The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-11-16
THE MURDEROUS MOLLIES.
Tardy Reckoning for a HALF
Forgotten Crime.
The Murder ofSuperintendent Alex
Rea-Leading Molly Maguires Ar
rested-Latest Developments
"A Man Stoned to Death.

Pottsville, Nov. o-lt is now little
more than eight years since Alexander
Rea, General Superintendent for the
Locust Mountain Coal and Iron Com
pany, was murdered in the early NOR
ming near Centralia, Columbia county.
Pennsylvania. The crime created great
excitement throughout the coal region, as
Mr.. Rea was man beloved and respect
ed by ALL His body was found in the
woods near the road by some passing
miners, near it his horse, tied to tree,
He had been robbed Of his gold watch
and otner valuables. Tom Donahoe.
just sentenced TO two years Imprisonment
for his share in the assault upon VIM.
M. Thomas, and the notorious Pat Hes
ter, the chief of Mollies of Northumber-
land county, were arrested ior the crime,
Tom Donahoe was tried in Columbia
county but the Molly Maguires swore for
him, and cowardly jury acquitted him,
whereupon their attorney asked the
Court to enter mol. pros, in the case of
Hester, which was done The sequel will
show that Hester, would have done bet
ter to stand his trial, with the certainty
of acquittal; for now, more than eight
years after the crime, he is fairly on the
road to the gallows.
Yesterday Hester, Michael Graham,
and Patrick McHugh, three leading Mol
ly Maguires, were lodged in Jail here
charged with the Rea murder. The tes-
timony against them is very strong, hav
ing been given by one who participated
in the crime, but whose name is kept
secret for the present, as there are several
others of the gang who are yet to arrest
ed. 1t seems that the plan to rob Rea
was concocted in a saloon in Ashland on
the night before the murder. Hester at
the time had laid scheme to rob and
murder Major J. Claude White, as he
was on the road to his colliery with the
money to pay the employees but he
postponed that to take part in the Rea
affair. Hester acted as chief of the gang
They were posted in the woods near the
road between Centralia and Bells tunnel
and when Rea have in sight Hester gave
the signal by throwing up his hat, where
upon the entire gang approached Rea
and demanded his money and valuables,
which he at once gave up. He no doubt
knew some of them, and dead men tell
no tales; they determined to kill him,
and all fired their revolvers. He ran into
the woods. when one of the gang followed
him and fired the fatal shot. The booty
was then divided, and the witness re.
ceived the gold watch, which he after
ward sold for $50. 1t was the first case
in which the Molly Maguires added rob.
berry to murder. Graham and McHugh
are held as accessories.
After the murder Hester said to his
gang that it was pity they had killed
Rea instead Of going for "a man with
more money. But it was not long after
that Major White was attacked as he was
going from Pottsville to Swatara with
large amount of money to pay the col.
liery hands. He had, however, taken
the precaution to take guard with him,
and fight ensued in which it was be-
lieved that policeman Clauser shot of
the gang. Clauser was himselfmurdered
at Hazleton little more than year ago;
quite likely for the part he took in de-
Tending Major White on this occasion.
The defence in this case endeavored
to obtain Hester's discharge on the
ground that he had been previously tried,
but he was committed without bail. Many
more arrests will follow soon, and more
startling developments may be looked
for. Next week the trials of the mur-
derers of F. w Langdon will begin here.
This crime was committed number of
years ago. Jack Kehoe will also be tried
for the murder of Conner James. Thus
the courts ofthe four counties, Schuylkill,
Luzerne, and Columbia, are
likely to be busy for some time to come
with the Molly Mcguire murders, and the
present number Of death sentences, ten
in all, is likely to be more than doubled |
are three months pass over.
And yet a portion of the gang appear
% be still determined upon the perpetra
ion of crime. Only last week an inof
Fensive German miner named John |
Boshee was killed at Locust Dale by |
hree rufians, James Laughlin, a shool
eacher, and John Lennon and Michael
-olgan, miners. Laughlin had a grudge
against Thomas Banney. They waylaid
lin, but finding that he was guarded by
lis brother Robert, Boshee, Fogleson,
md Keaton. they fell upon Boshee and
beat him to death with stones. They
we're arrested and lodged in Jail here to
lwait trial, Last month the new arrivals
It the Jail numbered 80, and this month