The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-05-14
AN EXCITING NARRATIVE.
Hunted Down-The Great Pennsylvania
ROhbarv

Globe, writing from Denver, Colorado,
under date of April 10Th, gives the fol
lowing graphic narrative:
An extraordinary robbery was commit
ted, it will be recolleeted, at Petroleum
Center, Venango county. Pennsylvania,
some time in 1868, the victim being an
old gentleman, named Beuniughof, an
oil king aud millionaire. Five men.
efectually disguised, entered Benning
hoffs house early in the evening, while
the family were at supper, and, after
"bucking" and "gagsing' the inmates
from the oldest to the youngest, rob-
bed one of two safes, which stood together
in bed room, of a sum little short of
s5OO,0OO. The money was in the shape
of greenbacks, mostly, in bills OF large
denomination. The safe contained, along
with this currency, something near $780,.
600 in gold, which being too bulky for
convenient handling, was left scattered
about the floor Iu the other safe was
nearly million of dollars. This was Sc
cured, however, by combination lock,
which was known onl y to this old gentle
mans son, who happened to be absent at
the time, but whe returned to the house
shortly after the flight of the robbers.
The leaders of the gang were James
Saeger and man named Pheffen. or
the other four two were professional bur
glers. who had been brought from Phila
delpha under promises of reward by Sac
ger. They carried the greeubacks away
in pillow slip. After secreting the
the plunder and removing their disguises,
they all dropped into ball room singly,
and spent the remainder of the night in
the joyous mazes Of the dance.
The next day the outrage was chroDicled
in every, daily newspaper in the land
ln Petroleum, indeed n all Pennsy vauia.
it was the ele'topic Of talk. Saeger was
a merchant, moderately we'll off aud en-
joying the confidence of his acquaint,
auees, at least to an average degree. Two
days after the robbery had been commit
ted, and while the excitement was at fever
heat, not only at Petroleum Centre, but
througho Western Pennsylvania, Sea.
ger stole the greenbacks from the place
where they had been secreted, and, Civ
ing his pals" the slip, i. E., the pillow,
slip, boarded train, in broad daylight,
and rode away in the direction of Pitts
burgh, still not being suspected. Soon
after two more out of the unsuspected
party Of FIVE suddenly aud mysteriously
disappeared. The whereabouts of these
two men remain a mystery to this day.
Then suspicion fell upon Pheitfen and
the other remaining one. They were ar.
rested, tried. convicted and sentenced to
the penitentiary-one for seven and the
other for fifteen years.
Saeger went TO Pittsburgh, got situa
ton as stevedore on steamboat. and soon
turned up in New Orleans. From New
| Orleans he sailed for Cuba. He remain
ed while in Cuba, and then sailed to
Rio Janeiro. He stayed there a short
| time, and then sailed around to Austria
| lia In course of time he found his way
across to Old Mexico. Then he wan
dered up through the northern states Of
the old empire into lower and finally into
upper California. But he was too rest
less to tarry long in a place, and SO he
crossed Arizona in Texas, and settled
down at San Autonia.
10 Texas he is known only by the
name of 7. l.. MeGee. He became, in a
short time, one of the best kowu of the
successful cattle owners of Texas. His
brand is now on forty thousand head Of
| boyines. He is, moreover, one OF the
best known characters Of the Texan from
tier, having been exposed to all manner
| of dangers, aud made innumerable hair
breadth escapes, beth from copper colored
Toas He hoe travorsod all
the cattle-trails between Texas aud Col
orado He has of late years furnished
employment to large number of stock
men, mostly of the roughest and toughest
stripe.
McGee had some cattle which he want
ed to put upon the Denver market. So
he selected his men. aud started drove
from Texas about the beg inning of last
March They reached camp, eight
miles from here, two days ago. The same
evening McGee mounted his horse and
rode 10 to town leaving the herders q camp.
lie huuted up some stockmen, talked DO
vine awhile, aud then stepped into Gus.
! Pottcrs restaurant, on Blake street, and
! ordered dozen fried There he met an
acquaintance, a COW. .puucher by occupa-
ton. just up from the lower country, and
! McGee, having drink or two ahead,
commenced talking on the high notes.
This attracted the attention of the propri
ctor's wife, Mrs Potter, who thought she
recognized the voice, and who according
! ly passed around to where she might see
the speakers face Sure enough, she
knew the face, knew it like book,
though it had not appeared to her before
since she was girl, and starting forward,
she said, "How are you, Mr. Saeger z
McGee wouldn't have been half as much
startled at the crack Of gun. He stood
! speechless for moment. while his color
changed to deadly white.
The other Potters gathered around and