Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-04-04

4 -
hopes oil the seachers beng yet realized.
-,
DARING Scheme to hob the Mall
ON Trr ~
ptttsburg,, ust vv.v,... !. S,u,c.~
- - eO
,
c,r
rio'n 'fe ie'sourgh uazette OF Ihursday,
18th, we condense as follows
Information few weeks since was receiy. \
ed at Pittsburgh that a great mail and
express robbery was contemplated ON the |
Railroad from that city to Chicago by throw.
ing the train from the track. Detective |
Pinkerton was charged with the ferretiny out
of the plot Detectives watched the track
BY night, wihle Others got entrance into the
|orgapiEatien Of, the ,rsbben. lit was found
the association extended Over portion ofl
the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Road,
alsont points on the Cleveland, Columbus &
CINCINNATI road, the Bellefontaine q Indiana
roads and other reads in Ohio and Indiana,
/ The murders and robberies lately perpe-
trated along the line were now fully account
ed for, The post Office robberies we have
already mentioned were al no doubt execu.
ted by these daring Williams. Ssr1soNT
,s The investigations of the detectives into
| the organization TO destroy the railroad track
| for the purpose Of robbing, developed that
| divisions Of the gang existed At Loudonyille
lLakeville, 1Alassillpn,li Manifold, lBucyrus,
Upper, Sandpskyp Crestlinc, Gallon, Colum-
bus, Cleveland, &c., and that they were bole
and reckless men,. fit for any crimes "
Thus affairslwere pending and the Rail
road officers and Mr.. Pinkerton felt conf
| dent of the safety Of the tracks and of the
arrest and conviction of the guilty parties ut
the first commission of any overt act that
would bring them fully within the grasp of
the law. When, much to the surprise of
the officers of the road, they we're notified.
on Saturday last, by our attentive Postmas-
4 ter, of the contents of letter received by
him from Mansfield, which, as will be seen
by the copy of the letter below was intended
for a member of the gang at Massillon, but,
by mistake, placed in the envelope directed
to the Postmaster, Pittsburgh: q, - s9f
i III ..s,.ssnlir GALLON, March 2l, 1851
i Dear Bob II am Just in receipt of yours,
and have glanced hurriedlyI over contents
4 find everything much to my liking. ,a5m
Can't imagine why Potwin acted 80 d--d
foolish. think Banty,will answer the nlaee
much better You should have burned the
/ body-think you had better do it soon. and
be certain. You must send Barry necessary
! instructions But how will it do in regard
to that letter. you know Buck wrote to him
: some time since and, I think, since he left.
4 II won't do to have it 20 10 the dead Office
can I you send and get ii ont soon?
am in great haste, so You must excuse
, me for touching everything lightly. We
! have agreed upon plan at last----one oriei-
!, mated by Thompson. He has lust returned
from New York, and has bronnht us come
. Batteries-some rockets, .discuises, &C.
! We are to sink powder under the track anc
! ignite It by means of the batteries Between
Lakesville and Loudonville is the place we
selected for the mail train, and betweer
y Cresline and Upper Sandusky for the freigb
:. train. Then we are to destroy nearest bridge,
y and telegraph, to prevent any possibility O
: assistance reaching them, and then we ar,
! to illuminate some of tho nearest towns $,
|, as to cause general confusion. We ca,
! then, operate With perfect safety. We hsv'
!, another meeting on the 3Oth, at Head Quar-
! up without fail and send word to all YOU
a BOYS You must excuse me T for being s's :
|, brief as I have about twenty letters to write
and want TO call in boys that ar,c5 out.
n I am going down to Mansfield this even
!, ing, to mail some of my letters, and vii
y Just drop line to the Postmaster at Pitts
= burgh and have him forward Potwin' s lette
= and that will be better than to send for it. =
u went to Mansfield last Friday and mad
Z SOME inquiries about that fellow YOU wrot
!. u about. I saw him. and from your descrir
y ton and his knowledge of you and some
I our men, think can say positively he
IL the same man. He told me himself that
was currently reported that he was dead :
b He told me that he had been in prison seyel
!, al years and that he had sworn off. Sal