Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-10-29

Witness
Mr.. Baldwin. conductor of The sleeping cal
train from Rooses Point to Troy. We extrar
as follows: datft sts.soii ls8o .al
I About week ago some strangers cam
10 board OF the American Hotel and th
fremont. in ST. Albaus. One OF them
calling himself Colonel appeared to be prom
nent among them. He appeared TO have q,
other name than that OF Colonel. Other
Of the party were bsbited 10 the uniform o
United States officers, aud all wore sor
of wrapper or cape, and each carried q
satchel suDg by a shoulder strap at the
left side, after Il manner Of English sports
men. they said nothing to each other IL
public--Do conversations snsued that woulC
attract atteutien--to all appearances they
were substitute brokers, contractors, or
| 'p culato-s, sue as ire often seen n frontier
towns-St. Albaus being only sixteen mile,
from the Canada line. Ou Tuesday nigh
thy we're reinforced by others who arrived
iu the train from Rouse's Point, aud new
faces appeared at the breakfast tables OF
the hotels On Wednesday morning, a
further batch arrived, and about thirty had
collected. Aud then the plot was ripe for
exscusion. ="
At 8 o'clock P. M. on Wednesday
Oct. l3, St. Alban's was in state Of sp
parent quiet common to New England
lowLs Conductor Baldwin, just as til
,wn bell rang out the hour of 3, saw O
mao come out of the First National Bank
and as he did so a citizen on the steps
knocked him down. A second was also
fl ored; but the third had Ii,tol in his
hai d aud the citizen retreated. The con-
ductor thought the affair was freak Of
some drunken men, but soon he saw symp-
toms of o disturbance at other points,
Several men appeaned to be rushing about
with pistols, in parties Of from Eve to ten
One of these gangs met Mr.. Morrison
aud presented weapon TO him, demanding
bis surrender. He answered: Your are
joking, boys. They fred aud be fell, vel
,eriDg 10 his blood, and then be realized for
the first time that the village was attack.
ed by an organized body OF men, bent on
pillsge and regardless OF human life.
Meanwhile the attack had been stimuli.
teueous Oh the three banks---the First Ma
tional, The Franklin County and St. Al
bans. Parties entered each. When the
Teller or Cashier, suspecting no evil asked
them what they desired, the leader present.
ed pistol, with the exclamation: You are
thy prisoners II you move an inch, We II
blow you through O.hers of the gang
then went te the vault aud drawers and
laid violent hands on all the specie, bills
aud other articles which they could fnd,
and filed their SIDE sa,chels which each
wore, as before described. OF course re-
sistance was useless for the surprise was
complete At the franklin County
Bank, the raiders pushed the Cashier. and
one Of the clerks iuto the vanlt and locked
them up, and the prisoners were not re
leased until late in the night. - rq 81.
Then commenced reign of serror 10 the
village. Plumber had been accomplished,
and violence followed. The iaid was brief,
but the scene must have been terrible while
it last ed., The thirty or more marauders
rushed up and down the streets firing their
pistols in every direction. Whenever they
saw a citizen or group Of men, they would
aim in that direction. They had magniG
cent ms seven shooters--and as fast as
one weapon was unloaded, they drew. au-
other aud Kept up the fusilade. Mr Bald
win says he can ouly liken they sounds to
the noise of Fourth of July morning in o
large city: There wss continuous bang
bang bang I OF course this reckless Us,
of FIRE arms could not continue long witt
nobody hurt. The Sheriff of the county
soon fell; Mr.. Huntington was shot while
resisting she tobbery of bis store; woman
whose name we could not lesrn, fell, and
more dsstardly than sli, as the guerrillas
we're leaving the town, they saw a little
girl in the streets and wantonly killed her.
Aud the bullets we're flying around among
the buildings in the Main street, nearly ali
of which bear marks Of lead. Windows
were broken. blinds Clipped and people
wouaded. It was scene that beggars oil
description. a s5'aot iae7h iA.o taaf,
Meanwhile their threats we're terrible
We will turn your id town, they
said. We will treat you as the people of
Atlanta were treated. They also said !:
We are coming back again, and will burn
every town in Vermont. Their inprsca.
tions were of a blesphenons character.
They claimed To- be Confederates. Our in
formant does not think any of the men
were Ganadians. They all looked like
Americans, aud Southerners at that
Tnese demons continued their Internal ,pis-
tol Rring-killed man named Morse after
they began to take prisoners. t...... +,
,t, All this was the work of twenty min
utes Conductor Baldwin says he can scarce
ly realize that it all happened, and that SO
much was done IN so short time, The
gaerrllas having aif secured horses and
saddles, commenced their retreat, e.. They
Abandoned the prisoners and rode ofJnorth-
ward, firing tbei- pistols as they proceeded.
IL appeared to be their intentioh to make
attack on the Misseqpof bank at Sheldon.
When the villagers became thoroughly
aroused to what happened. they acted in q
manner worthy Of their Green Mountain
sirers 10 the days Of the Revolution. Capt
Oonger, with eight men. started in swift
pursuit twenty more followed in half an
hour. People seized guns, pistols, cuihsses
and clubs, aud carns ont into the streets.
Stores we're clesedr-basiness was suspend
ed. Everybody was wild with excitement.
Phere was Babel OF, suggestions. ques-
lions, incidents, escapes, comparisons Of
losses, and speculations ss 10 the future.
Telegraps were sent TO Montpelier. and
the rif i1naas mo ID nrey,a "A tfona for home