The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-08-18
LOCAL MATTERS.

IL A6AsN~'
GRANVILLE oxTELLE AND HIS EXPLOITS
DARING Observation-Disclosures lnioi
nation received here leaves no doup' ao .ha
the fact that Granville Montene is q. sne
head of regularly organized oanu u ~, of ~
thieves. with active members IN mnns "
the counties on the route between hicanon
and the Potomac river, and with ellIGien'
AGENTS and accomplices in this city, WASH
;ngton and Baltimore: It is really aston,
;sbinp that their operations can be carrleu
On mon such q large scale in these days Oh
tbe TELEGRAPH. railroad, and detective ponce;
Nth sncb IMMUNITY. But it is even so' aIa
orr readers would be greatly surprised coula
vo Law before them anything like an eccu-
rote estimate Of the value of the horse-nesh
stolan hv this band during the past SIX
months. o-.ou-
Granville Montelle, the chief and execu,
five officer of the gang, is now known anu
feared in nearly all of the eastern couh
ties. and many are the stories that are 'oiu
of his daredevil exploits and generous
forhearance.' There seems to be dlspo-
sition to make q hero of him; and, indeeu'
he seems himself ambitious to RANK do d
@ gentleman of the road " with Claude
Dnva1, Dick Turpin, and Sixteen-Strlng
Iock with this difference his specially Is
fine horses instead of fat purses. he scorns q
Door animal, and will sometimes even pass ~
n frst-rate saddle-horse. lie glorleS III
blooded stock and fast trotters. bis agents
keep him posted as to the Whereabouts Vi
two. three, and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. anlihais'
and if he once slips the bride over morse s
head that horse is gone. 1t is said that ne
never takes the last horse from the pillow,
and swears that he would rather quit the
business than rob poor man
It may not be generally known that Mon
talle is q Richmond man, and is the son OF
rasnectable parents. Many of our citizens
remember him rs O wild, harum-scarum,
mischievous but genteel boy. His first
known exploit was the stealing of COW.
This crime has been followed by many OF
the same grade but he has never been &C
cused of murder, although he goes doubly
armed, and has several times exchanged
shots with those who have attempted his
capture. Once, we remember, Ill the streets
of Petersburg.
Montelle Las been three times in the
penitentiary and many times in jail, al
most as often making his escape. He was
last convicted in the Circuit Court of Pc
tersburg, and it being for his third peni-
Tertiary offence, he was sent there for LIE.
Being received within those gloomy walls,
he behaved himself in the most exemplary
manner, winning the commentator Of all
the prison officers. But four months had
not elapsed before he made his escape, and
with him two other convicts. He did not
hesitate at once to resume his old trade, but
stole horses for the party as soon as he crossed
the line into Hanover county. Since that
time his exploits have frequently received
notice at our hand. After two or three
months in West Virginia he boldly returned
to Richmond, and has several times been
seen on the streets by those who knew him
when he was an honest man. On one occa-
sion he refined up his horse in front of
bar-room near Bacon's Quarter branch, and
handing a bystander some money, requested
him to go in and bring out bottle of Whls-
key, begging to be excused for asking the
favor, but urging, by way of apology, 6 |
am Granville Montelle, and it isn't alto
gether safe for me to be lingering about
Richmond" He got the whiskey.
Governor Wells would do we'll at once to
offer reward for the apprehension of this
desperate. He swears, however, "by all
that's holy" that he will never be taken
alive. He is described as about thirty-ive
years of age, five feet eleven inches high,
with dark hair and hazel eyes. He is
marked by scars on the forehead, on the
fingers of his right hand, and between the
first and second fingers of his left; also by
a scar on his left leg, from the kick of
horse. When last heard from he was near
Dumfries, Stafford county, probably on his
way to the Potomac river. The police
should have an eye on his suspected accom-
plices in this city.