Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-23
A FIENDISH PLOT TO ROB AND
MURDER.
The Pay Train ON the JefersOnvIIIe
Road 10 be Thrown off the Track
One of the Gang Develops the Plot
Arrest Of Four Of the COnspIrafOrs.

One OF the Gang Develops the Plot
Arrest Of Four Of the COnspiratOrs
From the Louisville Courier, April %.
One of the most diabolical plots to com.
nit wholesale murder and robbery that was
ever conceived has Just been developed and
frustrated in Jacksonville. From what
we can learn, gang of six desperados, who
we're lately employed in the workshops and
yard of the Jacksonville Railroad Com
pany, entered in a conspiracy to throw a
pay train from tie track of the Jefferson
vile railroad, murder all on board, and rob
the train, which generally carries about
$4,000 in current funds.
The plot was exposed few days ago by
a man who was in the secret of the conspi-
rators. We withhold his name by request,
az he is believed to be innocent, and was
working in the best interest of the COM
pany. This man, who is an employee of
the company, developed the plot to Col.
Scott, the Superintendent Of the road. He
says that the gang consisted of six men,
and their plan was to displace a rail at a
point about twelve miles out from Jeffer-
sonville known as Muddy Fork, and throw
the pay train, which was TO leave Jeffer-
sDnville yesterday morning at o'clock
from the track. The next move was to
murder the six or eight men on board, and
rob the train of its treasure. As the train
would pass the point named in broad day
light, the adroit villains so planned the re
moval of the rail as not to be detected BY
the engineer After loosening il from the
ties, they were to attach a rope to it, leav-
ing the rail in its place, and lying con-
cealed at distance from the track, jerk
the rail out as the train approached.
1t was the understanding that the gang
were to meet at Muddy Fork on Monday
night, and await the train. They convened
at Eagle Hotel, in Jacksonville, and started
out about 10 o'clock on the night mentioned,
but, for some inexplicsble reason, only
travelled four or five miles on their Jour
ney, when they concluded no doubt TO
postpone the affair and retrace their steps.
The failure of the man who "blowed" on
them to come to time was very likely the
cause of their putting it off, SO as to make
sure that all was right before striking the
despersse blow for blood and money
1t il unnecessary for ia TO state that
Col. Prescott had left nothing undone, not
only to Illustrate the plot, but bag the gang
of Williams. To this end he had employed
the services of DIR. Horn, the Sheriff of
Clark county, officer Bright, the great
Chicago detective, J. w. Baxter, Marshal
Of Jacksonville, and officers James Ken
nedy q. Seibert and w. E. Miller This
force was deployed in such manner az
would insure the capture of the entire
gang Their movements were watched
from the time they left the hotel until they
returned, before daylight in the morning.
Two of the gang suspicioned that all was
not right, and instead of returning to the
Eagle Hotel, made for this city and es-
capped. The other four, whose names are
L. b. Hughes, Joseph Kinney, Chas. Buck
and l.. S. Burkett, entered the hotel and
retired. Sheriff Horr and his possee
pounced upon the unsuspecting cut-throats
and "gobbled" the last one of them.
The gang are well known in Jefferson
Vile to the railroad workshop employees.
Charles Buck was the switch-tender and in
the employ Of the company. Three ofthe
gang had recently been discharged. Most
Of them have boarded at the Eagle Hotel
for upwards of one year. Burkett was also
nthe employ of the road when the plot
was Matched. Hughes says he is from Bed
ford, but it ia known that he has been in
Jacksonville for long time.
We visited Jacksonville last evening,
and found the little city rife with rumors.
In less than half an hour we heard over a
dozen different stories and all disconnected.
The officers of the road declared that they
we're in total ignorance Of the plot, further
than the street rumors. Seeing that there
was little, if any, chance for the Argus
eyed reporters Of the press from this side
of the water TO gather the details, we were
about retracing our steps, when, by the
sublimity of luck, and our friends Jack
Howard and VIM. Steele, We were intro
duced to the identical men we were look
ing for - officers Seibert and Miller
Through their courtesy we obtained the
above facts. 1t is hoped and believed that
the two who escaped will yet be captured,
as they are we'll known to the officers in
pursuit.
The four prisoners, Hughes, Kinney,
Buck and Burkett, were yesterday taken
before Mayor Poindexter, who issued an
order for their committal until 10 o'clock
this morning, when the case will be inves-
tigsted. John Reed, Esq, will prosecute f;
the prisoners have sent to New Albany
for lawyers to defend their case.