The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-22
A Romantic story.

1t will be remembered that the safe OF
Mr.. Pell, storekeeper in Portland, was
broken open some time in February last.
and large amount Of money, between
three and four thousand dollars, distracted
therefrom. The identity Of the robbers
from that time until within few days past
remained profound secret. But crime of
any sort, not murder alone, will at some
time out, and there exists evidence now to
bring home this burglary with almost a
certainty, to three men, who have been ar.
rested, and are now on trial Ia Hawesville,
Ky. The story is romantic one, and re-
calls even wildly situations that are the
stock in trade of the yeIlow-covered litera-
ture guild. : Iff LGi.J =: ETE. Z
At the time Of the robbery there lived in
the next house one David Webb, a Grip
pied, worthless fellow, with no ostensible
means of support, and whose room was
only separated from that in which was the
safe broken open by thin wooden par
tition. Some suspicion rested on Webb at
the time, from the lack OF consistency in his
story that he was sleeping in his room
during the night Of the robbery, and yet
did not hear the noise that the burglars
must have made in their successful attempt
to force open the safe. But no positive
proof appearing against him, no active
measures were taken either to have him
arrested or to inquire into his part in the
affair: but, as above, evidence has now
come to light duplicating him with two
comrades as having been the men engaged
in the burglary. %G 100
It appears that on the night of the rob
berry young lady living near Mr.. PelPs
store overheard these men planning the
affair under her window. She called her
mother beside her to afford asecond witness
- 1,a-
bly, from natural sensation Of alarm; but
the movement in so doing attracted the
notice of the confederates below, and the
fact that they were overheard was dis
covered. Not giving over their intention,
they bound over the mother and daughter
by the most solemn oaths never to Detray
them, threatening the two with certain
death should they make the disclosure.
The entry into the safe was then made, and
the parties had, up 10 the time mentioned,
escaped detection. But what through life
would have been considered sacred obli-
CATION, with however little foundation, was
rendered null and void by the approach
of death. The elder Of the ladies died
recently in Portland, but made on her
death-bed the statement Of the circum-
stances as above as to the robbery and the
parties engaged. Acting on this inforna-
ton, James Gibson and Bill Bassen, living
in Lewisport, Hancock county, with Webb
himself, were arrested in that town the
other day, and are now being tried before
the Circuit Court in Hawesville for the
crime. The daughter of the deceased lady,
absolved from at least the fear of disclosing
the facts that so singularly came to her
knowledge, has been retained as witness
for the prosecution. MIR. Eli Brown and
Judge Baker, Of Hawesville, appear for the
Greensboro, firm celebrated for its sue
cess in criminal cases, acting for the de-
fence. None of the money lost by Mr. Pell
was recovered, it having in all probability
gone the way of all such illegal gains
louisville Courier. 81 zs, -'#