Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-10-26
From the Springfield % Advertiser, Oct. III
IN SPRINGFIELD
Arrest of a Gang of More Than Twenty
KsurgIarS-End of a Reign of Terror

Arrest of a Gang of More Than Twenty |
EurgIarS-End of a Reign of Terror
The reign of terror is over. The
citizens Of Springfield, who, for the
| last five or six years, have not rested u
| single night securely, have at last been
| relieved OF this constant dread. Houses
entered again and again; servant girls
| choked in their beds belatel travellers
assaulted and robbed on our streets
pistol shots penetrating dwellings
| all this has combined to make Spring
| field Stunned by all those who desired
to secure peaceful home. Bolts and
! locks have proved insecure; private
watchmen were worthless, and our in
sufficient police force of no avail. The
public meetings of outraged citizens
where fierce and denunciatory resolu-
| tiOns were passed and taxes voted to
procure police force, are events pro
duced by the midnight plunderings of
a band OF desperadoes, who were re
gardless of life, and would cut mans
throat with the utmost sang .frotd.
The newspapers have hurled invec
tives against the Council and have pub
lished petitions from the injured par
ties, but it proved fruitless.
Mayor J. J. Hanna, when elected to
the office, was aware of its response
bilities. The bur lars were holding
high carnival He determined from
the beginning to break up the band.
He therefore appealed early to the
Council for help, and in its secret ses-
sions laid his plans before that body
He proposed, if the Council would
| nj in oil fO
up the organized gang, and relieve the
citizens from their terror. The Mayor
felt assured that the burglars who ope.
rated so successfully, and in each case
eyaled detection, had a thorough sys-
TEN upon which they acted. He fur
ther believed that the members of the
gang were citizens Of this place. The
streets were often infested with young
men who, with no visible means of
support, appeared to have plenty of
money and lived at their ease.
A man was selected, who became in
. timately acquainted with all the plans
Of the burglars, and met with them
when they prepared for their midnight
EXCLUSIONS He informed himself of
all their plans and purposes, and gave
them as fast as obtained, to Mayor
Hanna, who detailed Special Police
man Bruner to watch them. The burg
lars, when they entered a house, little
knew that q man in big overcoat, un
derneath which was concealed uni
form of blue, watched all their move
ments, saw them enter, waited until
they secured their plunder, then saw
them depart. TIL cir names we're
: | IN he
| this faithful policeman kept watch up
on their movements, following them
like a shadow from place to place,
haunting them day and night, until
= eases were made upon twenty of the
l gang. Some of those were not inpli-
t Gated as burglars, but were equally
culpable as receivers of stolen prop
erty.
Mayor Hanna was aware of the dan
gerous character Of the Williams, and
was fearful that before his plans were
fully ripe murder would be commit
ted, for they had been seen in their Sc
4 cret retreats to brandish fierce, glisten-
e inc knives, and swear with oa:hs that
e they would sheath them in certain par
" ties, whom they determined to visit, il
: they made the least outcry.
1t was finally determined to make
: the arrests Of twelve of the ringlead-
h ers. The police force was in entire
ignorance Of the work that was going
/ on, but last evening the Mayor inform
o ed the Chief Of Police of the arrests tC
= be made. The mine was 81 rung, anC
3; the burglars found at last that perse
u verence, skill and energy had outwit
~ ted-tAeu.
), =, The Mayor, Sheriff, and Chief o
Police, with the police force, aiding il
lie concert, visited the abiding places o
L the accused burglars and arrested tn
following persons:
L VIM. Gibbons, who is charged will
IN burglaries at Mrs NemO's on two oc
e e ca5ions, highway robbery on High st.
/ and the burglary Of Charles Fisher!
ID house, and house on the corner o
d Spring and Pleasant SITS.
10 Thos Carrigan, charged with burg
S! larry at Mr.. Householder Council
is man j. H Thomas, and at Charlie
Fishers,
10 30 Lucien Horr, charged with burglar
. at Mrs Nemo's S, and highway robber
Te on High St.
n Thos. Coleman, charged with burg
ey larry at w m Warder's aud MIS-. ChanC
Ter Robbins, and highway robbery {
ne E. L. Houck. a few days ago,
ne Mart. Rhonemous, charged wit
NC burglary at corner of Pleasant an
,dr Spring sts.
ne Sam Alexander, charged with burs
it'll larry al the corner of Spring and Pleas
ant SITS.
William Palmer, for concealing stt
len goods.
le' The Council acted wisely in the ma
ch ter, by keeping all they knew a PR
It's found secret
nd The Councilman whose house w
to to be robbed on a certain night, WI
en- always posted. and, unknown to Il
n t burglars, suffered himself to be ro
II bed.
i'd The place Of meeting of the bur
a lars was at the factory of Mr.. Charl
MS Fisher, from whence they sailed for
OF to plunder
art John Sturgen, charged with bar
larry at II. Thomas
The Frank BOhrer, charged with bur
rk- larry at Councilman P P Mast's
ter Ed. n. Gard, charged with burgla
ire at Councilman p. P Mast's and Nj
the Bakers.
lelr Ellwood Rhonemus, charged wi
mo burglary at Councilman P. P Mas
IS.l 4 L