Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-11-21

Columbus Correspondence Cincinnati Times.
Gov. Bishop, yesterday, Nov. g.,
granted pardon to man known upon
the prison books as Richard Roe, but in
society as James l.. Mccoy.
The release Of this 10 n recalls his
tory of crime which / 40 full of inter-
est that it will bear repea ing.
MAYNARD v.
James Mccoy was born in Hot oxen,
New jersey, where his latter, very
II tspectable man, kept Well-knOwn
hotel. Young Mccoy was precOcious
child, and it needed only association
with evil companions to dire ct that
precocity in the line of crime. After d
run through Juvenile de pravity, he left
home, and, joining gang of burglars,
soon became an adept in that line.
In the course Of his wanderings he
located emporarily at Cadiz, Ohio,
where he was Joined by his gang.
MIDNIGHT CRIME.
One night in 1866, night long to be
remembered by the good people OF
Cadiz, the house of the Cashier of the
Bank of Cadiz was entered by four
masked men, and the sfffighted fami-
ly were aroused from deep sleep to
find at each Of their beds masked
man who, with pistol at their heads,
demanded perfect silence.
The Cashier, seeing resistance was
useless, lay still and askt d their object,
only to be told that he must give up
the keys of The bank vaults. The keys
we're, after some resistance, delivered
up, and after binding and gagging the
family, the burglars withdrew, and
when daylight came it was nOised
abroad that the Cadiz Bank had been
robbed Of large sum Of mOney-Over
q hundred thousand dollars.
1t is unnecessary to follow the pur-
suit and trial of the robbers, suffice to
say four OF the five we're after time
Captured, aud sentenced TO the OHIO
Penitenti1ry for term Of years, and
among them was young Mccoy, then
known as Richard Roe, who WAS given
ten years term.
After time all the money but about
forty thousand dollars was recovered
by the bank, and it was supposed that
the missing money was that given by
the gang to Mccoy as his share.
One Of the gang escaped, and the
most persistent efforts of the police
were unable to discover his whert =
abouts.
A HANDSOME STRANGER.
Early in July, 1869, nearly three
years after this famous robbery occur
red, distinguished looking man arri-
we'd at the leading hotel there and Sc
cured rooms.
He was of elegant appearance, and
was dressed in expensive, but modest
garments, such as are worn by gentle
men of taste. He announced himself
as the agent of an extensive English
cloth house, which was about estab
fishing agencies in the West.
The stranger spent money freely, play
ed an occasional game of billiards with
master hand, drank but little, but al
ways the finest of liquors.
His agreeable ways and gentlemanly
appearance soon won him friends
among some of the ultra fashionable
young men of the city, and to be the
friend of the stranger was with many
condition TO be envied.
Occasionally the stranger drove
about the city with a bright-eyed little
beauty, whOe elegance of appearance
and dainty garments attracted atten-
tioD among the young men who are al
ways on the lookout for such little bits
of 1emininity.
While the stranger was agreeable to
all his new friends and was always
ready 10 discount them In a game of
billiards or crack the seal Of the bottle
of Sillery, he never introduced his fe-
male friend, whom he claimed to be
his sister.
The pleasant agent of the English
cloth house and his beautiful sister liv-
ed an easy life here for about three
weeks, and one day went out to drive,
ostensibly to a neighboring town on
business and by q singular coincidence
when the roll of cOnvictI was called
that night james Mccoy alias Richard
Roe was found to be missing.
OF course there was u great commO>
tion among the prison authorities, and