The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1866-01-18
THE EXPRESS ROBBERY.

| Particulars Of the Arrest Of the R066erS
The Amount Recovered-Hardships
Of Wrong doers.
The shrewdness of the thief, which
seems to cling SO readily to the time of
the commission of crime, appears to de-
sert him almost entirely when the cir
cumstances of his misdeeds are to be con-
cealed. This apparent Inconsistency may
appear either inconsistent or curious, but
it is nevertheless true and it has enga-
ged the pen of the novelist as we'll as that
of the recorder of daily events.
| On Saturday evening last, the little
town of Stamford, Conn, was mystifed by
the appearance, at the hotel, Of men who
came in one by one, and offended the taste
of the entire village community by strict
ly minding their own business. They
had evidently never seen each other be-
fore, and had very little to say. The
hearty farmer or drover came into the bar
room of the hotel and remarked that the
weather was extremely cold. This was
true, but the three strangers merely nod
ded their heads and were not to be drawn
into conversation. Other gossips also
dropped in, but they were not more sue
cessful than their neighbors. The sill
ence of the strangers was something re-
markable The way they Stunned each
others company was also remarkable--at
least it would have been remarkable to
shrewder observers than village gossips.
Nevertheless, the country was alive with
the news of great robbery, and it wasn't
safe to be stranger even about dull
country village-as suspicion is strange
irrespecter of persons.
For once in their lives the dull villa
gers began to grow sharp. The expert
ence of this novelty caused general self
satisfaction. They eyed the strangers
very minutely, studied the physiognomles
balanced their actions, and drew wild
conclusions from their least notion
Still, the fact that they did not speak to
each other was convincing proof that
they did not know each other.-conVinc-
ing proof to the simple Stamfordians, you
know and there, of course, it was so
much more mystical.
One of them expressed desire to hire
hack, for the purpose of proceeding to
Norwalk. He did not wish to be accom-
panied by driver, for he was going to
take some ladies with him and there
would not be room. Here the villagers
scented mouse. The gentleman offered
liberal terms for the carriage, but he not
wanting driver was suspicious.
A carriage was therefore not to be had.
Marvellous to appear, this circumstance
was the occasion of the three strangers
becoming acquainted with each other
) They suddenly grew affable, and convers-
| ed in dark corners, held secret consulta,
tions, and eyed other men distanty.-
This showed that these men were not
! wise, for they were probably the thieves
whose deeds of bold and ambitious Grim
inalty were still ringing through the
: country. They had been strangers tc
: each other through policy but mutua
anxiety made them close friends they
had been shrewd, wide awake rogues, fol
l safety's sake; but conscious crime sud
D denly transformed them into trembling
f apprehensive villains.
Failing to procure a carriage, the three
strangers renamed at Stamford all night
The "all night" at Stamford was fatal
i All the town were awake, and they al
3 began to whisper of the Express robbery
0 and to look at the three strangers in q
q manner more suggestive Of penitentlarles
than of wine breakfasts.
! In the morning they went to Norwaik
b where they were also remarked. Their
1 first movement was to procure q convey
o ance and proceed to house of a shoemak
: er, named Tristram, who resided on hill
S back of the town. In the mean time
}. suspicion had been the limit of the vii
y liage opinions regarding the movements
d of these three men but their action grew
It more and more noteworthy. They re
]. mained at the shoemaker's all Sunday