The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-01-24
THE GaEAr RonRERY ~ PrsNsrr.r,

l 1hE UbEAf mulberry IN IENNSYLFA.
SIA-FURTHER PART1CuLARs.-It has al.
ready been stated that the house of Mr.
John Bennington, near Petroleum Centre
Pa, was entered by robbers on. the night
Of the 18th instant, the inmates maltreat.
ed, and the premises robbed of over
$4,000. The Titusyilie Herald he's the
following additional particulars:
Shortly after o'clock the family, con.
-istiDg of Mr. John Bennington, his wife
and niece, and two hired men, were sit.
ting in the kitchen, when the door was
opened and four men walked in. Three
Of these men were Of medium size, and
the fourth was tall and heavy, and all Of
them were masked with handkerchiefs,
cloths, or comforters. On entering the
room the men drew pistols, and, present
ing them at the heads or breasts of the
family, threatened them with Immediate
death if they should make the least noise.
So completely were the family taken by
surprise that but little resistance was Of.
fered except by Mr.. Bennington, who cried
out Justify on their first appearance. The
first cry that he raised had scarcely left
his lips when he was attacked by one of
the ruffians, who was soon assisted by one
or two of the others.
Mr.. Bennington is now in his sixty
seventh year; but Notwithstanding his ad-
vanced age he is still possessed of conside-
rable strength, and he exerted it to the
utmost. His strength was, however, en-
tirely inadequate to cope with two or three
middle-aged men, and he was soon thrown
to the floor. The ruffians struck him in
the face and stamped on his body, and then
half dragged, half carried him to an ad-
joining bedroom. All this time Mr.. Ben
ninghof was by no means idle, but was
putting forth his best endeavors to escape,
and to attract attention from the outside.
After they got Mr.. Bennington somewhat
under their control they tied his arms and
legs and threw him on the bed, and wrap
ped the bed-clothes tightly about him.
They then rifed his pockets, and took
from one of them his pocket-book, con-
tanning small amount Of money and a
key to one of the safes. After seeing that
the cords which bound his limbs were fast,
and covering him more closely with the
clothes, they left him in powerless con-
dition.
While Mr.. Bennington was struggling
with two of the ruffians the other two had
intimidated the two hired men, and they
were soon tied in the chairs in which they
sat at the time when the robbers first made
their appearance. These men offered but
very little resistance, and in a very brief
space of time they found themselves in a
helpless condition. During the fracas
Mrs. Bennington managed to secure re-
volver, which she handed to one of the
hired men, but he, through fear or some
other emotion of like character, did not
use it, and Immediately afterward one OF
the roughs got possession Of it. Mrs. Ben
ninghoff was seized, dragged into an adjoin-
ing room, and bound. Mr. Bennington Is
niece was taken into a room near the
kitchen and fastened to lounge.
After every person in the house was Sc
curely fastened, and an attempt had been
made to open combination lock safe, two
of the party started up stairs to the room
in which an old-fashioned safe was kept
without asking any questions, while the
other two stayed below and kept guard
over the family. The key of the safe on
Tue second moor nau Deeu tdheu irou III
Benninghoff's pocket-book, and the vii
lains succeeded in opening the safe without
difficulty. One drawer in the safe was
overlooked, but all the rest Of it was tho
roughly ransacked. The safe contained
nearly 1925, 1000, and the villains succeeded
in taking $4,000. OF the $4,000 there
were $4,000 in Government bonds, and
the rest in greehbacks and national cur
rency.
The villains then made their escape, but
a reward of 1000 has been offered for
their arrest. Three men are in custody on
suspicion of being the robbers.