The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-11
THE GEORGIA EXPRESS noBBER1.

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THE GEORGIA ExPRESs ROBBERY.
Arrest OF Three Parties. Charfsa with
the Crimo-COmfesslon OF q ssase's wit.
ness-Further Details or thsss "A Mhtr--
How tho Robbery was Comunisted
The Augusta Chronicle, of yesterday, gives
the Following full and interesting particla of
the great cxpr ess robbery which occurred on
the line Of the Georgia Centraia Railroad ON
the 22i ult.. together with tho ssseps which
have thus fsr been taken towards Ftss.s convic-
sion cs tas perpetrators
On the evening of the 22d day 0t-3ast July,
sr. Butler Mays, resident Of WcOdlawp, in
the sabuIba OF this city. and empiesed In this
the cipacity Of messenger on ltse Central
Railroad. between Savannah and sSacon lett
the ofnce OF the company in the latter city in
charge OF tlie money chest and an average
was conveyed in the wagons of the company
to the depot Of the Central Railroad where It
was deposited in the express car, and soon
asterward the train started for sayannan. Be-
sides the passengers and employees Of the
railroad on the train that night, ht,sthere were
also on board two train bandsss Francis B.
Bland and Lassiter. both sof this city,
and third party, bsggag .-naster named
Hargrove, from Savannah. The fsun of cars.
beside the engine and tender, co1iSiated OK q
box car, next to this car divided lnto Two
compartments. and known AZ the Macon ex-
press and baggage Car-the first compartment
being occupied BY the Macon messenger
while the second compartment wah filed with
bagg age for Macon--a partition, NTH door
IN it, separated the two rooms; next to this
the Augusta express and baggagas,ar; then q
second-class passenger Car; and following this
the other passenger ears.
When tbe train had arrived ut Station No.
Txo from Savannah, Mr.. Mays LETT his car
and went with the baggage-master, HaYgrovs,
INTO the socond-class passenger oar, where q
watermelon was cut aud eaten in COMPANY. we
,rndesstand ,nnn with Bland and Lassiter Not
went back to the Macon baggage car with
Hsrgrove. Arrived there. Hargrove, who
Kept the key of the door between the two
roomss opened the door and Mays went to bed,
the express for his own car, to be sure and
LOOK the door between them. Thls;was done,
and Mays went to sleep almost Immediately af-
terward. ''7I--.-''
Several hours afterward the train arrived at
Miisn. where 1t mat the down night train from
thus city. and the messenger awoke. Taking
his safe key from his pocket he opened his
money chest for the purpose Of transferring
those for Macon. It was at thus time that the
loss was first discovered. When the safe was
opened the messenger fonnd that fonr pack
ages. containing in the aggres ate o great deal
taken from the Ghost. Whlie he SO soundly
slumbered some person or persons must have
entered the car, searched his person. without
awaklng nim nom bis sleep. and taken the
safe OF the four packages and returned the key
again, getting out undiscovered.
THE sDsPEoTED PAaTIEs.
When the messenger discovered his loss. he
went on 20 Macon ana informed the sompany
OF the robbery. AS soon IS the of6cers Of the
o hno inf no@ no. L.
place. General superintendent O'Brien and Dr.
vision superintendent Dempsey ret eagerly to
work to discover the authors or the robbery
AFTER hearing the circumstances which preced-
ed the robbery, we are informed that suspicion
at on0e fell on the three parties shove men~
TONED. Bland, Lassiter land HsrRroys. bnt
there. there was Nc no Glga 1hich conld lead tostheir
arress saaet - asSsl a-ss that the parte5 or at
is shs faSs s is;s sssssI Sss
weeks the affair hung fire. Though these
men were strongly suspected Of having COM
mitted the robbery, there was no testimony to
sustain the charge and any false movemsu
rything. Accordingly the affair was kept a.
quiet as possible, that the suspected parties
might not become frightened, whilst the police
nevsr lor momeot ceased their exertioas. Up
to tn first Of August, 30 quiet had the affair
been Kept, that not ne Rspaper in the State
had gotten hold of it, aud on that morning the
robbery was published for the first time in the
SOaSAAAAS "a euo SJuEOutClo &uU H0hGin0l.
THE ARREST MADE.
Thus the affair progressed until last Satur.
Gay morning; the suspicious OF. the police still
resting on tho same parties, but no positive
proof, having been obtained of their guiit
One OF the men, Frank Bland, was suspected
more strongly than either Of the others; for
in very extravagant style. and seemed to be
very flush OF brads, On the evening of Satur-
Gay tne three men were all ascertained to be IN
the City, and it was determined that the time
had arrived for striking the blow. Accordingly
warrant was obsained and the police oftiesrs
sailed out and found and arrested Harprove
and Lassiter on Twixgs-street. Turning over
these Two men, ss soon as arrested to some
privates, the ohtcers rode rapidly to bar
room IN the upper part Of the city. near
the corner OF Broad and Campbell streets:
where Bland was also discovered and captur.
ed. without onerinR any resistance. though
4 ON his well known character for courage. q
hight might havo been expected. The three
were Immediately taken to the City Hall and
carried before Justice Els. The prisoners
were ss eeacssed for the money but the search
twenty dollars; CD Bland fourteen dollars and
quarter, and on Lassiter twenty-five cents.
Before Justice ELS nothing concerning the
robbery was eLclted. Al three Of them stont-
~ protested their Innocence, and Bland said.
with an oath, that he was 'none too GOOD to
DO 1t; but that he never would have entered an
express safe and only taken four thouasnd dol
a1tc. was Temarke0 TOO, th0t while in the
police ofieer's room and charged with the rob
berry, he exclaimed that $50 much money was
not :aken." Nothing having transpired az this
time. the accused were committed to fail in
demanded. !, q
BLAND MAKES CONFESSION.
After an Incarceration OF the prisoners.
great efforts were made 70 induce one'Of the
three to turn States evidence: Tor il that was
not accomplished the arrest would have beer
OF no avail. II this was done It must be dona
quickly In order that the money might b. re.
covered before it was carried away from the
city by outside partles who must have lts in
their possession. These Efforts were attended
With sueh success that on yesterday mornine
Bland, fearful, 1t seems. that Hargrove would
lcave him In tine lurch. dhsermined TO antici-
pate suy step OF that kind; and turned states
crime.
In his confession he stated that he war IN