The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-09-23
A pctccIsye In a Tlghs Place.

4 circumstance occurred yesterday
morning at Centralia, Mo-, on the NORTH
Missouri railroad, which shows the exist
cnce Of strong prejudice on the part o.
the people in that vicinity against The form
OF law in criminal cases, and which Droleh'
out the sterling qualities OF one OF our ae'
tectiveS.
On the Soth of last month man OF gen.
tool address. giving his name as A. Z. Gun:
ninrham. left at the stables OF January Il
Edwards. in this city, a horse which he de-
sired TO be sold. lie received from the stable
keeper an advance Of forty-hre dollars on
the horse, and an agreement was made that
ns soon as the horse was sold the balance
would be transmit ed to Cunningham.
Two or three days afterwards january &
Edwards received from Cunningham let
ter dated ut jefferson City, directing them
10 send him some money by express TO Chill
Tco,hc. Livingston county. On the 10th
Instant Dr.. Singleton, Of Ccntralia, Au-
drain county, arrived in the city in search
of \ stolen horse. He identified the horse
lett with January & Edwards rs bis prop
crtv, and the animal was delivered to him.
The police were notified Of the affair, and
officer Lawler was sent after Cunningham.
A bogus package was sent by express, di-
rectcd to Cunningham, ut ChilIicothe, and
on Saturday last Lawler was at the express
ance Of his man. lie did not have TO wait
long. The cuprlt Was secured. and the
same afternoon Lawlcr started with him OH
the train tor st. Louis. In the mean time
intelligence Of the arrest Of Cunningham
bad been tClcgraphed to Centralia, and tue
indignant farmers in that vicinity made
preparations to lynch the horse-thief.
The train arrived ut clock in the morn
ing, and as soon us it. halted an excited
crowd, headed by IN old man with huge
'''nent in his band, lcaped on board.
doC~- -" Centralians soon found Law
The ayeDS..-, - and the old man COM
Ter and his prlsone., '"rous document,
which was demand upon The oi-: tho
liver Cunningham into the hands Or '"'
mob. Lawlcr did not recognize the au-
thority of the old mans document, ana see-
Ing Il crowd Of seventy or eighty men armea
with shot guns, rifles, pltchiorks, axes,
clubs, bluugeons, hay-rakes,. ana boot,
Jacks, he knew the man would he hah2eo
or INHALED, and retusei to give him up:
Cries of " Fetch him out !" " Hang him .
were heard, and Cunningham began TO
think bis career was near its fms. He chung
to Lawler, and begged him to save him.
I,wler parleytd with the leader OF the
mob, and got him to read his paper, hoping
the train would start before he could spc'l
out the words written on tue DlG docuiheh'
in his hands.
When the old man had finished rcaainS
his writ he offered IaWler SlOO To gave up
the prisoner, but the officer refused. lhe
train was now put in motion, but was
stopped by the mob. The engineer came
aft to see what was the matter, and flDGlhS
that there WAS q mob on the train he leu Oh
the steam, and the train moved ob al i
rapid pace. The passengers on the lialn
took sides with the officer. the Shat hcS
were removed from CunninghanrS lcSH
ana there was ut one time i prospect Oh
pitched battle but the star ting ni Tue tralh
took the mob ut disadvantage, ana the
Ccntrallans jumped OIL, Que ut Il TIME, IKE
frogs diving iutD deep wafer at the APP
proach of Il scloolbJy.
4 gentleman who got on the train ut ST
tlalia stated that the mob hai erected GAL |
lows near the depot, and fully intended to
h ng Cunningham without Judge or jury.
They did not believe i'll the penitentiary,
but declared their preference tor lynch law.
Cunningham telt grateful TO LAWYER Tor
saving him from the mob. lie reached inc
city ut o'clock yesterday morning. anu
was locked up in the calaboosc to await cX-
animation. lie is said to be The man WHO
escaped from Jail several months ago III
jackson county, Indiana, and Tor wnoin
reward nf 500 Is o1irred.-St. LOUIS De"eo-
t'rUt 18th,