, 1862-04-02
DARING ROBBERY III ST. LOUIS.
4 Private Soldier with Squad Of Wisconsin
Boys Arrests Banker and
Rohs his Safe.

Boys Arrests . Banker and
Rebs his Safe.
Tic st. Louis Democrat gives statement Of
what will rank IN the annals Of crime rs one
Of the boldest and most impudcnt robbcries
Oh record. The young man Redman is, by his
OWL statement, only sixteen years old. The
Democrat says:
On the 10th instant, Sergeant C. ". Red
man, Of Company q, Third Missouri Volnn-
teers, arrived from Ro1la with Col Shepard
and guard, having in charge the prisoners from
Pea Ridge. Sergeant Redman has since dis
tinguished himself By conduct exhibiting faE
money. than integrity and love of coun-
Try. On Tuesday, Mr.. McClannen, Mr.
Jennings, and two or three other citi-
gems residing several miles from the city, on
the Bellefontaine road, made complaint at the
Provost Marshal's Office that 0. s. Sergeant
and six priyates, ostensibly acting under regu-
lar orders, had visited and searched their
premises, and, after seiz1ng various SUMS Of
money and other galuables, had departed with
out giving any further explanation Of their
conduct than that they were obeying orders.
eral to promise his speedy detection, and it
Was eVen questionable if he were really o. s.
officer. Steps we're, however, taken with
view Of discovering and arTesting the rogue.
On the day after these steps were initiated, an
officer claiming to be Sergeant Reed, pre-
Mcconnell, commanding the Provost Guard,
on Sixth near Morgan street, and ex-
Mbited an order, purporting to be signed
by Provost Marshal Leighton, for 9 detail Of
siSmeu to accompany the said Reed at once,
upon particularly pressing and important bust
ness. A peruEal Of the document satisfied
Major Mcconnell that it Vas bluuder or
forgery, and he accordingly ordered an officer
to proceed with the applicant to the Provost
Narshal's office. On the way over, Sergeant
Rccd'' suddenly gaye his companion the slip,
and disappeared. Thursday morning, in the
absence Of Major Mcdonnell, "Reed'' again
appeared with an order for six men and pre-
GeDtcd it to Lieutenant Ashton, who perceived
tito be irregular and refused to grant it. Not
knowing OF the previous afflir Of the kind, the
Lieutenant did not order the mans arrest
but sent him to the Provost Mar=hals Office
Of course, he did not call there. Soon af-
forwards he appeared at Benton Barracks, No.
60, the quarters Of the Seventeenth Wiscon-
sin infantry, and informed Capt Southworth
Of Company G, that Gen. Hulleck had sent
him for detail of eight men to be immedi-
ately placed in his command for the execution
Of business Of great moment. Although, as
TIC are officially Informed, s'Reed'' exhibited
no written document to Captain Southworth,
bnt verbally communicated the pretended or
der, the Wisconsin captain at once complied
with the demand!
Sergeant ssRced" and squad moved with
military dignity down Grand avenue, Morgan
street and Broadway, to the banking house
Of G. S. Hammer & Co., No. 531, on The cast
side Of RIoadway, between Cherry and Wash
streets. The officer placed several Of his men
at the door to prevent the intrusion OF out
sileTs, aud entered with the others. Only
Mr.. Hammer was in the store, and he Wis Gu
gagged in counting some fifteen thousand dol
lar which he had in piles around him behind
er that he had General Hal1cck's order
for his imlncdlate arrest. A1r- Il asked
for what9 but ssReed'' replied that he
did not know, be had simply to take him in
custody, aud no doubt wrong would not be
done him. Mr. Il. said he would place the
ol1iccr told him he must leave tie money as It
was. Mr. II. hastily seized Il bag containing
1000 in gold, and also snatehe1 pile of bills
hurriedly threw them into small vault in the
inttrior Of his large safe, and shut the door.
This locked the door Of the vault. He then
Of the safe, but 4 bayonet was insert
ed between them aud be was collarcd. He
at once resigned the key, and was then allowed
to shut and 1astcn the.!loors. "Reed' gave him
IN charge Of his men, and badc them take him
to Broadway Garden, to be guarded by the
soldiers there till further orders. Tie party
proceeded up Broadway on a car, and freed, u
with q single sentinel at the door, ATTEMPTED
to unlock The safe. In this he failed, but in
djsnaDtly dispatched messenger to Broad-
way Garden, will an order tl1at the prisoner
should he brought back aga!n.
AT the Garden, Hammer was received BY the
| commanding officer without 4 suspicion that
| lie was not properly in military custody, aud
! in the full btlief that his commitment Wis full
| II authorized. The requisitiou for his return
was obcycd with alacrity. In half an hour
after his arrival he left the Garden, again
guarded lty the six soldiers, and was taken in
| street cur down Broadway. In tic store Ae
! was compelled 10 take the key and unlock tlla
| safe. In his eageruess the robber sergeant
| failed to notice the interior vault, and l.cnct
it remained closed. ''1seed'' next ordered til,
| seven iren to cscurt the captiyc back as;.i1
and saw them safely siE
| Leaving the door locked and seutiuc
| stantinS outside, he proceeded to the restau
rant, No. 3:47 Broadway, and soon afttrw;sr6
! returned III cities,'s clothes He then entered
and dismissed the sentinel, who Of cour5.
obe3ed orders aud moved Of. 4 party o
curious gazess on the sidewalk, could look di
| rtctly through the windows into the store a1ll
observe I'LL the serscant's movements. q,
took styera1 piles OF bills from the safe aud tls
rear OF, the counter. and large quantity 0
gold and silver A bankers tray stacked viii
half dollars, piled full Of them, lie covered will
some sheets ut paper, and leisurely pllcet
under his arm. Laden with lis booty, h
passed to the door, locked it in sight Of th
crowd, and walked Off with tho diynity All,
speed Of I, smart Elan Of business engaged il
| an every day tr;nsactlont
Of course the spectators were lmprcsse
with the idea that Mcssrs- Hammer q; Co. hl
been violating some Law, and were being 6u1n
marily dealt with in consequence.
The amount taken was - ,2s9. 10, in Unite
States Treasury notes, Illinois currency, an
gold and silver.
| Immediately afler Mr. Hammers arrest, an
when he had been sent of, his partner, MI
Striker. arrived, but could only learn that n !
II. lad been subjected to military arrest. Il
called on the Proyist Marshal General, Provo:
Marshal Leighton, General Halleck, Majo
NcConntll hut none ofthem new aught OF til
matter He received pass to go through a
the military prisons, and not till near ). r. N
did lie discover where Hammer WAS.
Ihc facts at last. appearing, tue prisoner
release was ordered, aud the matter was hi
befo,c Q. s. Police Captain Tunncel1tf. H
investigations and those Of his officers 500
showed that t'Recd's' real name was Chas. II
Rcdnan, :: native Of st. Louis county, an
whose father resides near the Six Mile HOns
on the Bellefontaine road. Thither several I
, | tue detectives proceeded, and there obtainc
Reduan's portrait.
Tie officers searched the city during Il
|, night, and BECAME satisfied that he had III
.. left town, but did moi secure him. Yestcrda
. . | morning a detective was stationed at eae
, | depot to arrest the rogue should he attem]
| 10 lcayc On an early train. The officer at tt
, :a1ton & Chicago train waited in vain till tt
cars were inst starting, and was then rewarle
, l,y seeing Rcdman leap Oh board. Tie dtte
! tive, Samuel l.. jones, followed aud accou
= panied him to Alton, being unable to get {
!, The ca,s nearer this city. He returned with Il
4 prisoner at about II ". yesterday.
: Rcdn1an acknowledged that lie took tt
money, but insisted that be acted under Il
!. orders Of superior officer, who furnisht
! him with note bearing Gen Halleck's nam