Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1869-07-15
The Mail Robber, and how he
was Caught.

Fourteen years ago l drove from
Danbury to Littleton, a distance of
forty-two miles, and as l had to await
the arrival of two or three coaches,
and did not start till after dinner, l
very often had good distance to drive
after dark. 1t was in the dead of win
ter, and the season had been a rough
one. A great deal of snow had fallen,
and the drifts were plenty and deep.
The mail that l carried was not due at
Littleton by contract until one O'Clock
in the morning, but that winter the
postmaster was obliged to sit up lit
tie later than that hour for me.
One day in January, when 1 drove
up my mail at Danbury, the postmas-
ter called me into his office.
"Pete," said he, with an important,
serious look, "there's some pretty
heavy money packages in that bag"
and he pointed to it as he spoke. He
said the money was from Boston to
some land agents up near the Canada
line. Then he asked me if I'd got
any passengers who were going through
to Littleton. 1 told him 1 did not
know. "But suppose l have not"
said 1.
"Why," said he, "the agent of the
lower route came in to-day, and he
says that there were two suspicious
characters on the stage that came up
last night, and he suspects that they
have an eye upon this mail, so that it
will stand in hand to be little care
full"
He said the agent had described one
of them as short, thick set fellow,
about forty years of age, with long
hair, and thick heavy clump Of
beard under his chin, but none on the
side of his face. He didn't know any
thing about the other. l told him /
guessed there wasn't much danger.
"Oh! no, not if you have got pas
sengers all the way through; but l
only told you of this so that you might
look out for your mail, and also look
out sharp when you change horses
] answered that 1 should do so, and
then took the bag under my arm, and
left the Office. l slowed the mail un-
der my seat a little more carefully than
usual, placing it so that / could keep
my feet against it, but beyond that l
did not feel any concern. 1t was past
one when we started, and l had four
passengers, two of whom rode only to
my first stopping-place. reached
Gowan's Mills at dark, when westopped
for supper, and where my other two
passengers concluded to stop for the
night.
About six O'Clock in the evening I
left Gowan's Mills alone, having two
horses and pung.
had seventeen miles to go, and a
hard seventeen it was, too. The night
was quite clear, but the wind was sharp
and cold, the loose snow flying in all
directions, while the drifts were deep
and closely packed. 1t was slow, te-
dious work, and my horses soon be-
came leg weary and restive. At the
distance of six miles l came to little
settlement called Bulls Corner, where
l took fresh horses. I'd been two
hours going that distance. As was
going to start, man came to me and
asked me if I was going through to
Littleton. ! told him I should go
through if the thing could possibly be
done. He said he was very anxious to
go, and as he had no baggage I told
him to jump in and make himself as
comfortable as possible. was gath
ering up my lines, when the hostler
came up and asked me if knew that
one OF my horses had cut himself bad
~. jumped out and went with him.
and found that one of the animals had
got a deep cut on the off fore foot. l
gave such directions as / considered
necessary, and was about to turn away,
when the hostler remarked that no
thought came alone. told him l
did. 'Then where did you get that
Passenger?" said he.
"He just got in," answered.
"Got in from where?"
II don't know"
"Wall NON, ., ,,;J +ha booflar stthat,a