New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-10
The Late Mississippi Robbery.

On last Thursday evening week, the
twenty ultimO, four men, heavily
armed went into the diningrOom of DR..
johnson, who is living at the old Turner
homestead, in Franklin county, Mississippi
sixteen miles east Of Natchez, while the
doctor and family were at supper. Pre-
senting their cooked pistols at the heads of
the persona around the table, their leader
told the doctor he knew just how much
money ne had and where it was hid, and he
wanted it with as few words as possible.
We have no room tor the full particulars of
this outrage; we will just say the robbers
got the doctors fine gold watch and $4,000
in gold. They came across the country,
with which they were evidently we'll ac-
quainted cutting both telegraph wires, to
Rodney. The party had now increased, as we
are informed there were seven when they got
on the ferry boat, which they captured
when she was nearly across the river, and
instead of landing at the proper place ran
her on the bar; being sixty or eighty yards
from shore they forced their horses to jump
into the river and swim to the bank. They
came to Mrs. Elliott's quarters in the night.
After stationing the negro as sentinel and
leaving their horses at the rack ready for
use, three men lay down to take rest,
three continuing on, passing through st.
Joseph and out towards Franklin. News
having been received OF the affair a posse
of men under Constable Arnold, from
Waterproof, undertook to arrest them; they
resisted, the sentinel firing upon the
cOnstable's party as soon as he was sum-
moned to halt. A volley was fred upon
him and he went down, dying alost imme
diately. After this there was considerable
of fight, one of the posse, colored boy,
and one of the robbers being badly wound
ed. The wounded rObber was carried off
by his two companions. and we hear that
when he crossed the Tensas river he was
bleeding so profusely he was not expected
to live very long.
1t is believed that the party who passed
through here had the money. The robbers
horses were all wounded, and they pressed
Others when they got out of sight of a small
party who pursued. A party of nine men
from Mississippi are now in pursuit, but we
doubt very much that they will catch the/
rascals.
An inquest was held upon the body of
the dead robber, but as there were fourteen
guns fired at him simultaneously, verdict
wi as rendered in accordance with that fact.
Nothing could be found to identify the man.
1t is supposed the party came from Texas.
How they learned SO we'll the doctors fnan-
cial condition is mystery, as they were
but few days in the country. Mr.. John
Harper, of this parish, rememembers to
have seen them pass his house, going east
ward, but few days before he heard OF
this robbery. His attention was particu-
larry drawn to them because all seven of
them wore blue military overcoats and
rode Texas horses.
Since putting the above in type we have
learned that the wounded robber spoken of
above was abandoned in Franklin parish,
where he died in short time after those in
pursuit found him. He lived long enough
to make a confession, and, if he told the
truth, it stands our people in hand every
where to be on the qui vive. He said there
was an organized band of robbers, with
their headquarters in Texas, who had ennis
saries scattered throughout that State.
Louisiana and Mississippi, and even in por-
tons of Alabama, who are constantly on the
lookout for just such opportunities for plum
der as was presented in the case of DR..
Johnson. If the party out awaiting orders
is sufficient as was the case in this instance,
they attend to the little job; if not, they |
send back for reinforcements, who are kept |
at hand. 1t is known that a
party of seven others of the gang met the |
leeing men in Franklin parish.-Norh |
Louisiana Journal