Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-04-06
Desperate Fight between OFFICERS
and Thieves.


guards to the freight cars at Dobb's Fer
ry, twenty miles from New York, saw
three men prowling about the depot and
among the cars. The strangers evidently
perceived that they were discovered, and
ran into some woods near the station.
The guards, upon searching through the
train, found that several of the cars had
been broken into, but none of their con-
tents had been taken. In the morning
the Superintendent of the road was
warned of the attempt of the night be-
fore, and, thinking it might be repeated,
he engaged two State Constables to watch
the train. John Scannell and Owen Gil
lispie, the constables, left New York at
$50 Thursday evening, and Immediately
upon their arrival at Dobb's Ferry, sta
toned themselves in a position where
they could observe the entire number of
cars and instantly perceive any one that
approached them.
The oonstables waited patiently until 10
o'clock, when Scannell suddenly saw three
men standing in the shadow of one of the
cars, whose approach had been so cautions
and silent that they had not before been
discovered. After a few moments, the
ooaet.Lloe No sLi~-~.---s-e~1 IL. on-
deavoring to break open the door of one
of the freight cara, rushed from their
hiding place, and attempted to arrest
dropped their tools and ran for the woods,
closely pursued by the officers. Upon
nearing the woods the constables called
to the thieves to halt. The rascals re-
sponded to this command by firing their
revolvers at the officers, who promptly
replied. In this manner the Conflict
continued for several minutes in the
woods, when the thieves broke from
the shade of the trees and ran for the
railroad track. The officers upon gaining
the clear ground again fired, and not
without effect, one Of the thieves falliog
instantly to the earth, and another also
dropping after staggering onward few
steps. The officers stopped to SEIZE their
prisoners, and tho other thief made his
escape. The wounded thieves were then
carried into the depot office, where they
gave their names as John Mccormack of
No. 5O7 West Thirtieth street, and Bryan
Cavanagh of No $50 West Fortieth street.
The prisoners were conveyed to New
York, and upon examination it was found
that Mccormick had received pistol
ball in the back, which had penetrated to
the left lung, MORALLY wouuding him
Cavanagb, who was released from Sing
Sing in July last, was also found tn have
been wounded in the back, the ball lodg-
ing in the spine; and was also believed to
be mortally wounded. The men were
conveyed in an ambulance to Bellevue
Hospital. Scannell and Gillespie surren
dered themselves to Capt. Caffrey, to
await an investigation.
Subsequent developments reveal the
fact, that the prisoners belonged to gang
of thieves, and that they had proceeded
from New York, in company with five
confederates, in sail boat, with the in
tention doubtless of filling the boat with
plumber from the cars and disposing of it
to receiver in New York.
On Friday man giving the name of
Saunders, applied to the Superintendent
of the Hudson Railroad for the boat used
by the thieves, claiming that he had hired
it to them without knowing their designs.
But some suspicious being aroused that
he was one of the confederates with the
prisoners, he was arrested.
On his way to the station-house he
threw some pepper into the eyes of the
officer and broke from his grasp. He was
pursued and finally overtaken in a |
house, where he had taken refuge, and |
where he made desperate attempt to re.
,ist recapture, drawing large knife
and threatening to cut out the heart of
the officer. He was at length overpowered,
however, and placed in confinement.
Diligent search is in progress for the rest
of the gang.
Cavanagh has since died from the effect
of his wounds, but McC ormick is likely to
recover.