Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-12-28
'"asA BOLD PLAN
To Rob the southern Express Com.
pauJ Frustrated.
TIE Robbsr Arrested. But Again
m Large.

Several merchants of this city were
surprised and delighted, a few days be.
fore Christmas, by receiving large orders
for valuable and costly goods, to be sent
G. 0. d. to stations near Little Rock.
The goods were shipped by Byrd & Co.,
Lloyd & Fritz, B. Lowenstine 4 Bros,
Kremer, Herzog & Co aud others as or;
dered. 1t was stated in the letters that
the goods were intended as bridal pres
ents at a big wedding to come of in the
neighborhood. One of the houses was
10 ship 10 Austin, another to Jackson
port, and another to Bebee, small sta
tions near each other, on the Cairo and
Fulton read. The Little Rock Gazette, of
yesterday, tells the story of the attempt
to steal these goods, the arrest OF one of
the robbers, and his escape, as follows:
In the last issue Of the Gazette we
noted the arrest of a man at Austin,
who was captured in the depotin the act
OF ro6bing a package Of %jewelry, shipped
by }. V. Zimmerman, Esq of this city.
The robber proved to be one A. W.
Henry, Of whom but little is known, he
having been in that place only a short
time. The thief ives brought to this city
Christmas day by order Of Mr.. Agee, Of
the express company. Thinking Henry
had accomplices, it was deemed advisa-
BILE to bold him over here one day, in
order 20 extract information from him
prior to his transfer to the Lonoke Jail.
Christmas night be was placed in room
No. % Of the Capital Hotel, in company
with Mr.. Connell, detective Of the ex-
press company; Mr.. Sslah Apple, of
Beebe, and another gentleman, who were
to act as guards to the prisoner. TO
make matters more binding, Mr.. Agee
secured q pair OF hsnd.cuffs, and as Mr..
Apple and the prisoner we're to sleep in
the same bed, the right wrist Of one and
the lett wrist OF the other we're fastened
together by bands OF iron, the cuffs being
safely locked and the party retired to
bed. Mr.. Cornell and the other guard
occupied another bed in the same room.
y appears that the guards having been
up the whole Of the night previous slept
souudly, and during theis sleep Henry
slipped his hand from the bracelet, arose,
dressed himself, pulled a table to the
door, placed a chair upon the table, thus
reaching the traBsom, through which he
made his exit, walking out Of the hotel
like a gentleman Of elegant leisure and
unlimited liberty, the same which he en-
joys at the present moment,
The manner in which tie thief was
caught is as follows: The agents Of the
express company noted shipments of
goods, &c. 0. d, to parties at Austin,
from Byrd & Co.. Memphis, 10 the
amcunt Of about $4,000, and from Mr..
Zimmerman, of this city, to the amount
Of $500. knowing this to be an unusual
order for a country town, more than an
ordinary lookout was kept upon the
goods, which we're composed OF quanti-
lies Of silverware, gold watches and
other iewelry, but ordered in such bulk
as to make the boxes or packages too
large to admit OF the local express agent
locking them in his safe. Under i%nstruo-
tons, the agent at Austin kept a close
espionage on the depot. Saturday night
be saw Henry break in, and before that
worthy had had sufficient time to secure
his booty aud escape the agent, with
officers and posse, seized him in the act
of robbery. The object appeared to be
to extract the most valuable articles
from the boxes, nsll them up again. and
as they had been ordered under fictitious
names, they would remain uncalled for,
to be eventually returned to the original
shippers, and US there would be a deficit
in the contents upon examination, the
loss would naturally fall upon the ex-
press company.
Henry, the escaped thief, is repre-.
santed to be one Of the sharpest men
ever seen about here. Not long ago he
came to this city, represented himself to
be a Mason and in destitute circum-
stances; that he not only received sub
s~tantial aid and letters of recommends
ton from prominent citizens, but was
passed to Austin, the scene Of his at.
tempted robbery, gsatuitously. Henry
is a email man, probably thirty.fve
years of age, sallow complexion, hazel
eyes, dark mustache and chin whiskers;
talks slowly, and being we'll educated
uses good language. He is we'll edu-
Gated, wore dark clothes, a Masonic
badge, and had a ring with an onyx set,
upon wbich was cut a cross. He claims
at one time 10 have been travelling agent
for VIM, Giles & Co Maynard & Co. and
Wormer & Co, 81. Louis firms.
Henry, in making his escape, carried
with him the warrant upon which he Was
arrested, aud also the mittimus for his
committal to jail, and it is very likely
that he will try to make his way through
search of q criminal or fugitive.
MRrEh g In.