Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-11
WHO WERE THEY!
Suspicious Characters fn the City
Last Week


Last Thursday morning three strangers
extensively dressed, appeared at the ex
press office in this city and applied for ;
carpet bag and yalise which one Of then
claimed. The owner or pretended ownel
Of the property was asked to identify him
self, but this he was unable TO do. Ht
said he and his party had Just come il
from Louisville aud that upon expressing
the bag and valise in that city the day be
fore, he had mailed the receipts to himself
in Nashville, for fear he should lose them
while coming here.
After some talk, the party went away, re-
turning in a short time with the receipts
addressed to a certain name. The man
who claimed that this was his name
was asked TO write it and he did so al
once, but upon rising from the desk it was
shown that he had substituted a s'u' for an
"a, as the name appeared on the receipts.
He apologized for the mistake and corrected
the name so that it appeared rs in the re.
ceipts.
The valise and bag were finally obtained.
and the three started down Church street
toward the Chattanooga depot, but soon sep
arated, one going down one side of the
street, and the other two keeping tOgeth-
u" ~ NUN AtAtN hElC NDAlit-u
by another stranger, who soon left
them, going west on the 12:l5 train. The
three took dinner at Ewes hotel and left
the city at p. N. on the Northwestern
train. Upon entering the car, they Occu-
pied different seats and pretended to be
strangers TO each other. During their short
stay in the city, they were Swallowed" by
a couple Of trIsty officers whom Capt
N.r.Fs .Aaf,f1al hot Iv,s--
THE EMPRESS COMPANIES PREPARED.
In view of the late extensive and bold
rODberies of express matter, the various ex-
press companies of the country are making
all possible preparations to secure the safe
Transmission Of goods. The following
clipping from the Memphis appeal, with
reference 10 that matter will be read with
interest:
The late attempt to rob the express Of
flee at Hickman, Ky.-a full account Of
which we gave few days agO-following
so quickly upon the train robbery on the
Iron Mountain road at Gadshill, Mo-, has
aroused and alarmed the express officials.
and suggested TO them the adviSability of
adopting such measures as the lawleSS and
perilOus state of the times would seem to
demand. In a conversation, yesterday,
with Mr.. J. O'Brien, General Superintend-
ent q the Southern Express Company.
who is at present in the city, one Of our re-
porters learned that, since the occurrence of
the Hickman robbery, special instructions
had been issued to all agents and en-
ployes of the company, calling for in
creased vigilance and watchfulness; also
that a guard now accompanies each mes
senger, both of whom are armed with q
pair of siX-shOOterS, and their instructions
are to shoot any stranger or suspicious
locking person who attempts to enter
their car.
Every express agent along the different
Zines of railroad has been provided with
a4Vns and strictly enjoined to keep the same
in readiness for immediate use, in case they
are called upon to protect themselves or
the property in their charge; and aS al JIM
ducement to the employees the company
has not only promised to surround them
with every legal protection, but also 10
pecuniarily reward those who successfully
protect its property.