10 a weIlknown firm in Baltimore.
Being threatened with arrest, tho latter 6tm con.
ie,srd that they were the agents of james
NJ, llalg, and Il was further educel that ihe same
was shipped under fetitions name by William
Gchriat.
Detective Benjamin Franklin, saeacions and
fertile Philadelphia officer now determined to
sed1ce llaig to this city, for which purpose he
resored to certain Ingenious MEANS not now ripe
for publication. a celebrated Lincoln detective
now took part in tho matter, and the means by
which they inyeigled all the parties constitute tho
richest item in the history Of criminal surveillance.
The lsraclIte was SO played upon that he is not
yet aware Of the enemies who ruined him, and
when the matter was ripe the whole party were
,akenup, their goods and papers seized, aud they
are now in Fort Lafayette, having gone forward on
Sunday night
Wm, Gilcbrst is a razor and cutlery importer
whose establishment is situated at Fifth and Com
merce streets. He has never taken The oath OF
allegiance being an Englishman. His game was
to pretend himselfa Federal agent, until the worst
came when he was to claim the privileges of Il
British subject In his establishment were found
surgical instruments, caps, pistols, bowie knives,
&c, packed and directed TO 20 southwark. The
property amounts to $4,000 in value,
+, Wyatt Is Virginian, formerly in partnership
with @, B. Campbell, 2Oj Norlh Water street.
lie has always been o rabd traitor and his wife
has been six times to Richmond and back within
as many weeks, taking each time trunks heavily
fed with weapons and goods coutraband. She
passes our lines by bribing an officer ofour army,
aud obtained passes for that purpose. Said off.
Ger has been arrested, aud will probably be shot,
At Wyatt's house an extensive correspondence
with parties in the South was found and his com
picity with The rebels was proved by his papea,
oven in the absence Of any other evidence,
The hay contract in which Hag was engaged
! was to have boen,worked to good advantage Two
vessels, one loaded with bales Of hay aud tho 9th.
or with bales containing war munitions were to
, have been dispatched up the Potomac, and at
1 Aoqnia Creek at given signal, the bogus hay
, would have been run under the rebel batteries
All the was proved by the seized letters and also
the fact that the lato captures oi Federal sloops
and small craft by tho rebels of the Potomac and
Rappahaunock rivers, were the work Of design and
{ not Of accident, the same containing Conlnband
matters, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore
merchants are thus implicated and the proofs are
100 plain and startling to be set aside. These
3 three men were leagued together and among THEN
several correspondence were late letters from robe
contractors acknowledging tie receipt Of pistols
and side arms.
A part Of the correspondence duplicating them
; was obtained from the wife Of a lieutenant IN the
Q federal army, who had been rather delicaely i'm
h plicated with N ii. Wipder, now in Lafayette =
She has been arrested in Newark, N. j. where
e she resides Thegovernment decoy who assisted
detective Franklin in these labors is said to be 4
0 daring Californian, full Of nerve and fertile in ex
pe1ients, who has been twice in Charleston and
thrice in Richmond since the battle Of Bull Run
His manner Of making the arrest cannot now be
disclosed, although il rivals in interest and dAnge
d the exploits Of the best Bow street officers.