The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-25
ROBBERY OF GOLD CHECKS.
Remarkable Case OF Robbery by Boys,
and TheIr Subsequent FIIght.

On the 18th of December 1866, Joseph
Packard, a lad aged seventeen years, and
messenger for Messrs John Monroe Co.,
brokers, having an Office at No. Wall street
was sent to the Bank OF Commerce with $4,000
in gold checks, which he was directed to de-
post in the name of the firm. In due time
Packard returned to the Office with the hand
book, in which an entry of deposit had appa-
rently been made by the Cashier. The neXt
day the messenger failed to appear, and the
firm supposed he was i'll. AS he did not
appear on the l4th, one of the partners
called at his residence in Brooklyn to
inquire the cause. Packard's mother stated
that the boy had not been at home for two or
three days, and she did not know anything OF
his whereabouts. Becoming alarmed, the FIRM
made the necessary inquiries at the bank, when
they discovered that the gold checks had not
been deposited there, nor could they find any
trace OF them. The detectives at Police Head
quarters were notified of the robbery, and De-
tectives Vaughn and Niven we're placed upon
the case. Both these officers worked assiduonsly,
and ascertained that Packard had a confede
rate in the robbery, named Isaac Clark, aged
nineteen years. and after a long wild goose
chase, the detectives found that both the boys
had gone to Canada,
Detective Niven had a number of circulars
printed, and sent the same to the numerous
Police Bureaus in the United States and Canadas,
accompanied by photographs of the fugitives.
One of these fell into tho hands of Chief La
mothe of the Montreal Police and he ascer-
tanned that the boys were then in that city at
hotel. He at once proceeded to effect their ar
rest, but made his inquiries so openly that some
one in the hotel saw the dangers surrounding
the fugitives, and so informed them. Both Pac-
kard and Clark engaged a sleigh and drove to
the village of Assumption, about siXty.ive miles
distant from Montreal, where they took train
for Portland, Maine, leaving tnelr trunks TOR the
police, who were considerably chagrined at
their failure,
After remaining in Portland for few days to
re6t, the young rascals took passage for Liver
pool England, on board the steamship Hiberna,
leaving Portland on the 18th of January last
arriving at Liverpool on the Goth. While in that
| city they lived q very tast-and-loose life, and
while intoxicated straye into the hall occupied
| by .Chrlsty's Minstrels, when some deXterous
| English thief robbed the Transatlantic importa-
tioDs of $4,000 worth of the checks, with some
other money. Packard and CLARK had, fortu-
nately for themselves, left $1,000 in their trunks
at their hotel, and with that sum started for
| London, where they remained over week see
| ing the lions of the great metropolis, when
| they started for France, intending to go to
| Paris, but on their arrival at Havre they dis
covered that their money had dwindled down
| TO $780,
Finding themselves in a desperate strait after
all their adventures, the boys concluded to. go
to America on board the steamship Celia then
| lying in port preparing to sail for New York.
In due time the steamer reached this port, on
the 9th of March, and anchored in the stream
off Jersey City, at which city the boys landed,
and then took the first train for Balti-
more, at which city they remained until their
| money was all spent. Packard then concluded
| to 90 on a farm at Patapsco Bay as laborer, and
he was accompanied by Clark. After working
on the farm for over month the lads became
dlsgusted with the hard labor and poor fare
and finally telegraphed to Mr.. Chandler, the
representative of the firm robbed, asking him tC
send on for them, as they were ready
to suffer for the crime they had committed. A
clerk was accordingly sent on to Baltimore
Packard and Clark were arrested by the police
and both the prisoners were brought into th
| city in charge of Detective Porter, and satel!
| handed over to the MetrODOlitan Police, In
spector Walling ordered their detention, anC
they were locked up at the Central Office, wher
they gave the particulars above narrated. Boil
are apparently resigned to their fate, expecting
to be sent to Sing Sing for five years each
Packard has also confessed that he came nea
obtaining $4,000, which a brother clerk ha
been ordered to deposit but failed in doing S
, by mere accident. 1t appears that they ha
planned the robbery for some time, and acte
deliberately In committing the crime.-M ]
| jT1p