, 1863-02-24
An Internal Machine sent to
this City.
The Alleged Maker in Custody
The Plans are MiracElously
Frustrated,

4uaL ucLeCL1on uAs uOH UcEA CVuaHlAuAtI0
BY the skill Of our police, and the alleged gull
t. party has been brought to this city, SO that
all restrictions Of publication are now re-
moved. The facts in this interesting case, o
case which had nearly developed into o most
terrible tragedy, are as follows:
The alleged guilty party is Nehemiah Hodge
Of North Adams, Mass, man about fifty |
years Of age, and unusually shrewd and smart,
not alone in fnaneiering, but also in me-
chanics. He is the maker Of patent car
brake, Of which he claims to possess patent.
This brake, owing to its many cxcellencies,
is in use upon nearly all of the roads center
ing here, as he claims, Illegally. To test this
question, he sued the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy Railroad Company in the United
States Circuit Court, for applying the brake
to their cars without buying the right. The
case is still pending before Judge Drummond,
who holds his decision in reserve.
One s. N Whipple, formerly resident Of
North Adams, was employed by Hodge in the
. manufacture Of the brake, and VAS also thor |
oughly conversant with the matter of the pat
ent right, and was expected By Hodge to be "a |
material witness for him, but In some manner,
Whipplc was disengaged from Hodge, and |
went into the employ Of the railroad In ques. |
tion, furnishing them with valuable inforna-
tion relative to the brake and the validity of |
the patent, and working up tho evidence in |
the case.
This suit was instituted in the early part Of
October, 1862, and, during the Inter part,
Nhipple went to North Adams, intending to
return to this city about the 1st Of January,
at which time 1t was agreed that the case
should be argued in Court.
Upon the 9th Of December, 'o2, and while
get in North Admins, in the service of the Rail
read Company, Whipple received an anony
nous letter, In disguised hand, the contents
being printed with q pen instead Of written,
! which Of course completely set at defiance
any attempt to identify the handwriting.
The letter was mailed from Albany, Dec. Sth,
and Informed Whipplc that an internal ma
chine had been sent to lin, and warning him,
upon penalty Of his life, not to attempt to
open it.
In the mean time the box was taken from
Albany to New York, and shipped per the
American Express Company, on the 4th Of De-
cembcr, for Chicago. It arrived hero on the
7th and was delivered on the Sth at the office
Of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Company. II was strong spruce box, nicely
finished, and doyetailed with the utmost ex-
aetness, weighing about fourteen pounds, the
dimensions being eighteen inches in length,
six In depth, and two in width. 1t WAS LOCK-
cd, wrapped In several thicknesses Of strong
brown paper, and secured with stout t"1ne.
Upon the top the box was labelled 1.-TWO
Model Spark Asresters In brass Tor the exam
ination and report OF y. N. WMpple, Kallroad
Attorney. Please notify hr. Whipple.' upon
one end was "Chicago, burlington and
Quincy Railroad Company ana on the otneF
~: "mppie me "nole oeing printed Us
with stencil Fastened 10 the Top vas
letter which had escaped the attentlon OF the
officers Of the Express Company ut the New.
York end Of the line. This letter WAS ad-
dressed upon the outside "To the American
Express Company, ,124 Broadway, NJ .;e1pres-
sage enclosed."- This letter was removed and
opened. The inside contents were: "You
will find $1.50 on ACCOMPANYING box.
Please mark it paid,r The amount named
aboye was found as the letter stated and out
Of 1t the express charges amounting to Il. ss55
:, we're paid here, the additional quarter Of a
i dollar and letter being placed with the boz to
) ! await the pleasure Of Mr. Whipple. The box
remained in the office of Mr.. Hall several
days awaiting Whipple's return. One day
: led by the address, and anxious to see the
: contents, proposition was made to open ths
= box, which, owing to the relations between
. Whipplc and the officers. might haye been done
Z vjthont any hreach of nropriety. A porte,
8 tros aan, for b,,t ho con1d no4 ha f,nna an;
y tho onen,n, ,r,a o;ven mn Tim. norr,r1,
sss ~. E-o,,.o s7,.-.,,. a.o,ao ao-+-,.t;o.
: - -io...s.,-.t.,. 49,, -,
~ ~1lo'0 ~, - -. ~. ~ - =,
: ~ ~ na'e p4o"n '10 tooNn - ''0' sDs WHY
2 oun1ns ~ p'eeee' .
!. upon 'ne Ass VI 'anaafs' ""ppi
e returned " emeago 'uu "ae ,.,a -
n 'meu 49,, @ 1stto. ~ .a aa..a
J. Ann'' @e NN.A-.1...t.s .,.a--..
q np'A I-a.....s -.. se.t ~. ~. aas.~,,ot;oo ~
tus m"eA.s ~. ssAs ~. A,As ~sS,...s ~:.,, -,
i Son4pa4ea 80 80 ~ 1arfe NJ -
!, pl... -. 49, ~ .s',s. 1to.o -
!. ." ,n~s... e-...,.t.n5s,. pahn, ~
y De' "n1 - da1a..e .,.oat so-ro aoa a~o1,,;,o
r t,,a ho~ Tha ,1onsrs ,nd +x;ne xrcrc ~ r,
er s.u. 49,, ow.aa t1,a ~ 1.f, Il, that cona
i, Il .an' ..a 49,, -. 49, as4 aar :1anna-v stt
4'A "nA
~ Al lns me1ns tnn .."e ef ~ .a, ,.es
Is eoauo ~ .,,sh.,s" s.s~a, - ,n+o 80 ~ .ho1
1e 1e g.epa 49, .,.as 49,, +o the .,s~ ,,e+,raa
D. tn' WV W. ~. - wha-s orono rrr a
4: sne WAREHOUSES; - ~. - rmss.oa nan,horo 49,
Is 'of cala, oose ,1 ssa,rht ~ r ~
:, Yemen. 1ns.aosa. ae. .ana som. m, ssor - :
~ ~ tened ~ onc eno oA toPe' 7o~ ~ ~s@
of length, and the rope run over q pal1ey Ut III
10 ton of the crane, The weight was then ele