Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1871-05-13
sarU. 5. DIsrRIcr Court AT WHEEL

I nagU, ). D1srRIcT Court AT W HEEL
1SG.-A few weeks ago, we, toge'hei
with Jacob J. Miller, ESD, OF this couii-
ty, were summoned to Wheeling y!
Marshal schley, as Jurymen, at sPe-
cial term of the L. S. District court
Judge Jackson, presiding, to SIT upon
the case of the L. S. Government VS. ~
A. Marshall, Postmaster at Romney'
who was charged with the embezzie-
ment of a registered letter containing
one thousand dollars, and as many IN
ouiries have been made of us as to the
result of the trial, we insert the follow
mo account of the whole affair, for
which we are indebted to the Wheeling
I HfeWgsncer. Mr.. Marshall, the accus-
ed, is a Young man of about "a years OF
ace. has wife and two children, and
heretofore was highly respected in the
community in which he lived, and al
though young man he held several
responsible offices in the county OF
Hampshire. The penalty for embezzling
a letter from the Post Office, is not less
than ten wears nor more than twenty
one in the penitentiary
The Court reasSembled at Q o'clock,
Saturday morning, when Gen. Golf
made the closing argument for the Gov
ernment in the Marshall case. We
have heard Gen c.. effort spoken of in
the highest terms by those who heard
it, as fully sustaining his reputation as
an able and vigilant prosecutor.
The case was given to the jury, who
retired to their chamber and in few
minutes brought in verdict Of guilty.
Counsel for the prisoner made motion
for new trial, which will be heard on
the Sth of May, to which day the Court
adjourned The prisoner was committed
to jail.
The following resume of the case may
not be unintcresting to our readers: On
the 2nd OF November, 1869, two drafts
torS5O0 each were mailed at Litz, Pa,
by banking house in that place, drawn
on MessrS. De Haven d Bros, Of Phlla-
dclphia i'll favor OF Samuel +. Keller. of
Capon Iron works, and addressed to
him. On the Sth of the same month
Messrs. De II. IL Bros. received the
drafts through the mail endorsed with
Mr. kcllcrs name. and accompanied by
letter purporting to have been writ
ten at Capon bridge and signed ). +.
Keller, in which was request that two
5000 bills be sent in return in register
ed letter. Enclosed in the letter was
, twenty-five cents to pay fee for register
inc. The next day Messrs, De Haven
& Bro. complied with the request, and
the package was traced regularly thro'
the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Cum
berland postotiiccs to Romney, via New
Creek. On the morning Of November
Is it was forwarded to Capon Bridge.
Upon its arrival there the Postmaster
discovered that both the regiStered pack
AGE envelope and that Of the letter bore
marks Of having been tempered with.
On the letter was arcquest to return to
MesSrs. De H. q Bros. if not called for
in five days. No one calling for it in
the specified time, the postmaster en-
closed it in another registered envelope
and forwarded it via Winchester, llar-
pers Ferry and Baltimore, on the goth,
as requested. MesSrs. De Haven d
Bros. rcccivedit on the 24th. and on open
inc it found the money gone. The fact
was at once communicated to the Post
Office Department, and special agent
sent out to detect the thief. After
few days spent in working up the case,
the detective returned to Washington
without having accomplished the object
Of his mission. Thus the matter stood
until the 20th of last July, when, the
Postmaster General directed the papers
to be placed in the hands Of Col. John
Frey, special agent at large of the De
partment. Col. !. came out, and after
about three weeks incessant labor in
maturing plans anu Watching 'Ich IL
suits. he arrested Mr.. Marshall, who
was at the time of the alleged robbery,
assistant postmaSterat ROmney. Mr.. NJ
was brought before Commissioner
Forbes, in this city, and after an eXami-
nation, was held to bail for his appear
ance. This he gave, and returned to
his home in Hampshire. At the next
term of Court the case was called, but
continued at the instance of the govern
mcnt The past week it was again call
ed, and the parties being ready to pro
coed with the trial, the investigation of
the matter was commenced, resulting as
before stated.
Mr.. Marshall was ably defended by
Col. Raymond, of Fairmont, and Mr..
Perry, of Romney.
Ea5' CHESAPEAKE AND ONO CANAL
The trade over this canal is now very
brisk. The Cumberland Alleganian
save there were cleared at the Cumber
land Office within the month of April,
Just closed, 90 boats, carrying l05,75l