New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-23
THE POLICE AFTER THE TRAITORS.
SEIZURE OF SECESSION MUsKETs.

| 10 MONTGOMERY, Alabama. Officer jeremiah C0nley,
of the First Ward and Officer Qugley, OF the Harbor
| Police, were walking together in West street, when
they saw cartman passing with several long boxes on
| his cart which they suspected contained musket5.
They determined to watch the dray and see where the
| load was left After following the cartman for come
distance, they saw him turn down pier No. IL, where
the Savannah steamers Of H. b. Cromwells line take
their departure II was then the hour appointed for
the sailing of the steamship Monticello and she was
| lyre n. the dock with full head Of steam up, and
laborers were engaged in hosting number of boxes
eimiar to those brought by the carman.
Officer Coney fastened 10 the Fret Precinct Station
House and reported TO Sergeant Denton, the officer in
| command, his suspicious. The Sergeant Immediately
teegraphed 10 Headquarters 20 know what action he
Should take in the matter and in few moments re-
ceived reply in the following concise terms:
"s,ii all mu,ies being .hrped board ve'el bound
''' '"' ''''0'D' ''''''' "joHN 4. KENNEDY"
Sergean. Denton then accompanied Officer Conley to
the pier, where he examined the boxes, and became
convinced that they contained muskets Approaching
the clerk who was seated a. deck, receiving freight,
tie Sergeant addressed him. when the following
VIBRATION ensued:
Sergeaat-will you be kind enough, Sir, to Inform
me what those boxes contain
Clcrk-Merchandise.
Seygcdnf-What kind Of merchandise
Merchandise the boxes are shipped az mer-
chandise.
Sergeaat-Then shall take possession Of that
chandise.
Clerk looking up in grea, astonishmentlYo d.
tshot, Sir
Sergeant-I shall seize upon these boxes as contra
band goods Officer Conley take charge Of them, and
do not allow them to be removed.
The Clerk desired TO know by whose authority the
goods were seized, and being informed that it
in conformity with The orders Of the Superintendent OF
Police be lad nothing cay. One of the boxes
was speedily broken open, and found to contain rs
muskets irtt from the mandatory. Coney was left
in charge f the boxes on the dock while Sergeant
Denton turned to the Sa.ionouse 10 obtain squad
of men 20 aisis in removing those already on board
the vessel. During bis absence a boat crew Of the
Harbor Police arrived and entered chceruly upon that
labor. One or two t,eyed,res who threw some obsta
ces in their way were summarily removed from the
pier.
On getting all the boxes on the pier it found that
there were 80 OF them ~ OF which had been slowed in
the hold the others having left the DOCK each
containing % mnskets -Four heavy kegs supposed to
contain musket balls also taken of the steamer
but OH opening them they found TO be filed with
chains, and were accordingly placed on board again.
The police remained in charge Of the muskets much TO
the disgust Of the of the steamer, who COM
planned that they attracting crowd there. Short
" before dark Instructions received from head
quarters 10 remove the muskes TO the new arsenal at
the corner Of Tbiyth street and Seventh avenue and
they were accordingly conveyed hithor on drays ac
companed by Capt. Silycy of the First Ward.
One Of the owners Of the vessel present at the
time Of the seizure and on learning upon what author
ity was done fastened of for his council Tha. in
diyidua soon arrived and objected TO the whole pro-
ceedng saying that he should hold the Police Depart
ent responsible for their action. Mr.. Cromwell
fused to give any information in regard to the mnskets
claiming that he neither knew by whom they were
shipped nor TO whom they were consigned He was
very much annoyed at the action Of the Police, and
minated that if he had been in command of the vessel
the officers would have been obliged to fight before
getting the muskes. The Clerk told the story in
substance stating tina, about the time the vessel
10 sail person TO him unknown, came down with the
boxes Of nuskets, and desired 10 ship them as
ehandise The Clerk asked him if they contained fire.
AIMS, and he replied that there was nothing but
| chsndise in ttem Upon this assurance, the Clerk
states he consented TO receive them and was hasten
the shipper was present when Sergeant Denton made
biz appearance, but speedily decamped.
The arms seized have the appearance of being the
old United States muskct, altered and improved They
are smooth in the bore, calculated TO carry conical
ball. percussion locks quite ordinary stocks, freshly
oiled, and have evidently but just out Of the shop.
They were securely packed in solid boxes, twenty
eight of which bore the following mark An II in
diamond, with ID on the outside of the upper angle,
and S on the outside of the lower. Tho other ten
boxes were simply marked with the letter L. inclosed
in diamond No direction whatever beyond this was
upon them, and while the clerk said that he did not
know TO whom they were consigned he refused TO
show his bill Of adng to either the police or TO the re-
porters lie said they We're shipped "to order to
Montgomery, Alabama. There a rumor 10 the
effect that they arrived IN this city on the previous day
by the Erie Railroad. II is reported that The steam
ship Roanoke plying between this port and Richmond
Va, on her last voyage down took upward Of three
hundred boxes similar to those seized yesterday by the
Iolice.
II IL also stated that there numerous cases Of
the same character in the NewHayen Railroad Depot
awaiting conveyance to a Southern port. Hereafter
yigant watch win be kept on the outgoing Southern
steamers and any arms taken by them viii have 10 BIO
fmugged on board in an exceedingly slealtby manner
The police ara now anxious to behold the individual
who will come forward 10 claim the arms seized by
them yesterday. In case claimant does appear, there
VII doubtless DO an opportunity presented for testing
the soundness of Judge Snaleys recent charge 20 the
Grand Jury az 70 what constitutes he crime Of treason