Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-01-07


Virginia, was blown open and robbed
about S400 in money and 81, 100 In pos
tage stamps. The case was placed in
the hands of United States PostOffice
Inspector Arlington, and others as
ISOLATED with him, and worked up
until yesterday afternoon, when J. H.
C. White, son of Thomas w. H.
White, member of the House of Dele
gates from Wicomico, and nephew of
Governor elect Elihu Jackson, was
arrested on Baltimore street about
four O'Clock. At that time he was
with Thomas q. Elwell. White is
from Salisbury, Wicomico county,
and Elwell from Salem, N. j. They
were taken before Commissioner Rog-
ers, and committed to Jail for a hear
ing on Friday, charged with robbing
the Charlestown Post0ffice. White
and Elwell are both under twenty-five
years ofage. Young White declares
most positively that he is innocent, land
says that their arrest was caused SIM
ply by the fact that he and Elwell had
been in Charlestown some time before
that. Nothing was found on either
man to connect them in any way with
the burglary. Some pawn tickets
were found on Elwell. White was
married few months ago, toa young
lady from Wilmington, Delaware.
White and Elwell are pedlers of pins,
needles, combs, buttons and notions.
and usually travel in Frederick, Wash
ington, Allegheny and other counties
in Maryland and Virginia, and some
of the country along the line of the B..
& O. r. r. and its branches in Vir-
ginia and West Virginia. They usual
ly have with them another Eastern
Shoreman, named Samuel Fl. Adams,
who is a travelling sewing machine
agent, and occasionally buys horses
on commission for customers on the
Eastern Shore. Adams was arrested
about six O'Clock in the evening by
United States Deputy Marshal Cole at
the Eastern Shore steamboat foot of
South street. The warrant under
which he was arrested was issued by
Commissioner Rogers, and in it he,
like the others, is charged with forci-
bly, breaking into the postoffice at
Charlestown. Adams was locked up
at the Central Station last night. The
safe in Charlestown postoffice had the
handles knocked off, and was then
blown open with gunpowder. Adams
said he had been West with both
White and Eiwell, and in Charles
town, but returned from there TWO
weeks before the robbery. He was
also very hard up, like White and
Elwell.
A representative of The american
saw Mrs. White last night. She had
received a note from her husband,
telling her of his and Elwell's arrest
for robbery, and that he was innocent,
and had been committed to Jail. Mrs.
White said her husband and Elwell
went West on Tuesday four weeks
ago, and returned on Monday, Deem
Der 10, between two and three O'Clock
in the afternoon, and had not been
out of the city since then, that her
husband has been at home every day
sinces his return. Mr.. Adams had
been away with them, she knew, and
he returned the Saturday night ofthe
big snow storm, December 18th, and
told her that Elwell and her husband
were coming home in a few days.
Mr.. Darrah, the proprietor of the
Clarendon Hotel, where White board
ed, said he had seen him every day
since his return from the West, and
had as positive evidence his cashbook,
in which he had entered payments
made by White in person for his
board bill on December 20, q, %, "a,
81, 80, and 80, also January 3.
Adams, one of the arrested parties,
has brother. Alfred P. Adams, who
is night clerk at the Clarendon. He
said he had seen his brother frequent
ly since his return, on December IT,,
and when he asked him how they
made out, he said their trip was very
poor one, indeed, and they barely
made expenses, and he was sorry he
lost so much time going there. He
was hard up when he got back, and
received package of ten dollars,
which was sent to him by his son in
Chicago, and which had been locked
up in the safe of the Clarendon for
him. He had been boarding at John
Rielly's, on Pratt street. Alfred AID
ans went to see his brother at the Gen.
trail station, but the police declined to
let him talk to him, and he sent
him his supper to his cell.-Balto.
american.
The parents and friends of the &C.
cused are much grieved over the ar
rests and bail has been given. The
case of the government looks very
weak now, and some very experience
ed detectives are very certain that a
big mistake has been made and the
whole job bungled by the arrest of in
nocent and respectable men who were
making a very small living by selling
small wares as pedlers, while the ex-
pert and professional burglars got
away with their booty.
After Higgins was fired out OF the
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