The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-03-12
Remarkable Gang of Robbers.
ARREST OF NINE REPUTABLE FARMERS
WHO HAVE CARRIED on A SYSTEM OF
WHOLESALE ROBBERY DURING
THE LAST FOUR TEARS.

A correspondent of the Chicago Inter
Ocean. whiting from Springfield, H., uu-
der date Of March LIST, says lt passes
comprehension that such condition of
affairs as described below should exist in
"a civilized community and this age Of de-
tectiVe shrew6uess. and Iemain undiscov-
cred for period Of over four years. The
sU1joined Is a brief account of the exploits
of a gang of thieves harboring about Hi
opolIs- Ii almost SuTpasses the somewhat
apoehryphal stories of ihe exploits of the
gang of robbers Of which John 4 Murreli
was the leader, aud which, during the
primitive days IN our Southwestern history,
made life and property within its ranging
ground hang by a very uncertain tenure.
Iliopolis is about twenty miles east of
Springfield on the Toledo, Wabash and
Western Railway. 1t is small village
and station, the shipping and trading point
Tor large section of country, and the
farmers Who reside in tie immediate vicin-
ity are generally respectable and well to-
do; they are largely inter rested in stock
raising well as farming. When the re-
bellion broke out tie people of Illiopolis
township rallied aIouLd the old flag, and
many Of the middle-aged and young men
enlisted
s'FoR TO BE SOLDIERS"
Among the number who were fired with
martial gloIy and patriotism were Francis
NJ. Green, Samuel Dickinson. BENJAMIN
F. Crance, John pontzious, and Mitchell
Hayenor. They enlisted in the Forty first
Infantry, Colonel Isaac Pugh, and when an
election was held, Green was made a second
lieutenant. His reputation being that of 4
good man. on the first occasion he was
promoted To the cap.aincy of Company l.
He served the full tenn of three years,
Dickinson, Crane, Pontzivus, and Havenor
remaining with linn, and ali being mus
tered out together with honor. Occasion
ally thereafter a report would break loose
concerning some irreguiarity III the forag-
ing line committed by Company | while ia
service but the impression being that
such things were matters of course in the
army, little attention was paid to the ru-
moTs.
Captain Green, Samuel Dickinson, Benz
jamin L. Crane, john Poui ziuus' Taylor
Dickinson, Robert Pate, John Rager, and
Berry Peel now anguish in the Sangamou
County Jail. Havenor is in the Macon
County jail.
CAPTAIN FRANCIS NJ GREEN,
the leader of the party, is about forty years
of age, has family, aud bas resided in H.
liopulIs since he came out of the army, hav-
ing formerly resided at Mount Auburn,
just over the line, III Christian county. So
far as knowledge of lis earlier life has
been CLEANED, il is all To his credit and
even during the war he bore a much better
general reputation tl.au many of his asso~
icates III commission. Since his residence
III lllopoiis he has been most exemplary
citizen. lie has always taken a deep inter
est in Christianity, teaching in Sabbath
School, and being regular attendant upon
the stated preaching of the gospel" He
Is general farmer, and occasionally has
engaged in merchandising, buying and
selling grain, stock, etc.
All of these inen except two ben Crane
and Pate have for years been known and
respected as honest, Industrious men-liy-
ing in the same community, trading, la
rirg and associiting with all it's inhab:>
tauts, and not "A breath of suspicion point
ing to them as the guilty parties in a course
OF wholesale and petty robbery that every
citizen has known Of FOX four years. One
can readily imagine how An arrest of such
men on a multitude of charges would cIe-
ate CONSERVATION in a quiet rural commu-
nifty. The charges against the gang en-
brace almost every species OF robbery, and
their stealings VIII aggregate tens of thou
sands of q Jars in value horses, mules,
hogs, cattle, wheat, com, wagons pro-
Visions clothing, boots and shoes, liquor
gr0ceries-everytliin III fact, that could
be had either from railway trains, or farm
houses and fields. SIfae time last March
THE FIRST SUSPICION
was aroused, and the first clue to the
guilty parties was discovered. Two valua.
Dle horses were stolen from a fan Iner in IL
/ liopols township. Shortly afterward man
toy The name of WingatC, formerly a resi-
dent of Iiliupolis, saw and recognized the
horses in Christian county. An Officer
went after them, and found that the man
in whose possession they were had traded
a span of mules to Captain Green for them
and that Green had taken the mules TO St
Louis and sold them. Before Green coulC
be IA bbed, however, he went to Kansas
+ A requisition brought him back, a prelimi
nary examination resulted in hold ing him
over, on which he gave bail.
Joshua Cautrall, Esq, WIN. \. Streeter
and Mr.. Skeen, agent of the Toledo, Wa
bash 81 Western Railway, at Illiopolis, did
not let the matter rest there, however
+ The community had suffered from the dep
relations of thieves SO long that these gen
tlernen and others determined to follow III
( the clue thus put in their possession
Other complaints were made, other war
rants issued, and Green was again in tbs
fangs of the law. The bail ON the severa
complaints aggregated more than Greer
could command, aud he was committed t.
iail During the last four weeks arrest;
{ have been made until the number aggre
gates nine. On Tuesday night Sam Dick
inson and several of the gang were takeI
before the Sangamon County Grand Jur,
and
/ CONFESSED ALL AND SINGULAR
the charges preferred against them. Oh
Thursday Squire CantIall obtained from
the Governor a reGuistion for another o
the gang who is hiding from justice il
Iowa. There are other members still a
I large.
Illiopolis people tell many amusing
: incidents in connection with Green. Ben
Crane stole a pair of mules and run then
off to ST Louis. On his return he TOLD
( Green where the mules were stabbed auo
gave Green bill of sale of them. Greer
then went to the owner of the mules ane
told him he thought he could find them
The owner had bills printed describing tlI'
mules and commissioned Green to hun
them ur. Green took the bills and startet
fo: ST. Louis. While crossing the river Ia
dropped the oils in the river, went to the
stable where the mules were, obtained pos
session, sold them, pocketed the money