The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-25
HUNTED TO DEATH.
TIE LITE EXPRESS ROBBERIES ON
THE MOBILE IND OHIO RiILROiD.

THE LATE EMPRESS ROBBERIES ON
THE MOBILE IND OHIO RiILRoAD.
Correct Details OF the Operations OF the
Detectives Against the Robbers-Pur-
suit, Capture and Death OF Earring
ton, Chief Of the Gang "A short Ch"P-
ter from the History OF the Modern
Murre,I-The Efficiency OF the Great
pinkerton Detective Agency.
From the Memphis Appeal, December l6.l
There is an impression abroad that no one
ever escapes who attempts TO rob Inc south-
ern Express Company. This Is founded on
ths experience of years. That company make
it point to hunt down thieves no matter
what i. NAV cost Levi Harrington Is the
latest victim of this fearful Nemesis which
never reaXes pursuit until dealh OF tle iaw
clutches in its ineXorable grasp the BENG VINO
Is weak enough to attempt 10 ROD OF emoeZ1le
! their property. ,u,,,,o,
Harrington had perpetrated many crimes
before he touched the express: 1t was MS
fatality to rush against that rock, and upon u
ne split The first time he was brought 10 lhe
notice of The Memphis police was last springs
when gentleman from Augusta, Arkansas.
saw Harrington on board DoaI at our Mhaai
and sent for Captain Ahey TO have MIN az
rested. He was brought To the stallonnOust,
no was also a horse which he was taking WIN
him IN Arkansas In few days allerwaruS
The horse was claimed by SentleInsi irolu
Upton County, in this State, ana FarrlnstoI
was bound over in the sum OF TWO thousauu
dollars TO answer TO tlle cnarSe vi VI atran5 nunSw
hail. Some gentlemen came here from MIS-,
souri to see ii he was not the person VINO nad
kiIled parties in that State. They looked ai
him through the bars of his cage ana
said. "NO; he is not the man IL
hIs brother we are alter" harrington
from the magistrates office here to the jail,
breaking away from the officer who had hlm
in charge at the corner OF Commerce anu
Main streets and, after running Two nonrs'
had to halt in front of high fence, ana alioW
himself to be recaptured and led TO jail. Alter
getting away from here, ne lmmeolately seI
about the perpetration of heavier robberles
than any he had before participated In. ne
associated himself with others, and, no doubt,
the brother was the leading Spirit III the Dlisi-
ness. as it appears that Levi Harrington, allas
Clarke. was not half so bad man as his
brother, who has not yet turned up. IN July
last the train was robbed at MOSCOW statlon,
Kentucky. 1t was generally believed at the
time that the Harrington gang were concerned
in the Job, and again, in October, another tram
was robbed at Union City, and again the same
clan were suspected.
II was on the evening of Saturday, the 2lst
OF October, the latter robbery was perpelrated
The train, as was usual, was swllcneo Oh eue
s$de-lrack, and oil hands, except one man, the
1Tuard. left the cars, TO have supper az some
distance from where the train rested on the
side.track. The switching was done 10 allow
clear through line for train when was 10
pass aborI that time, going In diilerent Ill
rection When the coast was all clear, TWO
men jumped into the express car ana toia
OF q
while others get upon the engine and COM
menced backing the train down the track.
Pistols were held at the head of Mr. Thomas,
the guard, and he was requested 10 hand out
the KEYS of the safe, which he did. me men
went through Its contents, taking ali the
money there was, amounting to aeout niteen
hundred dollars. When they had secured the
the booty. they signaled the engine 10 STOP
and all hands got off aud took to the WOODS.
AS the robbers started the train, negro
man ut the station notified the engine driver
and conductor at their supper Oh what naa
happened, they started down the track aller
the train, and when they reached IL touhu
everything all right except the express car. :
The guard related the story. which was so
strange that IL astOunded all hands: On the
engine one Of the thieves lett small silche',
which contained q loaf Of bakers bread ana II
piece Of bacOa. The authorities oi me express
company We're notified OF the aili,ir, anu IN u
short lime The superintendent, NJ. y. ODrien,
and The assistant superintendent, Mr.. WOrey,
were ON the ground, and had made their
decision what ~ do In the case. Pinkerton,
of Chicago, was sent for. and, in conjunction
with Pat. Connell, Of this city, commenced
operations, starting out with Lne satchei
aud its contents rs basis Tor operation.
From the description OF the men, Cohneh
suspected that H. was the work OF Inc Earring
ion family. In November they had tracet The
FarrinylOns TO place called LelsterS Land
I&g, below Hickman, Kentucky, and about
-pSrnty mites from Union City. Here the OIL
Gers went, walked into the house where the
thieves were in company with numoer OF
other men oil like kidney, and had Oold nsht,
but failed to capture the birds. finkerlon ana
Connell got some scratches from pistol Gal.s ynr
in the encounter The FalriuStons and Bar
ton, the other youth concerned In the affair,
got away Shortly after this, We published an
account in the Appeal OF Inc movements Oh
the Farringtons, in which 1t was slated tnat
the mother of the family was ABOUT 10
remove from Wavery, station on lae
Nashville and Northwestern Railroad, 10
Texas. She had circulated that story,
and it coming TO the ears OF Conneli
and Pinkerton, they resolved 10 profit by the
Information. They had By this time sur
rounded themselves with good force. Two
of their men were dispatched to Waverly 10
make acquaintance with Mrs. harrington;
Ol Gucui CV Will hCA 10 - tSe"'''S N''N
the other kept lowering around to observe
and to notify his chief what was going on. In
this wav they learned that Mrt. Harrington
was not bound for Texas, but for Missouri,
where she Intended TO locate in the nelghOr-
hood of her relations, at q little town called
Verona. Detectives were at once dispatched
10 Verona to watch for the Farrngtons. Con-
nell and Pinkerten also went In dlf1erent
characters. Two Of their men hired them
.selyes out as farm laborers TO the uncle OIL tne
sarringtoDs. The thieves were Traced 10 tneir
holes, and there surrendered on last Tuesday.
Yesterday we received the following dispatch,
which tells how well the plans OF The officers
were laid:
William A. PinEertOn and ). T. Gallagher, OF
P,nEertOn,S Chicago Detective Agency, auu Con-
nell or Memphis, left here last night ior uaion
civ Tennessee, having In charge Hlllery Far
rlngton alias Henry clark, and william Barton,
charged With robbng a Southern Express Com
pany messenger, by boarding trains at MOSCOW
Al Union City, on the Mobile aud Ohio Railroad,
last July and October. These mon were arrested
at Verona on the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad,
ir the extreme southwestern part OF this stare,
and were captured only AFTER inc houses III
which they took refuge were securely oarrl-
caded from the outside and then set on nre
they are desperate characters, and are charged
with mnrder as well as robbery. Their arrest, 1t
IA believed will have the effect TO break up one OF
the worst gangs OF desperadoes ever In the West.
From this it Is plain that there was despe-
rate struggle, and nothing short OF the COM
plete and effective means adopted Dy tne eA-
4 hax-n n