The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-08

10 make atrip, and the mail was carried
from Jersey City on this ~cccasion, "a
Philadelphia post Office, By LAM, In eigh.
hours and forty minutes.
When Reside was carrying the mail
between Philadelphia and New York, on
its arrival at jersey City twas taken
across the North river In an ordinary
yaWl. Col. Joseph Dodd, recently deeea-
sed, who was for many years connected
with the New York postotice, received II
ct Jersey City, and on landing It on the
New York aide carried 1t up In . wheel.
barrow to the post-oEice. samuelL 1. Gnu-
Yerneur wa then postmaster, and Bar
nabas Bates, atterward the great advo-
cate Of cheap postage, was the assistant.
Sometimes Colonel Dodd had a colored
man named Harry Rogers TO assist him in
rowing the yawl across the river. Rog-
ers on one Of the trips stole 4 letter con-
tanning . hundred dollar note, and was
detected in offering Tin payment OF .
drink. This theft led 10 the enactment Of
q law by Congress that no colored person
shall be employed in the p~ostotiee.
This law remained on the statute books
until . few years ago, when Senator Sum-
ner had It repealed. Charles Forester.
now superintendent Of the newspaper de.
partner. in the New York post-ofice,
was n Of Colonel Dodds old associates.
He tells . story illustrating the abuse OF
the franking privilege 10 those days,
about Colonel Reside bringing . horse all
the way from Washington to New York
tied behind the stage coach, the horse hay-
ing been iranked through BY 9 member
Of Congress.
The Office Of the Reside mail.coach
line ia New York was 1t ! Cortlandt
street, advertised by Thomas Whitfield,
the agent, a. being opposite pump Of
good WATER In P~hiladelpaia II was at
Is South Third street-sThe Red Office
opposite Congress Hall, where q hundred
people often congregated to see the mail
coachstart for New York, with the dri-
yer and guard clad in red UNIFORM.
When Reside was contractor for the
mails going out OF Philadelphia to Bal
timore, Wheeling, Pittsburgh, Reading,
Pottsyille and New York, . robbery OF
the mails was committed, which was the
sensation Of the time. The mail from
Kimberton, q short line running out OF
philadelphia, was robbed. A few days
subsequent the important mail for Read
ing and Pottsville vas robbed Ut the
junction OF Turner'S lane and the Ridge
road, near which point Girard College
now stands. The driver Of the coach was
Charles Wilhower. The coach contained
nine passengers. It was stopped at.the
mouth Of Turner'S lane by three men
Porter Poteet and Wilson-at about 2
o'clock In the morning. Theyforced the
passengers TO get out and stand In line.
Wilson and Poteet watched the team and
driver while Porter robbed the passen.
gers. After riding the mail they allowd
the coach to go On. Porter nnd Wilson
were arrested by Reside; Poteet by
man named Andrew McLane, then q pol
iceman In Philadelphia. Poteet was re.
manded TO the Maryland p~enitentiary
from which he had escaped to serve out
the remainder OF q sentence OF eleven
years. he died before the expiration OF
his sentence. Wilson turned States evil
dence, and Porter was hanged on Cherry
Hill Philadelphia. 1t is said that Gen.
tersl Jackson was influenced to commute
the sentence Of Wilson TO . few years i'm.
prisonment beceuse Of q service rendered
TO him many years previous on race
course in Tennessee. General Jackson
liked horse racing, and on this occasion
he was backing spiritedly, the favorite.
Wilson, who had never seen him before,
but had a great admiration for him,
watched his opportunity and when IN.
observed told Old Hickory thathe had
better withdraw his bets, or hedge, be.
cause that a was fixed, and the favor
lite was to be beat. jackson vas a little
.incredulous, but Wilson assured him that
he knew all about IL, because be was in
the Job. jackson withdrew his bets, and
went away in great disgust, but before 60
ing. he told Wilson that II he could ever
render him q service, 10 let him know.
Wilson, when arresied for the mail rob
berry at Turner'S lane, turned Stales eSi.
dence, and Porter and himself were con-
yicted and sentenced 10 be hanged, the for
mer on April 80, 1880, and Wilson May
s Of the same year. In confederation OF
the evidence given by Wilson, Mr.. Rec
aide interested himself to obtain q COM
mutation Of the sentence. Before leaving
for Washington, Wilson informed Rec
aide Of the circumstance Of the Tennessee
course, which was Told to General jack
son, who did commute the sentence 10 i'm
prisonment in the ~penitentiary at Cherry
Hill for q term Of years,
During the time Of the excitement
about notification in South Carolina,
General Jackson's proclamation was (
pressed through TO New York. Mr.. John
E. Reside relates the following incident
concerning It: aon it's arrival at Phil
adelphia, owing to the injuries sustained
by the express rider regularly employed,
I on my way home from school, was sub,
stituted to carry 1t on 10 New York. !
left Philadelphia at 8 o'clock in the eve.
ming, and reached Jersey City at e:26
P. M-four hours and t~wenty-six minutes
was taken across the river in the yawl
BY Mr.. Dodd, and delivered the procla.
nation to Mr.. Gouverneur at the post
Office. The relays Of horses used BY me
in making the run were from three to
Ave miles apart. II was q very dark
night. Several OF the bridges over which
had to pass had draws. But there was
no time 70 stop 70 think whether they
were opened or closed. I had to take my
chances Of jumping them II they happen.
ed to be opened. Fortunately, however,
they we're all closed"
Saturdays steamers for Europe.
New YoRK, Aprils.-Thsr were only