Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-03-26
MRS. DIR. BRADDEE.
The Wife of PennsyIvania's Noted
MaiI-RobDer-H1stor of their Curl
GUS Courtshfp and Marr1age-A De-
voted Wife and Her Sad Death,

Ine wife OF Pennsylyania's Noted
Mai1-Robber-HIstor of their Curl
GUS Courtshfp and Marr1age-A De-
voted Wife and Her Sad Death.
The UnlOntown, Pa. correspondent
OF the Pittsburgh Pa.) Commercial
Gazette writes: There has Just been
bu8led Ia the cemetery at Uniontown
woman who nearly half a century
ago was prominently connected with
one of the most cele brated court trials
ever held in western Pennsylvania.
This was the wife of the famous DR..
Braddee, the Uniontown mail-robber,
whose trial in Pittsburg ia 1910 Will
be remembered by many of the older
citizens of your city.
Hannah Braddee was the daughter
OF Joseph Collins, who lived ia South
Union township, on the farm now
owned by Mr.. Isaac A. BrownficlG,
where she was born April IL, 1910.
She was taken sick in 1929, and had
been given up by DR.. Marchaund and
other physicians who attended her.
About that time there came along
one day two men, one of whom was
DR.. John T. Braddee. He carried a
caseof medicine with him which he
used with skill. While there he
learned, of course, of the sickness of
Miss Collins, and when told that the
doctors had no hope of her recovery
he stated that he could cure her. The
| family put no con fdence in his boasts,
but he persisted and declared his
| ability to restore her. II will cure
her, the price of his cure being her
hand In marriage. She was a young
lady Of handsome form and great
beauty, and was Fit prize for the am
bition and skill of any DOCTOR" He
gave the mother some medicine for
the fair sufferer. This will cause
the stomach to rid itself of all the
medicine and other matters now lying
upon It," directed he: latter that,
give her some chicken BROTH" The
| directions were followed and the
patient recovered. They became
warmly attached to each other, and
the lind and grateful mother looked
with favor upon the union of her
| daughter with the mysterious stranger.
The stern father objected, but they
finally ran off and were married.
The doctor now removed to Union
toWnIand announced himself a physi-
can. He was wholly without educa-
ton or preparation, yet he possessed
remarkable assurance and great tact,
and 10 a short time he had achieved q
wonderful reputation as physician
He soon grew wealthy and purchased
from Hon. Thomas Irwin the
National hotel' property, corner
Margantown and F'ayette streets. He
advertised literally, and people came
from far and near to be treated by
him. Their horses often lined the
fence for many rods. His reputation
Was by no means confined to that of a
quack, Many had strong faith in his
skill. Mr.. G. W., ,,Rutter, our veteran
Main street grocer, during one of his
trips to Baltimore for goods bought
81, 900 worth of medicines forBraddee.
Among these was an order for pecu-
liar and rare herb. "Who in the
world wants that?' inquired the aston
ished Baltimore druggist. Mr.. Rutter
told him, and the drugg ist replied: II
doubt if you can find that article in
America" ''But can't it be had at
all?" persisted Mr.. Rutter. eyes, it
is herb that grows on Mount Htna,
but not one doctor in a hundred
knows anything about it. can send
for it, though, ifyou say So" well,
DR.. Braddee wants it." said Mr.,
Rutter, and the druggist ordered it.
The growth Of this marvellous career
was equaled only by the suddeness of
its collapse. DR.. Braddee had made a
large addition to his property, and
adjoining this was the stage yard and
coach factory of the mail contractor,
Luclus W. Stockton. The period was
at the flood tide of the Cumberland
pixies prosperity, and the yard was
nightly crowded with the hacks that
carried the mails over this great ma
tional highway. About January,
1S4O, money and other valuables be,
gan to disappear from the mails. Geo..
Pitt and DR.. Howard Kennedy,
special agents of the postofice depart
ment, traced the losses to one VIM.
German, a driver of one of the mail
coaches, who was arrested January
E, 1841, German at once confessed
that his confederates were DIR. Brad
dee, Peter NJ. Strayer, a saddler of
UnlontoWn, and DR.. VIVA. Purnell, a
native OF Culpeper, Va, and sort Of
body servant TO Braddee. The plan
was for German to pass occasionally
one of the most promising looking
pouches from the yard into Braddee's
room, or when changing hacks in
Stockton's yard to leave pouch be-
hind to be taken and rifed by Brad
dee and then destroyed. 1t appears
from the record that Braddee was un'
| able to write, as in his affidavit he
swears he knew nothing about the
alleged stealing of mails" and made
his mark. Braadee was held in $780,
o00 bail, Strayer in $15, 600, and pur-
nell in SO, 900, and being unable to
get surety, they were remanded to the
Plttsburg Jail. The trial came up at
the May sessions of the United States
circuit court in Pittsburg before Judge
Thomas Irwin. German and Strayer
confessed, became witnesses against
Braddee, and he was convicted and
sentenced to ten years in the peniten-