The Dawson journal., 1885-06-25
THE NOTORIOUS DIR. ROBERTS,
His Career as a RObber-Imprison-
ment in and Release from the PEN
itentiary and Final Departure
for Parts Unknown.

my friend, and your valued and
interesting Cochran correspond
ent, DR.. T, +. Walker, refers to
me tor information respecting the
DIR. Robinson spoken of in the
very readable and entertaining
letter of "Bill Arp" in the Con-
stitutiep, headed "The Sorrel
Hair
! never knew or heard oe the
DIR, Robinson referred to, but l
knew the notorious Dr. Roberts
before he was ever sent to the
penitentiary and during all TIE
time of his confinement therein.
So many circumstances were men
toned in ''Rill Arp's" communi-
cation describing the personal ap-
pearance, III the poetic face, neat
ness of dress. and of having one
daughter, and she being raised by
her grandmother, ETC., that my
conclusion was irresistible that
"Bill Arp" referred to DIR. Rob-
srts and had either forgotten the
pame, or Intentionally used o2e
of fiction.
When a boy, I first met DIR.
Roberts in MilledgevilIe during
the session of the Legislature, and
he attracted general attention and
notice by his handsome face and
figure, neat, if not gaudy dress,
ostentatious and alrish ways, and
by being one Of the leading and
most notorious beaux during that
session of the legislature. Sool
after this legislature adjourned [
met DR.. Roberts at the house of
| his mother-in-law in Harris coup-
| ty, he having married a Miss
Mitchell, of that county, an ele-
CANT lady, ahd of one of the best
families of the State. While at
Milledgeville he passed himself
off as a single man, and had a big
time generally, being conspicuous
at all the balls, dances, ETC., and
vas quite q gallant; he bought
and used a fine hoFse and buggy
had a large and elegant portrait
painted of himself and splQrged
promiseaously. The horse and
buggy were returned for the pur-
chase money and the portrait re-
NAMED in the gallery at the ex-
pense of the artist. While cut
ding such a dash at Milledg@ville
his wife's negro property was
sold by the sheriff to pay his
debts.
En less th&n a year after seeing
Kim in Harris county, an old Nr.
/ Mitchell, of Hancock county, who
/ was wealthy and kept quite sum
Of money in his house, was rob
| bed oae night of, [ think, seven
4 thousand dollars. Three nights
afterwards a gentleman, whose
name l have forgotten, residing
/ in Stewart county, was also rGb-
bed of q considerable sum, A
short time before the robbery in
Hancock county DR.. Roberts had
spent the night with this old man
Mitchell. claiming relationship
throngh his wife, and the next
morhing got him to change bill
of considerable size, nc doubt for
the purpose Of ascertaiping where
he kept his money. When the
robbery was committed Mr.. Mitch
ell at once suspected DIR. Roberts,
wLo was known to be travelling
through the country en- horseback
with one, and frequently three,
confederates; so he issued circu-
lars describing the four men and
their horses, and offered a ccnsid-
cradle reward for their arrest
These circulars were mailed to
different parts of the State, and
when they reached Ft. GSines
were thrown out to a crowd await
iag the opening of the mail, when
it was ascertained that the party
described In the circular had pass
ed Though towM and crossed into
Alabama only an hour on two be-
fore.
A posse vas at once made up
at TT. Gaines and started in pur-
suit. Some IL or Is miles from
Ft Gaines they surrounded the
house where the robbers had put
up for the night and captured the
four men; it being a bright moon-