Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-17
THE RAID OF ROBBERS
MADE UPON OUR CIrIzgSsNEARLY THREE
YEARS AGO,
Recalled By Some Late Developments N the Case
The Sorry Of Gns Of the Gang.
Measures 70 be Taken.

The series of remarkably bold burglar
les which took place in this city during
the spring months of 1884, in which the
business houses of Stone & Thomas, and
I. s. Good & Co, two or three saloons,
and quite q number of private residences
were entered, and portable property to
considerable amount carried Oh, have
AGAIN been recalled to the
public mind by the receipt, by the author
titles here, of a number OF letters from
Cleveland officer, in which it was stated
that one OF the gang who worked the
Wheeling snap, Henry Clair by name, now
in Jail at Cleveland, desired to tell a
straight story about the robberles, ana
conId furnish valuable information which
might lead to the recovery Of the goods
and at the same time implicate NUMBER
of Wheeling men in the crimes
Clair. Harry Lowell and William Nc,
NalIy the three men who actually did
the house breaking in this city, left here Tor
Cleveland, late in the spring Of 1854,
where they embarked anew IN their unlaw-
fol occunation. but were
speedily arrested, tried, convicted and
sentenced, Lowell and McNally to nine
wears each and Clair, the youngest OF the
trio who seemsItO be merely an apprentice,
TO but three years. While locked up at
Columbus the long term men began to fear
Clair's tongue, and endeavOred to get HIM
into further trouble, partially for TINS
reason. and partially because CLAIR had
come between Lowell and woman who,
while they were in Wheeling, passed for
Mrs. Lowell. Clair, however, managed to
keep about seven months OF good time
10 his credit, and left the penl-
Tertiary about month ago, Icing
at once re-arrested and taken to
Cleveland for stealing a watch. Inc
Cleveland officials were, OF course, lahiI-
lar with the operations OF the gang mere IN
Wheeling, and hence the letters TO the
local authorities, while Clair desired to
confess and clear up the trouble because,
he alleged, he was sick OF the business
and desired TO reform.
Lowell suspected Clair Of this desire TO
squeal, and about the time Clair was re-
leased. the former indited a letter to MI
Stone, saving one Of the conVlcts
in the penitentiary knew where the
stolen silks and Yelvcts were, ana
asked Mr.. Stone to come on and see about
it. This that gentlemen did, when Lowell
said he could lay his hand on the stun,
but wanted big money for it. MIR. StOnere-
fused the terms, when Lowell SAID
he would have the stolen goods restored II
Stone & Thomas would pay him one
forth their market value, to be ascertalned
by appraisment. NJ. Stone promised to
think over this and returned
TO this city with letter
which he was to mail TO a Washington,
ID. C., man named McDavitt, who would
attend to the rest This letter has not been
mailed.
In an interview with an LateiiigeHcer re-
porter, who accidentally heard of the let
tiers written here, and went on to Cleveland,
Clair detailed the operations of the gang
here as far rs he could give them, his
long narrative, which consumed about
four hours in telling, being replete with
the most interesting details, corrobOratlng
all the information which had become
known in this city since the date of the
robberies, including the locality, in the
rear of the residence Of NJ. J.. OFT, searched
BY Captain Thomas ID. Bennett, few
months after the thefts, on information
furnished by Frank Stanley, while he was
an inmate of the Columbus prison. But
while Clair threw much light on the rob
berries and told a very readable tale, heeither
suppressed good deal or was in Ignorance
of many facts which, if opened up to the
light of day, would cause each particular
hair on the heads of number of
Wheeling people to stand on
end with terror and alarm.
As We have said, several letters were writ
ten to Wheeling authorities i'll the interest
of 4 confession by Clair, but although it
was distinctly stated that the repentant
crook was willing aud anxious TO come
on here, and the Ohio people said they
would willingly give him up, nearly 4
month WAS suffered to 30 by be
fore Wheeling official concluded
to reply TO the letter-a circumstance
which drew from the Cleveland Sheriff IN
admOnition, cOuched in sarcastic vein,
that the Wheeling writer ought not to rush
80 or he would bring on an attack OF heart
disease So backward have our home otti-
GERS been, that quite an amount OF talk
has been created, which, virtual revival of
what was current Immediately after the
Stone x Thomas robbery. There will
probably be something done, however, be
fore long. The one man who can supply
the missing links in Glars story is Lowell,
and steps will soon be taken to secure
talk with him, when it is hoped the whole
story will come out Then we will have
the names of the Wheeling accompliCes of
the Eastern trio, and possibly obtain in
formation which will result in the restOra-
ton of the stolen goods, although this
is scarcely probable after the elapse OF 80
long time.
The gang struck great snap here in
Wheeling, where they seemed absolutely
secure from arrest, and since they left for
Ohio they have never ceased to regret
that they did not hold OH to
the good thing they had here,
where, as one of them put it, in the Ohio
penitentiary, I'VE might have stayed right
along and made lots of money instead of
doing time here 1t must
not be presumed that no
effort was made by the local au-
thorities to capture the crooks Both Cap
tain Bennett and the county authorities
suspected the gang, and each had the
house they occupied watched, the former
by policeman, and the latter 10y an EN-
ploye of the county, who lived not far of,
but nothing came Of It. Clair says
Lowell used to have fun" with the police,
tackling officers and giving them stories
about being silk sdrummers, with his
rooms full OF samples, etc.