Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-02-10
THE EXPRESS ROBBERY.
TwOOf the Gang Arrested.
Strange Revelations as to the
Affair.
THE LEADER STILL At LARGE.
A Portion of the Money Recovered.

A Portion Of the Money Recovered.
Last Monday week the city was thrown
into commotion by the news hat express
messenger Brady was decoyed into base
ment No. Is Madison street, and robbed,
after being left for dead by the murder
GUS firm Of Parker, Blakely & Co. The
acters in the bloody drama were Edward
II. Johnson, a we'll known and notorious
bank robber, who is believed to have
performed the same jobs some
time since in Chicago aud st. Louis.
He was the master. spirit of the gang.
His pal" Mack Morris, is another
we'll known desperate who has figured
in the criminals annals Of the North
west. The third villain is John Woods,
who under the name Of Hall rented the
basement office, No. Is, and under the
name of Blakely placed the decoy pack
age in the express eompany's Office at
Collierville, on Saturday preceding the
robbery. The fonrth is IA man named
Thompson, who is also a bad man from
a criminal standpoint; and the fifth is a
negro named Henry johnson, who is a
fitting companion for the gang.
THE GATHERING OF THE CLAN.
A month before the robbery was exc
cuted Ned johnson, Morris and Thomp-
son arrived in Memphis and assumed
the occupation of drift wood catchers
below the elevator at the foot of Beal
street, and also pretended to be engaged
in getting out slaves at some point on
the river. Here they formed the ac-
quaintance of the young villain, John
Woods, WHO is green, but who is just the
man TO perform his part in any scene of
robbery or blood. They also called to
their aid the negro. Henry Johnson, who
was working in Arkansas, hut who is
we'll known in 81. I4onis as a desperate.
Woods being the greeny or kid
rented the Office nj No. Is Madison
street, and also rented n back room or
office in the Planters Insurance Co. on
Madison street, between Main and Sec
ond street.
THE HAUNT OF CRIME.
When the robbery had been committed
at 81 O'clock on Monday morning the
robbers escaped out through the back
alley, and soon after repaired to the
back room in the Planters Insurance
Company building for the purpose o
dividing the spoils, and all this wal
progressing while crowds of excited
citizens thronged Madison street, ant
visited the scene of robbery and at
tempted murder. Our reporter who ha
l had occasion to investigate crime man,
> a time and oft, and who thoroughly III
. derstands the reticense and mystery i
which detectives generally envelop
D themselves when on the trail Of Grim
nails, knew full we'll hat it was useles
to interview the detectives for the pur
pose Of securing any information 10
the public. And just here it may b
stated that detectives are always in fayo
> of suppressing information, and report
] ers are always IN favor of publishin
such. When criminals escape the new;
= paper publications do more to aid in tn,
: apprehension of all such than an
! detective, aud strange as it may sound
while the detectives 90 into fits owe
newspaper publications, they get on
photographs and postal cards contain
ing descriptions of criminals, which the
J scatter to all quarters of the country, al
Of which is conclusive of the fact tina
3 there is a vast amount of mysteriou
) humbug about the detective business
= Our reporter yesterday tried to seeur
news from the express company, Blu
could not, its officers prelerring to hol
up information until they saw 6t
! make it public. Our Representative
visited Chief Athy, hut he, as a matte
B of courtesy TO the express company
70 officials, declined to furnish news, an
e his accomplished clerk, Sim RarindI
was as Theoretically sealed as an Oysie
. can. But our man wa not L he baulke
in this style, 10 he went to work i
search of the faeta aud gathered sue
from Various sources, and these fact
20 may be depended upon as correct.
ESCAPE M cApTURF OF THE P%LUNnERER.
Ed Johnson, Morris, Thompson, Wood
/; and the negro Johnson assembled j
n room No. 80, Planters Insurance Con
pany building, Immediately after I'll
\ robbery, and after partially destroyin
!. the papers, drafts, envelopes, etc, ionn
"a in the express messengers saohel, d
= viding the money found in the package
= amounting to nearly ten thousand do
lars. The young man Woods receive
but about three hundred dollars, and ii
negro johnson one thousand, the lion
40 share being taken by I'D Johnson, Mac
ii. Morris and Thompson. The parti'
,st then separated and left for parts u
nd known as soon as they could escape fro
ira the city.