The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-02-09

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thought It best to take him into my con-
6dence. He was dumfounded at my
suspicious, but yet, in the new light OF
things. could recollect many little things
going to show that might be correct.
Mrs. Roberts did not come to town that
evening, as 1 anticipated, but next morn
ing she arrived and posted twenty-one
letters, each one of them directed to
soldier. Thirteen of them were directed
to members of one Wisconsin regiment,
and each and every one no doubt con-
tanned counterfeits.
1 now reported to headquarters, and
asked for two men to aid me. l met
them at New Albany, and, after canvass
ing the case, a third man was sent US
from Louisville, making up our party to
four. Each proceeded to Shoals by his
own route, and, as many strangers were
coming and going, the presence OF our
party provoked no unusual comment.
During my absence Mrs. Roberts had
received two big mails and rosted one,
and nothing had occurred to create
alarm. On the day of our arrival she
had come in with fifteen letters and
took out twenty-nin 1t was in the
evening, and the four of US were on the
road to the Roberts cabin within an hour.
had seen the messenger come and go
by daylight, but that might have been
an exception. When we reached the
place We posted ourselves so that no one
could approach or leave the place with
out being seen, and though the lights
were out at II o'clock we remained alert
until broad daylight. 1t was 10 o'clock
in the forenoon before Roberts hung up
the sheepskin and H. As before the mes
senger arrived. 1t was the same IN
couth fellow l had seen on the other
occasion, and he received the mail Of
the night before and handed out a
packet ofletters to be posted.
We had our plans all perfected. Two
of the force were left to arrest Roberts,
and the other two of US lay in ambush
down the road and arrested the messen-
ger as he came up. He proved to be the
right sort of man. He no sooner found
himself in custody than he wanted to
squeal on the gang, and in half an hour
we had all the information we could
give.
Roberts and his wife were of different
stuff, but when confronted with the
messenger and made to understand that
he had given the whole thing away, they
became quite anxious to slip their necks
gu, of the halter. They were the agents
of the gang, and where do YOU suppose
the gang had its headquarters On q
house boat which moved up and down
the Ohio River, pretending TO be in the
service of the Government in locating
Instructions, noting the changes in the
channel and recording depths. The
money was printed in Louisville, and
this headquarter boat supplied several
towns on the river. Nearly all the ''queer
was mailed to the soldiers, and there was
a regular system about it. All the circu-
lars sent to the Army of the Tennessee re-
ferred would be purchasers to an address
at New Albany. The Army of the Poto
mac was supplied from Shoals. The
troops in the Southwest were supplied
from Madison.
The messenger stated that the boa
would be at certain point, about six
miles away, at 10 o'clock that night, and
we were on hand to boaro and capture
her. There were four men aboard. ont
Of whom had charge of the correspond
ence He had snug little office ftteG
up, bought postage stamps by the hun
dred, and had about him q bushel o
compromising documents. The receipts
must have averaged $500 or more pc
day, and among the letters ordering the
"queer" we're epistles from several Cap
tains and Major. The messenger knew
no one outside the boat. Roberts ant
his wife knew only the messenger. Mar
and wife got . regular salary of $15 pc
week, while the messenger got $50. o.
tho four on the boat not one would be
tray his comrades, and SO we did no
get the printers and engravers at tha
haul. We got about $50, 900 in counter
felt money, over $1,000 in good, and